Leica IIIa with Elmar 5cm – When an a is an f

Leica IIIa

Here in Sydney, and even as far afield as Thailand, there is a photographic collective called Pixels & Grain, of which I am a member. Although we call it a collective, lately it has functioned more as a group of photographers who keep in touch and occasionally shoot together. We have, however, been discussing a few ideas for getting it back into full “collective mode”.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with an article about the Leica IIIa. One of the collective’s founding members, Alan, kindly lent me his IIIa a few months ago so that I could write about it. I would like to thank him not only for the loan, but also for subsequently supplying the photographs of the camera, which I had forgotten to take before returning it.

I was very excited to try the camera when Alan lent it to me, and with it already paired with the Elmar 5cm lens made the experience feel authentically of its period. I quickly noticed, however, that this was not a stock-standard IIIa, it had been modified along the way. That is not unusual, as Leica offered upgrades that helped customers keep their cameras current with technological advances. Imagine having that kind of service today!

The camera became a regular carry because its small size made it easy and convenient to use around Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD). It is an interesting camera to shoot, and once you adjust to its ninety-year-old ergonomics, its operation begins to make sense and becomes genuinely enjoyable.

Unfortunately, I did not get to use the camera as much as I usually would for an article. I did not want to overstep the generosity of the loan, and I also experienced two failures, which I will discuss later. Even so, I can see its appeal, and the results I did achieve clearly demonstrate the camera’s quality.

With all that in mind, let’s have a closer look at the Leica IIIa and the Elmar 5cm f/3.5 lens.

RELATED:

• Leica M3 – Double stroke of genius
• Leica M2 – The sibling classic
• Canon VT de luxe – Deluxe and rapid
• Combinations – 2 Leicas, a Fuji and a Nikon in Auckland
• Zorki 4 – Attempted equaliser
• Photo Thinking rangefinder reviews

History

The Leica IIIa sits in the middle of one of the most important camera families in photographic history, the small 35mm cameras developed by Oskar Barnack at Leitz.

Barnack’s original idea was to use 35mm cine film in a more compact still camera, running the film horizontally to create a 24x36mm negative. The first experimental camera, now known as the Ur-Leica, was built before the First World War, but it was not until 1925 that Leitz started production on the Barnack cameras.

That first production camera was simply called the Leica. It had a fixed lens, no rangefinder, and a focal-plane shutter. Today collectors generally call it the Leica Model A, although the later model names are not always as straightforward as they appear in modern references.

Leitz continued to develop the design quickly. The Model C introduced interchangeable lenses and eventually the standardised the 39mm Leica screw mount. In 1932 the Model D added a coupled rangefinder and is the camera now commonly known as the Leica II. The small Leica was becoming a much more complete photographic system.

The next development was the Model F, now generally called the Leica III. It added slow shutter speeds through the second shutter speed dial on the front of the body, while retaining a maximum speed of 1/500 second.

In 1935 Leitz introduced the Model G (this camera), better known today as the Leica IIIa. At first glance it looked very similar to the Leica III, but the important change was a new shutter capable of 1/1000 second. The basic layout remained pure Barnack Leica: separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows, bottom loading, a screw-mount lens and controls spread across the top and front of the camera.

The IIIa remained in production through much of the remainder of the 1930s and into the post-war period, while the Barnack design continued to evolve through the IIIb and IIIc models. Eventually it led to cameras such as the IIIf, which added built-in flash synchronisation and represented one of the most developed versions of the original screw-mount Leica concept.

While the camera in this article is a IIIa from the mid 1930s, the progress of the advancements seen up to the IIIf were often offered by the factory to be installed retrospectively to make the older cameras more up to date.  We can see that in this camera.

Camera Specifics

The standard Leica IIIa is a very compact, fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder camera using the Leica screw mount. At around 132 × 66 × 30mm and roughly 430g, it is noticeably a small camera.

It uses the classic Barnack Leica arrangement of separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows. Focusing is done through the magnified rangefinder eyepiece, then you move your eye across to the separate viewfinder to compose. The rangefinder, which has a 1.5 magnification, also includes an eyesight/dioptre adjustment, allowing the user to fine-tune the rangefinder image for their vision. It is quite different to the combined finder of the later M cameras, but it does make for a very precise focusing system. 

The shutter is a horizontal cloth focal plane type. The main shutter speed dial on the top covers the faster speeds and Bulb and includes the IIIa’s improvement of 1/1000 second. The slower speeds are handled separately by the dial on the front of the camera, which provides the longer exposures from 1/20 second down through 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 second, as well as T for timed exposures. This split arrangement is very characteristic of the early Leica III series and takes a little getting used to if you are more familiar with later cameras where all shutter speeds sit on one dial. Everything is mechanical, with no meter and no battery required.

Film advance is by the large winding knob on the top plate, with the frame counter around its base. Rewinding is also manual, using the rewind knob at the opposite end of the camera after disengaging the film transport.

