Film cameras
the Leica IIIc User manual
User manual for the Leica IIIc. 55 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
55 pagesEnglish3.9 MB PDF
Loading your manual…Open PDF directly
Document details
- Brand
- Leica
- Model / document
- the Leica IIIc
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 55
- File size
- 3.9 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
Search available document text
Find a term, then jump to its page in the original PDF. Image-only pages may not be searchable; check the PDF for exact wording and diagrams.
Page 3 · Read text
tt4fhaltaatin&f, While this instructionbooklet is written primorily for use with the Model lllc
Leico comero, informotion in it is opplicoble to oll other Leico comeros. EveryIt
Leico, from the very first Model A to the lotest Model lllc Leico comero hos the {xl
some bosic genqrol design.The moin differencesbefween the vorious models ore
the odditionol, unusuolLeico feoturesodded to eoch succeedingmodel. A brief
descriptionof eoch model of the Leico comero is given on poges 44 lo 47.fhis
will enoble you to identify the model designotion of your comero, so thot you
con eosily opply the informotion in this booklet to it.
2
www.orphancameras.comView original page 3Page 6 · Read text
t . WINDING KNOB,odvoncesthe film ond windsthe shutter,ot the
sometime poge 6
2. AUTOMATICEXPOSURECOUNTER poge 6V.
h, 3. SHUTTERRELEASEBUTTON poge 6 4. MAIN (TOP)SHUTTER-SPEEDDIALfor high speeds,1/30-1/1000
sec.(to be set ofter winding shutter) poge 7
I .
5. ADDITIONAL {SLOW-SPEED)SHUTTER-SPEEDDIAL for slow 'l speeds, full second-1/30sec. poge 8
5I
6. APERTUREPOINTERfor settingthe lensdiophrogm poge12
7. APERTURESCALE(lensdiophrogmscole) poge12
8. LENSFOCUSINGLEVER(with infinitycotch) poge13
9. DISTANCESCALE. poge14View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
S et re v e r s i n gl e v e r t o A . l. Turn WINDING KNOB (os indicotedby orrow) os for
os it goes up to o stop. This simultoneouslywinds the
shutterond odvoncesthe film for the next exposure.Double
exposuresore not possible.
2. AUTOMATIC EXPOSURECOUNTER.The countingdisc
is turned counter-clockwiseby meonsof two lugs.(i.e.in the
opposite directionof the orrow on the winding knob).
The Leico film mogozinesor doylight looding cortridges
con hold o strip of film, 51/aleet long, which is suffjcient
for 36 pictures(24x36mm in size).
T u rn c o u n t i r r gd i s c i o O p o s i tio n
o f t e r i n s e r t i . r og n e w f l l m . l t w i l i
o u i o m o t i c o l l yr e c o r dt h e n u m b e r
3. SHUTTERRELEASEBUTTON.The exposureis mode byo f e x p o s u r e s .
gently pressingthe releosebutton.
The next picture con be token only ofter ogoin turning the
Winding Knob (1) os for os it goes. Accidentoldouble
exposuresore impossible.A speciol coble releosecon be
screwedover the releosebutton, between the button ond
the outer collor.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 7Page 8 · Read text
FIRSTturn the Winding Knob up until
it stops.
THEN set Shutter-SpeedDiol to the
exposuretime desired.
4. The MAIN (TOP) SHUTTER-SPEEDDtAL shows .|000 exposure figures from 30 to which represents
froctions of o second (for instonce40 : 1/40 sec.;
60: 1/60 sec.etc.) Intermediotespeedsconnot be
set. Set to B (Z), the shutterremoinsopen while the
releosebutton is presseddown. When set to the red
figure 30-1, the Additionol (Slow Speed) Diol (5) is
put in oction (nextpoge).
The Moin Shutter-SpeedDiol con be odjustedonly
ofter the shutterhos been wound, os it revolveswhen
the lotter is releosed.Re-windingthe shutter brings Lift ond set Diol so thot the index
the speeddiol bock to its originolposition. orrow pointsto the desiredspeed.
Ee&i'ri9$ltfiB':rj :trView original page 8Page 9 · Read text
5. ADDTTONAL (SLOW SPEED)SHUT-
TER-SPEEDDIAL for the slow instontone-
ous speeds1/30 - I sec.
To operote this Diol set Moin Shutter
Speed Diol - ofter shutter hos been
wound -- to the red figure 30 - l.
lt providesexposuretimesof t/so,'lro,
t/to, t/to, t/n,7/2, ond I second.The
figures con convenientlybe reod from
obove. Intermediotespeedscon olso be
set (e.g.3/ a sec.being holf woy between
L/2 ond 1 sec.)
