Legend of SLR cameras-A 50-year brilliant way to a canon SLR camera (serialization 3)

Germany-Leica and 35mm

Legend of SLR cameras-the 50-year glorious road to Canon SLR (serialization 3) by Mu

Since both of the previous articles are based on Canon's "prequel", there was little explanation of the historical environment at that time. In order to let everyone know as much as possible about the overall situation of the German and Japanese camera industries at that time, today, I will introduce some simple information about the German camera industry before 1934.

Since most photographers used heavy landlines, tripod-based shooting, and large negatives at the beginning of the last century, photography at that time was really a task of high technology and high physical strength. Many people who like photography hope to have a small camera. At that time, the 35mm film used by the film camera was relatively easy to obtain, so the use of 35mm film became the ideal choice for creating a small camera at that time.

Oscar banneak, the father of the 35mm camera, and his "Ur-Leica" (prototype Leica)

Leica engineers, Oskar barnak, designed and created a prototype Leica that was known as "Ur-Leica" before World War I in 1913) the first 35mm cameras in history. The street view in the town of weizler, which was shot by banak in 1914, is still clear. Due to the impact of World War I, this model was not put into production in time, but 31 units were created from 1914 to 1923, and the body number began at 100. In 1925, the company officially launched the Leica a model improved by "Ur-Leica. Unlike the folding wooden camera at that time, this is a all-metal camera. It was soon welcomed by the market.

Leica A-type camera launched by reiz

A Leica is equipped with a fixed 50mm f/3.5 lens, because no ranging device can only perform visual focus. After about 870 units (from 131 to 1000) were produced, in 1926, compur shutter was used to replace lecia type of focal plane shutter, and replaced the-type model, which was the only one in all Leica cameras that used the inter-mirror shutter. Later collectors called it "compur Leica" and the production lasted for five years, A total of about 1500 machines were created. In 1930, the lecia C model, which can be used to change the lens, came out, except for the original 50mm f/3.5 lens, at the same time, there are a total of three lenses supporting 25mm f/2.5 and 135mm f/3.5. The 39mm screw port, that is, m39, has become the standard for the future.

A, B, and C cameras were later collectively referred to as the Leica I type. In addition to cameras, the company also launched a supporting amplifier (1925) and projector (1926), and so on, forming a complete set of photography systems. The emergence of Leica I has an important impact on art photography, especially the method of reporting photography. Leica I is not only the first 35mm camera in the world, but also a great change in photography history. It has changed the concept of photography in people's minds, it directly promotes the development of photography and photography. Although the price was very expensive, By 1931, Leica I-type cameras had produced a total of about 70,000 units, which had achieved great success and the Leica's position had also been laid.

Leica D, Leica II camera launched by reiz

The advent of the Leica I-type camera has caused a sensation throughout the world. The company further improved its products and launched the Leica D-type camera in April 1932, which is also known as the Leica II-type camera in the future, this is the first 35mm Leica camera with a linkage ranging device, that is, the aforementioned 35-mm "top camera" that sells 420 yen in Japan ", shutter options include 1/20 s, 1/30 s, 1/40 s, 1/60 s, 1/100 s, 1/200 s, 1/s, and B door. Leica II has also achieved great success. By 1932, the total output of Leica cameras has reached about 90,000.

In March 1933, a slow door turntable (front of the body) was added with optional t door and 1 s, 1/2 s, 1/4 s, 1/8 s, and 1/20 s shutter) later, the Leica E-type, also known as the Leica III camera, will be available. In, Leica IIIA, whose highest shutter speed was increased to 1/s, was released, which was the last camera designed by Mr. banak. It should be noted that Leica II and Leica III are synchronously produced, and they are not ex-descendant products. They all share a common feature, that is, they are both very expensive and sell well.

Leica camera advertisement on "Chao sun camera" in 1932

When we talk about Leica, we will never end up talking about it. Finally, we will see several Leica camera advertisements on the 1932 "Chao sun camera.

At that time, the Karl Zeiss Foundation, which was the main business of the company with the same optical products such as microscope, established Zeiss ykang to compete with the company, many types of cameras were created between 1926 and 1931, but they were not successful until the contax release in 1932. Similar to Leica II, contax I, which is equipped with a linkage ranging device, has the highest 100mm-length ranging baseline at that time to achieve more accurate focus, it is equipped with a vertical metal focal plane shutter (the Leica series uses a horizontal walking cloth shutter), which can reach up to 1/1000 s, and has a detachable back for fast film replacement. The most notable feature of contax is its special lens bayonet, which supports a maximum aperture of F/1.5 and a large number of supporting lenses. By 1934, there are already 12 lenses covering 28mm to 500mm.

X I camera launched by Zeiss Yikang

Fed-1 manufactured by Leica II in the former Soviet Union

Speaking of the situation in the former Soviet Union, Leica II was introduced in April 1932, and the jelenski labor community (later changed to feed.com) decided to start producing Leica-like cameras in June of that year. In October 1932, the "Soviet Leica" of Leica A was introduced. In January 1934, the Fed-1 of Leica II began to produce mass production, with about 1800 units produced by the end of the year. However, considering that the former Soviet Union was at the climax of socialist construction in the First Five-Year Plan, the State Administrative Directive did not consider intellectual property rights or care too much about costs and sales, this is something that Japanese enterprises could not imagine.

End of Section 3 of serialization