Loading film is where the Barnack Leicas become a little more involved. There is no hinged back. Instead, the baseplate is removed and the film cassette and take-up spool are inserted from the bottom, something Leica has kept in its design for decades. On the Leica IIIa, the film leader also needs to be cut considerably longer than the normal modern 35mm leader so that it can pass correctly between the film rails and shutter. Leica supplied templates showing the correct shape, and often requires a small pair of scissors for the job. It works perfectly well once you know how to do it, but it is certainly not as convenient as loading a later camera.

The camera in this article, started life as a 1937 Leica IIIa, but it is no longer completely standard.  With my reckoning, it was updated during a possible service in the 1940s by the factory, but I cannot confirm this.

At some point it appears to have received a number of later upgrades which bring it closer in appearance and operation to a Leica IIIf. The most obvious later addition is the flash system. A flash contact has been added beside the viewfinder, while a numbered synchronisation-delay ring sits beneath the main shutter-speed dial, closely matching the arrangement used on the later IIIf.

The winding knob has also been replaced by the later style with the film speed reminder windows, another feature associated with the IIIf period. Leitz listed this type of film-speed indicating winding knob as an interchangeable accessory for earlier Leica cameras, so this is exactly the sort of update that could have been fitted during a later service or factory conversion.

There is also a red/orange filter fitted to the rangefinder window. This increases contrast in the rangefinder image, particularly when working in flatter light, making the coincident image easier to distinguish. It is a very simple modification, but quite an effective one.

The other change is much more modern. Inside the camera is a 3D-printed quick-loading insert which guides the film correctly into position. This means loading an ordinary 35mm cartridge does not required cutting the extended Leica leader first. It does not alter the operation of the camera once loaded, but in theory removes probably the most awkward part of using a Barnack Leica today.

So while the serial number tells us this is unquestionably a 1937 IIIa, it is also a good example of how these cameras often evolved during their working lives. Leitz routinely upgraded older cameras and components, and owners continued modifying them long after they left Wetzlar. In this case, this IIIa operates in several respects much more like a later IIIf.

The physical size is also worth putting into perspective. A IIIf is around 135.5 × 68 × 31mm, only slightly larger than the IIIa, whereas the M3 is approximately 138 × 77 × 33.5mm and weighs around 580g. Put the cameras next to each other, as in the photos, and the difference is much more noticeable than the numbers suggest. The M3 is still a compact camera, but the Barnack Leica really is tiny.

Lens Specifics

The lens fitted to this camera is a Leitz Elmar 5cm f/3.5, one of the lenses most closely associated with the early Leica system. It is a collapsible Leica screw-mount lens, allowing it to retract into the body when not in use and helping keep the whole camera remarkably compact.

The serial number on this lens dates it to 1933, around four years earlier than the Leica IIIa body itself. This is therefore not the lens originally supplied with the camera, although pairing different lenses and bodies is hardly unusual after nearly ninety years. 

The Elmar was designed by Max Berek, an optical designer who joined Leitz in 1912 and worked alongside Oskar Barnack during the development of the Leica. Berek designed many of the early Leica lenses, including the lenses that preceded the Elmar. Even the earlier name Elmax came partly from his name, combining Ernst Leitz and Max Berek. 

Optically, the 5cm f/3.5 Elmar uses a relatively simple four elements in three groups design. It is often described as Tessar-type, although Berek developed it from his earlier five-element Leica lens rather than simply copying the Zeiss design. Despite its simplicity, the Elmar became one of Leica’s longest-lived and most important lens designs. 

Aperture adjustment is made using the small tab around the front element rather than a conventional aperture ring. On this particular copy the aperture runs from f/3.5 through to f/18. It is not the quickest arrangement to change while looking through the camera, but that is typical of lenses from this period.

Focusing is controlled by the small lever at the base of the lens, which also incorporates an infinity lock. When the lens reaches infinity it locks into position and the small button needs to be pressed before it can be focused closer again. Minimum focus is approximately one metre (3 feet), with the rangefinder coupling operating directly through the screw mount.

The collapsible construction is one of the features that makes the Elmar particularly well suited to a Barnack Leica. The lens is pulled forward and twisted into its locked position before use, then can be collapsed back into the body when the camera is being carried. With the lens collapsed, the IIIa becomes an extraordinarily small 35mm camera.

The Elmar is also a lens from a very different period of optical design. It was calculated long before computer-designed optics, modern coatings and exotic glass types. Berek and his team were working largely with logarithmic tables and mechanical calculation, yet the basic design proved good enough to remain part of the Leica system for decades. 

The Experience

Over drinks one evening, Alan turned to me and asked whether I would like to try a Leica and perhaps write an article about it. I looked down to see a Barnack Leica in his hand, complete with lens. How could I refuse?

At the time, neither of us knew it was a IIIa, we simply were not familiar enough with the variations. I took it home, began researching and soon found myself confused. The serial number dated the camera to 1937 and identified it as a IIIa, yet several features pointed to a IIIf. I did not solve the mystery immediately, but gradually pieced it together while the camera was with me. Confirmation came from my co-host on the Camerosity Podcast, Mike Eckman. In our hosts’ chat, he shared a photograph of his IIIa and pointed out that it did not look the same. That prompted me to remember that Leica sometimes upgraded cameras during servicing when owners requested it.

During the weeks I had the camera, I often carried it to work in central Sydney. I have been making a greater effort to use public transport for environmental reasons, and the Leica slipped easily into my laptop bag, ready to use while travelling or walking through the city. Few people paid it much attention and those who did seemed more curious than concerned, unlike the reactions that phone or other camera photography can sometimes attract.

Handling the camera takes a bit of getting used to. If you wear glasses, both the viewfinder and rangefinder can be a little awkward, as neither gives you a particularly generous view. The dioptre adjustment helps a lot though, and once I had that set correctly, focusing became much easier.

One of the real head-slapping moments with this camera is remembering to pull the lens out before taking a photo. If the lens is not fully extended and locked into position, focus will be wrong. Even when it is extended, you still need to make sure it has actually locked properly. I had a few photos where the focus plane seemed to run unevenly from one side of the frame to the other, which I initially thought might be a problem with the lens. In reality, it was user error and the lens not being seated quite correctly.

Setting the aperture is a little fiddly too, as the control sits right at the front of the lens and really does require a fingernail. What is not fiddly is focusing. The infinity lock can be a little inconvenient, but the focusing tab itself makes the movement very easy and smooth. Combined with the diminutive size of the camera, it makes the IIIa quite pleasant to use.

As I wandered around the city, I found myself enjoying the camera more and more. I began to understand why Leica became the standard so many others tried to match for decades. The camera is beautifully engineered and machined, clearly built to withstand years of use, while still producing excellent results. So when my wife, Noelle, and I took a day trip to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, it naturally found its way into my camera bag for the day.

My first roll of Ilford FP4 Plus was processed soon after the Katoomba trip, and it reinforced everything I had read about both the camera and the lens. The results are lower in contrast than you would expect from a more modern lens, but that also gives me plenty to work with. Sharpness is not biting, but it is certainly not lacking either. It has that look we often like from older lenses. There is some vignetting at the wider apertures, but as I was using the camera mostly around f/8, it had effectively disappeared.

One thing I noticed when I reached the end of that roll was that the camera no longer seemed to be advancing, but it also did not give me the usual tactile feedback that the film had reached the end. What I later found was that I had been making multiple exposures on the final frame. The same thing happened on the next roll I put through it. It is something to keep an eye on with this camera. Once the frame counter reaches thirty-six, it is probably best to rewind the film rather than waiting for the camera to tell you the roll is finished. The examples below show the results of those accidental multiple exposures.

I next put a roll of DoFilm! 250 through the camera, which I assume is Kodak Vision3 250D, so I could see how the Leica handled colour. Loading it took a couple of attempts, as I noticed the film had not caught properly on the take-up.

One thing I will say is that I wish this camera did not have the 3D-printed quick-loading insert. In practice I found it very fiddly and, to be honest, more of a pain than a help. I think I would actually prefer the original loading method. Luckily I noticed the problem early and only lost a couple of shots, but I struggled with loading the film every time I used it.

Again, I carried the camera with me on my travels around the city, but it also came in handy one day when my son Matt called while I was nearby. He was working on some old telescopes and asked if I would be interested in taking a few pictures. He did not have to ask twice, and I jumped at the chance.

Shooting in low light is always a challenge, but also part of the fun. I finished that roll fairly quickly that day, and the results were very pleasant. It also produced one of my favourite photographs from the time I had the camera, of Matt working with the telescope.

The following roll was a very different experience though. On one of the days when I got together with other members of the collective and a few friends to shoot, I put a roll of black and white film through the camera. Somewhere along the way, the shutter appears not to have worked properly. Alan and I have not had a chance to test it again, so it may have been a one-off issue, but getting a roll back looking like the examples below is never a great experience.

I would not let that take away from the experience of using the Leica IIIa. It may very well have been something I did, as pulling the lens out and collapsing it again was never quite a natural part of using the camera for me. It may also simply need a tune-up. These things happen when you are nearly ninety years old. I know I will need one too.

I very much enjoyed using the Leica IIIa, so much so that it inspired me to pull out my own IIIf and start using that again. It is a beautifully built camera, compact and handy to use, and the quality is remarkable considering its age.

If you are thinking about diving into the Barnack Leica experience, it is worth considering whether this style of camera is really for you, but I can certainly recommend it. There are also other options, such as the older Canon rangefinders, which can be an easier way in financially if you simply want to try the experience first. But if the Barnack Leica appeals to you, you really cannot go too far wrong with a IIIa. Just allow for the possibility of a service in your calculations, and you should be good to go.

Related Links

• Leica IIIa Review – My Final Roll with an Underused but Long-Prized Camera on 35mmc.
• Leica iiia Review + Buying old Cameras/ Lenses on eBay (+ Leica iiia vs Leica M3) on Mr Leica.
• My 1930s Leica iiia on Rangefinder Chronicles.
• LEICA IIIa, Autofocal Camera Model G (1935-1938) on Ken Rockwell.
• Shooting with a Leica IIIa – One roll review on Random Camera Blog.
• Leica IIIa and 50mm Elmar – The Pleasures and Challenges of a Barnack Leica on 35mmc.
• Leitz Leica IIIa instruction manual on Butkus.org.