When set to T, the shutteropens on being releosed,ond remoinsopen. To close
it, do not pressthe releosebutton ogoin, but merely turn the Slow Speed Diol
bock o little (to I or forther)ond the shutterwill close immediotely.*
T h e s h u t t e r o l so clo se swh e n th e fllm is o d vo n ce d . This is im por tont for photo- m icr ogr ophyond
o t h e r s p e c i o l p u rp o se s.
www.orphancameras.comView original page 9Page 10 · Read text
When chongingfrom the slow speedsof the Front Diol to the high speedsof the Moin Diol, the Front Diol must be set to the red figure 30. Consequentlyboth diols ore sei to 30 when 1/36 sec. is required. The Front Diol con be turnedeitherwoy between stops. A sofety spring holdsthe FrontDiol ot 30 ond must be pushedbock with the finger when chongingto slow speeds. This con be done con- venientlyby pressingdown the spring with the right h o n d t h u m b - n o i l .View original page 10
Page 11 · Read text
The mountsof the Leicostondord50 mm lensesELMAR+/3.5, SUMMARf /2 ond
SUMMITAR| /2 ore of o collopsibletype.
For photogrophing
1 . p u l l o u t l e n s .
2. lock it by turningit clockwiseto the stop.
To push lens bock into the comero body, unlock it counter-clockwise.
When locking the SUMMITARor SUM-
MAR lens, toke core thot only the front
ring is gripped not touchingthe other
milled ring which servesfor odlusting
the operture.
The lens-chongingflongeollowson eosy
ond ropid interchongeof Iensesof vori-
t 0
www.orphancameras.comView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
ous focol ,lengths.The specior screw-flongeof the Leico
insureslosting occurocy.Lensesore simpry-screwedfirmry
into ch.o.ngingflonge. The helicol iotusing mount of ,the
the lens will outomoticoily coupre with the [ongufindu,.
nrechonism.
W.h"l ch.onginglenses,hold the comero with the left hond,
grip the lenswith the_right hond closeto the comero body,
ond loosen it in the flonge with o srightierk. Then unr.r"*
the lens, with the comero held floi in yor,. left hond, the
lens.turnedupwords.toovoid dropping it. In the some'woy
the lens is screwed into the chonging-flonge, first feeling
the entronce of the precision threoJ by iuining srightr|
counte_r-clockwise,ond then screwing it (by turni-ng.t.[-
wise) firmly into th,echonging flongei Lensesin .otiofribr" Toke speciol core of this
To.rntj must be pulled out ond rockedin the boyonet cotch, precisioncoupling mount.their focusing lever in .the-infinity position, before being Use screw cop when coffy-screwed into the chonging flonge. ing lens seporotely.
The opening in the.comerobody shourdnot be exposedto
stronglight, ond it is bestto hold the openingof the comero
ogoinsi the body while the other lens is token from its cose.
t 1View original page 12Page 13 · Read text
6. APERTUREDIAPHRAGM ADJUSTMENT'The light
tronsmittingcopocity of o photogrophic lens is con-
trolled by its diophrogm.This hos the some functionos
the iris of the humon eye which widens or norrowsthe
diometer of the pupil occording to the intensityof the
light reoching the eye.
The diophrogm of the ELMAR50 mm (ond olso of the
wide ongle lensesELMAR35 mm ond HEKTOR28 mm
is odiustedby o smolllug with indexline.The diophrogm
of oll other lensesis operoted by o milled ring.
7. APERTURESCALE. The figuresindicote the relotive operture of the lens.
The relotion between lens opertureond relotivetime of exposureis os follows'
o p e r t u r e (sco leL e n s
1 . 4 ' t . s 2 z . z 2 . 8 3 . 2 3 . 5 4 t . s 5 . 6 e . g I 9 I l l z . S 1 6 l 8 2 2 f i g u r e s * )
R e l o t i v e e x p o su retime 0 . 5 9 . 6 ,| 1 . 2 2 z . s 3 4 S 8 1 0 1 6 2 0 3 2 4 0 6 4 g o 1 2 8
The toble shows thot smoll diophrogm openings,which noturolly necessitote
longer times of exposure,ore indicoted by higher scole figures,ond vice verso.
* T h e r e d f i g ure s re p re se n t th e in te rn o iio n o l (AS A ) scole of oper tur e volues, which hos been
o d o p t e d f o r o ll L e ico le n se so f re ce n t p ro d u ctio n '
12
www.orphancameras.comView original page 13Page 14 · Read text
When stopping down to the next higher scole figure, the time of exposurehos
to be doubled.
lf , f o r e x o m p l e , t h e e x p o s ureme le r in d ico te so n e xp o su retime 1 /60 sec. for o diophr ogm setting
o f 5 . 6 , t h e t i m e o f e x p o s u r emu st b e d o u b le d with th e d io p h ro g m st opped down to 8 i.e. I /30 ter .
