Leica 1a

<p>Hi, I am new to the forum and need some help. I have just purchased a Leica 1a serial # 46921 but it has a nickle finished and can't seem to find one anywhere. Has it been plated by a previous owner?</p>

<p>What can't you seem to find anywhere?</p>

<p>Not in the nickle finish. They are all black. I will post some photos tomorrow.</p>

<p>You have one in your hands but you can't seem to find one anywhere?</p>

<p>I mean as a comparison for information and value. I purchased it in last week at an auction with other photographic equipment.</p>

<p>Geez, Robert, you know what he means! :-P</p>

<p>Perhaps information and market value can be found here (I think the prices are a bit low, though), although they don't seem to mention the model Ia, only II onwards.<br>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://antiquecameras.net/leicascrewcameras.html" target="_blank">http://antiquecameras.net/leicascrewcameras.html</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>I was actually pretty lost.</p>

<p>"I was actually pretty lost." Me too, but I think I've unravelled the question - here goes:</p>

<p>Searching for"Leica 1a" brings up many pages of Leica websites, but one of the better sites (<a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmcam.htm">Cameraquest - link) </a>), isn't top of the list. That is the place to start any quest for information on Leicas. "Leica 1a" is a slight misnaming and may result in some confusion. More detailed descriptions of the various Leica 1 variants (A to C, etc) require some determined web searches.</p>

<p>S/N 46921indicates an 1930 <strong><em>Leica 1 (Model A</em></strong>). According to The Leica Pocket Book (7th Ed) the Model A was was produced only in black paint. A nickel model - that is the body is silver, not black - sounds very odd. As far as I can tell at the moment, the first <em>chrome </em>model was the Leica Model E which was introduced in 1933 with S/N 105210 .</p>

<p>Thanks Alan for your answer. I wonder if the top and bottom plates have been plated at some time? The unusual thing is that it is exactly the same finish as the nickel Elmar lens.</p>

<p>Another possibility is that the plates might have been replaced. Is there by any chance an asterisk (*) after the serial number?</p>

<p>Well I am certainly no expert. My feeling is that if the top and base are truly nickel (a different colour to chrome) then someone has had a modification done, rather than it being undertaken by Leica.<br>

<br />But, as Rob says, there were factory upgrades, so check whether there is an "O" at the top of the lens mount. If so, I think it becomes a little more likely that this is a converted camera. Photos may help, but it's all seems rather odd.</p>

<p>Here is the photo of the camera. It has not been cleaned yet and is exactly how I brought it. It does look like the finder has been replaced with a later one and some of the knobs are chrome. Please let me know your thoughts.</p>

<p>Here is the photo.</p><div></div>

<p>From a little additional reading I think that the Model A cannot easily be modified to an interchangeable lens version, but that's not relevant here, now, anyway.<br>

Given that there are other 'modifications', maybe the camera has been refurbished by someone who wanted it to look a little different? Whatever the situation, if it works then all's well. It's certainly "unusual" as it stands . . . .</p>

 

Though is quite uncommon, there are some Leicas I A chromed. The most famous one is the one displayed on Henry Cartier Bresson’s Foundation, but if you search you could find some others in fact I own one. This cameras were not chromed by Leica.

 

One of the posters in a thread about chrome-plated Leica 1 examples over on l-camera-forum mentions one 'that was covered with nickel plating presumably after the paint had been removed':

 

Leica I A in chrome finish

 

Might be worth posting in that subforum to get an opinion:

 

Leica Collectors & Historica

I don't think chrome plating was done in the early 1930's (at least not in the US, Nickel plating was the common everyday for metal finishing for bicycle, autos, plumbing fixtures, etc. Chrome plate was superior and when it became available nickel plating disappeared.

I have been observing your camera in detail and drew my attention some details that differs from original Leicas IAs. Notice the number of screws attached on the front side of the top plate, normally 1 not 3, the focal distance displayed on cm not in mm and the focus scale that also differs from IAs. I recommend you to contact Leica forums, they could help you to authenticate your camera as they did with mine. Good luck with it. Concerning of the chrome/Nickel finish it is pretty sure it was made by somebody different from Leica. Leica did not chrome this camera as an upgrade.

The OP hasn't been seen since 2012. The post itself started April 2010.