Over the years, a myriad of
various accessories have been made for the Leica, not just by Leica, but other
companies as well. Many of them were
made to offer more accurate focusing for the Leica prior to a built-in
rangefinder. The accessory FODIS
rangefinder was a popular accessory that fit onto the accessory shoe of the
camera. Another was the PLOOT, a reflex
housing which, when added to the camera, offered accurate focusing for close up
and long telephoto work by essentially converting the camera to a single lens
reflex.
One such focusing aid was the
Flexameter. It too fit onto the
accessory shoe of the camera. Unlike a
rangefinder, the Flexometer utilized a 50mm Kühn-Rekatar f/2.8 lens which
projected an image onto a ground glass where it could be focused. A flip up magnifier allowed for more accurate
focusing. The subject distance was then
read off the lens and transferred to the camera lens. The Flexameter essentially converted the
camera to a twin lens reflex design.
Flexameter on Leica IIIg
Top view with focusing magnifier folded up
Flexameter with original packaging
The Flexameter was made in
Wetzlar by the company of Kühn. The name
will be familiar to many that are interested in the history of the Leica. Frau Dr. Elsie Kühn-Leitz was the sister of
Ernst Leitz II. Her husband Kurt Kühn established
a small company in Wetzlar for the manufacture of camera accessories, one of
which was the Flexameter in the mid 1930s.
Of course cameras other than Leica could be used with the Flexameter
also, but it was mostly sold to be used with Leica cameras.
Today the Flexameter is a
rather rare collector’s item with only a few left. It is definitely one of the more unique
accessories for the Leica cameras. Even
though it was made by a company other than Leitz, its uniqueness is further
underscored by the connection to the Leitz family and the Leica camera.
It would be nice if the two lenses would be coupled.
ReplyDeleteYes, but it is mechanically very involved and would make the entire system quite cumbersome. Focusing the Flexameter lens and then transferring the settings to the camera lens is definitely preferable in this case. For that matter, I find the Flexameter quite cumbersome because of its size when compared to the much smaller and handier FODIS rangefinder attachment.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I cannot understand why anyone would use this rather large accessory over the much smaller FODIS rangefinder. The operation of both items is very much the same, you measure the distance and transfer it to the camera lens.
DeleteI think that she was the daughter, not the sister.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct.
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