O r, if i h e c o r r e c t e x p o s u r e is 1 /6 0 se c. o t 6 .3 , th e sp e e d sh o u ld be chonged to j /'30 when the
d iophro g r n i s s t o p p e d d o w n to 9 . (Wh e n u sin g le n se se n g ro ve d with the for m er Eur opeonSysiem .)
T h e d io p h r o g m s e i t i n g 2 on th e o th e r h o n d wo u ld re q u ire o n e xposur e tim e of 1/4BO sec. In
p roc t ic e y o u s e i i h e s h u f t e r to 1 /5 0 0 se c. o s yo u wo u ld se t ii to 1 /20 when your exposur em eter
reods I / 2 5 s u c h l i t t l e d i f i e re n ce sb e in g o f n o imp o rto n ce o win g to ihe gr eot lotitude in the
s e n s it iv i t yo f m o d e r n f i l m s .
B. LENSFOCUSING.When not in use,the helicolmount of the lens is locked
ot the infinityposition(.o).By pressingthe knob on the end
of the focusing lever the cotch is releosed,ond the lens con
then be rototed for focusing up to 3.5 ft. (1 m). The locking
device is found only on lensesof 50 mm focol length or less.
When usingthe ELMAR,SUMMARor SUMMITAR50 mm lenses.
do not forget to pull out the tubulor lensborrel,ond lock it in
its boyonet cotch.
Long-focuslensesqre focusedby meonsof o knurledring.
r3View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
9. DISTANCESCALE.The distoncemoy be reod off the figure of the distonce
scole which lies neorestthe index mork.
In oddition to the moin index, Leico lenseshove o second index denoted by R
which servesfor focusingwhen toking INFRA-REDphotogrophs(with the excep-
tion of the 28 mm ond 35 mm wide ongle lenseswith which moximumshorpness
in the cose of infro-redexposuresolwoys lies within the depth of field).The lens
is first focusedin the usuol monner,then the helicol mount moved until the index
R points to thot positionon the distoncescole which wos first indicotedby the
moin index.
10. DEPTHOF FIELDSCALE.The moximum shorpnessobtoinoble by o photo-
grophic lens lies in o plone ot the distonceto which the lens hos been set. From
this plone decreosingshorpnessextends to the foreground os well os to the
bockground.This ronge of shorpnessis ccrlledthe "depth of field" or lessoccu-
;
t l
fleld.The neorerthe distonce,the smollerthe depth of fleld for o given operture.
1 4
www.orphancameras.comView original page 15Page 16 · Read text
To enoble one to reod the depth of field ronge ot
ony lens operoture ond distonce, direct from the
Leico Comero, o speciol scole is provided on the
bose of the lens mount. lt beors the operturefigures
on either side of the index mork, ond shows the dis- 11tonces in front of ond behind the octuol focusinqdistonceot which sufficientlyshorp focus is obtoinedl as I
In the cose of o lens operture of 3.5 ond o distonce 3# 5.6
of 7 m the scole shows o depth of field ronging from 3.5obout 5.5 m to l0 m, ond when the lens is st-pped
down to I I this depth of field extends from obout
3.5 m fo co (infinity)without ony olterotionto the lens
focusing being necessory. This lotter odiustment is 3.5porticulorly useful when os lorge o foreground os
possibleis to be includedin o londscopephotogroph. 5.6
I
11
l . l O T E r T h e c x c r m p l e r r i v c r r < r b o v e t t f o r o i c n s w i t h o
d t s l c r r c c s c c r l c . O r t e m e l c r l: op[)rcrxrnrctely 39ri2 16
t 5View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
However, it should olwoys be borne in mind thot the moximumshorpnesslies ot
the distonce to which the focusing scole hos been set. Therefore,for distonce
ui"*t, with o foreground which ion be neglected, the focusing scole should
olwoys be set ot oo (infinitY).
The reoding of the depth of field scole is sufticientlyoccurote for oll procticol
purposes.li desired, further doto moy be obtoined from our speciol DEPTHOF
FIELDTABLES.
The beginner will find it odvisoble not to worry obout the depth of field scole'
His first-oimwill be to obtoin his resultswith the following settingsof the focusing
scole, For londscopesond similor obiects ot long disto.ncesstop down to 5.6 or 8,
(6.3 or 9) ond set lens to infinity. For snopshotsstop down to 5.6 (6.3),ond focus
io the most importont port of the subiect. For portroits, use full lens operture,
ond focus occurotely on the eyes of the person.
