Leica IIIc

The Leica IIIc is a 35mm rangefinder camera introduced by Leica in 1940. As an upgrade of the Leica IIIb, the Leica IIIc had important changes: One piece die-cast body, instead of an assembly of small parts. The cover of the rangefinder is no longer a separate piece. Improved internal mechanism. 3mm longer than the previous cameras. Larger release button. New exposure counter mechanism. Variants: Black and red shutter curtains (362,401-379,226). Military engravings in some cameras produced during the war, such as "Luftwaffen -Eigentum" (airforce property), "Heer" (Army) or "WH" (Wehrmacht Heer). Blind rollers with ball bearings on cameras with the letter K next to the serial number (for Kugellaler, ball bearings). Postwar Leica IIIc (serial number over 400,000): no step under the reverse lever, no knob in the focusing lever for the rangefinder. The Leica IIIc was made of aluminum with chrome plated brass top plate, base plate and knobs. Some of them had grey paint finish due to the lack of chrome during the war. It was built from 1940 to 1951 (serial numbers 360,101-525,001) with approx. 131,000 units produced. The Leica IIc (1948-1951, 440,001-451,000) was a IIIc without the slow speeds dial. The Leica Ic (1949-1951, 455,001-562,800) was also based on the IIIc chassis, without the rangefinder and the slow speeds dial. Links In French: Lionel's Leica IIIc overview at 35mm-compact.com Leica IIIc at summilux.net

• Leica IIIC 1940, Leica IIIc 1946, Leica IIIc 1949 sharkskin, Leica IIIc 1950 on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand