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09-11-2018, 06:55 PM   #1
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What is it? Mystery item...old Leica lens adapter viewfinder thing...

I came across this at a local auction house and I couldn't find another one like it online. It seems to be some kind of lens adapter...anybody know anything about it? I've been trying to Google it for the last 15 minutes, but no luck so far. The collective of Pentaxian wisdom on here has never let me down though! My best guess is that it's some kind of microscope or telescope adapter??







09-11-2018, 07:06 PM - 1 Like   #2
dms
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Believe it is the mirror reflex housing that adds an extension to the longer lenses, and turns the RF Leica into a SLR.
09-11-2018, 07:16 PM - 1 Like   #3
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I think it is called a visoflex? and yes it does exactly what dms suggested. the coolest use of this i have seen online was where one user mounted it to the M mount module of the GXR and turned it into a frankenslr of sorts haha.
09-11-2018, 08:24 PM - 1 Like   #4
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VisoFlex. It provides reflex viewing to a Leica camera and took a special series of dedicated lenses.


Steve

09-11-2018, 09:09 PM - 1 Like   #5
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Stevebrot is correct, as usual. The Visoflex was a curious thing in its day, but eminently practical if you had an early Leica. There’s a good summary of the system and lenses here.
09-12-2018, 03:56 AM   #6
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Thanks for the help guys...mystery solved!
09-12-2018, 09:54 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by RobA_Oz Quote
Stevebrot is correct, as usual.
I'm often wrong. In this case the knowledge comes as a side-effect of owning several Leica compatible rangefinder cameras (sadly, no Leica).


Steve

09-12-2018, 10:27 AM   #8
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Leitz sold reflex housings for Leicas back at least to 1935, even pre-dating the Exakta 35 mm, so in a sense Leica had the first 35mm SLR!
I've used a Visoflex III (pictured above is a II) for decades, usually with bellows and macro lenses, but also for a 200mm lens. I also inherited a German 3rd party 400mm lens for old Leicas that has a similar reflex housing built in. Of course, no automatic diaphragm with these, but a lot of good nature pictures were taken with them and published before SLRs came to dominate. I've even use the Visoflex III on a digital Leica M9 for macro use, and it does a great job, if not too convenient.
09-12-2018, 03:40 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
I'm often wrong. In this case the knowledge comes as a side-effect of owning several Leica compatible rangefinder cameras (sadly, no Leica).


Steve
Your modesty becomes you, Steve. My scant knowledge on this matter comes from discovering a Visoflex in a local optics store some years ago, and wondering if it would do anything for my Leica III, which is as far as that went, but lead to a little more reading on the subject.
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