1 6
www.orphancameras.com
,fie" ,s&nrlgli4fiE ieu'View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
RANGEFINDER
VIEWFINDER
Bringyour eye to the twin-
12. The BUILT-lNVIEWFINDERis o direcl-vision eyepiecesos close os pos-
finder, ond shows the fleld covered by the lensesof sible. A slight movement
ihe 50 mm stondord focol length. lt is to be held of the eye is sufficientto
centrollyto the eye. chongefrom Viewfinderto
Rongefinder.Lens eso f o t h e r f o c o l l e n g t hs re q u ire th e u se o f th e UNIVE RS A L
V I E W F I N D E Rw, h i c h s l i p 5 i 6 1 e t h e o c c e s s o r i eclips 1 7 o n to p o f
I ne c ome r o .
1 7View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
Lens
J 3 o - b . W I N D O W S O F T H E o u r
RANGEFINDER.The Rongefinder of focus
is coupled with the helicol focus-
ing mountof the lensso thot when
lhe lens is turned the rongefinder
is outomoticollyput into opercr-
tion. Correct focus is obtoined
when the two imoges oppeoring
in the rongefinderore fused into
one by turningthe focusingmount Correct
of the lens(coincidenceprinciple). f ocus
s u b i e c t
-'tf
Th e o u to mo tic coupling of the Leico com er o em bodies o
micro me te r-movem entm echonismwith two com pensoiing
d e vice so f o d egr ee of pr ecisionsuch os is found only in
ve ry h ig h p riced m icr oscopes.
It sh o u ld b e especiolly noted thot oll inter chongeoble
L e ico le n se s o r e suitoble for use on ony Leico com er o
with b u ilt-in Rongefinder .
t 8
www.orphancameras.comView original page 19Page 21 · Read text
STEADYHOLD
It is stronglyodvised- not
3 only for slow exposures
d
f but olso for fost shutter
{d{ speeds- to hold the com-
ero steody in the honds,
Restcomeroogoinstcheek
both honds grosping
the comero - the right
index finger reody on the
releose button - the left
index finger on the knob
of the focusinglever.
Press the Releose Button
gently without ierking.
Avoid shokingthe comero
which is the moin cousefor
unshorp negotives.Move
the fingeronly ond not the
enrrreorm.
20
www.orphancameras.comView original page 21Page 22 · Read text
THE WRONG WAY
resulting in shoking the
comerowhile releosingthe
shutteris illustrotedot the
right. Insteod:
Ploce the hollow of the
right hond underthe Bose-
plote to counferoct the
downword oction of the
forefinger.Give the com-
ero o good support by
pressing your elbows lo
your body, ond bring the
eye used for sighting or
focusingclose to the eye-
lens of the Viewfincleror
Rongefinder.
21
,-1View original page 22Page 24 · Read text
Se c on d Me t h o d :
Hold comeroos described
on poge 20. Chonge over
to verticoI position,right
hond on top, right index
linger on releose bufton,
o n d le f t h o n d su p p orting
c o m e r o o n d o p e r o t i n g
focusinglever.
T hi sm e f h o dis f o vo redby
m o n y o s it o llo ws o con-
v e ni e n t o n d ro p id t ronsi-
t io n f ro m horizonto I to
verticol picturesond vice
verso.
23View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
ROUTINEFOR TEICA PICTURE-MAKING
Now thot the voriousLeico comerocontrolshove been
exploined,o routineor systemof operotingthesecontrolsio
mokepicturesshouldbe estoblished.After o shorttime this
will becomehobit,ond picturemokingwill be simple'Rec-
ommendedprocedurefor phoiogrophingwith the Leicois:
l . R e m o v ei h e L e n sC o P f r o m t h e 2 . P u l l o u t t h e L e n so n d l o c k i t i n 3 . T u r n t h e W i n d i n g K n o b { i n t h e
L e n s o s i m P l es t e P w h i c h i s p o s i t i o n . M o k e s u r e i t i s f i r m l Y direction of the orrow) os for os
often overlooked. l o c k e d .
24
www.orphancameras.com
LiView original page 25Page 26 · Read text
4. Set the Shuiier Speed Diol oc- 5. Set the Lens Diophrogm to the 6. Focusthe L e n sw i t h t h e R o n g e -
cording to exposuremeter reodings operture indicoted by the exposure finder. Both imoges should over-
or exposure toble recommendo- m e t e r o r t o b l e . lop so thot o s i n g l e i m o g e i s s e e n .
t i o n s .
7 . C o m p o s e t h e s u b i e c t i n t h e 8. Pressthe Shutter ReleoseBut-
Viewfinder. Do it corefully. Good ton to expose t h e f i l m . M o v e o n l y
c o m p o s i t i o ni s i m p o r t o n t . the finger on the Button, not the
e n t i r e o r m .
25View original page 26Related documents and language editions
From the M. Butkus archive. Original publisher and archive notices are retained.
Check the model and edition against your equipment.
PDF verified 2026-10-10.