5x7 Leitz Camera - Is this thing for real?

[Removed Account]

I was searching on eBay for a 5x7 camera and came across an auction for an Ernst Leitz Wetzlar 5x7 camera. I'm no Leicaphile but if this thing is legit that would be very interesting, and make sense to me. Not to mention it's a really freakin' cool looking camera!

- Justin

 

[panastasia]

It looks like a real antique, but it also looks like it fell of the truck and bounced a few times. One of the knobs is obviously not an original part - I think you know which one I'm talking about - it would be tough to turn it. Whoever did the repair work could have at least matched the color of the solder. Does it actually have a glass lens? All I can see is a black hole where glass should be.

It might make a good window display for an antique shop. What else can I say? I'm not a collector, but I'm sure it has some historical significance, if not any real value. It is cool looking!

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

It's obviously a fake, as I can see no red dot on the front. Sheesh.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Yes, this is the genuine camera used by Oscar Barnack to photograph the Loch Ness monster. It's worth approximately $1,000,000,000,000.

Signed,

David H. Bebbington
Photographic Expert At Large

PS: The mounting of the camera is the clue. Imagine the camera pointing downwards with the big metal clamp attached to a heavy-duty laboratory stand. It's a microscope or macro camera, probably pre-World War I. It's not especially rare, they made quite a lot of them, or at least sold them under the Leitz name to go with a Leitz lens, of course not too many survive after 100 years or so. The bellows of this example is of course shot, and I can't see any glass in the lens, also the pneumatic shutter may be having a little lung trouble (seals on its tiny cylinders). On the other hand, the camera may go cheap and with a little effort make a nice display piece - it wouldn't be too hard to take a picture with it, either, with new bellows and a working lens/shutter.

PPS: The seller is not correct in saying there are no mentions of this camera in literature. There's a picture of essentially the same camera on page 13 of Rogliatti's "Leica The First 70 Years." These cameras were produced from the 1880s onwards, so it looks as if this camera, which may well sell cheaply, comes with full bragging rights about owning the oldest and rarest Leitz (not Leica) camera in the world!

 

[gandolfi]

Yes, this is the genuine camera used by Oscar Barnack to photograph the Loch Ness monster. It's worth approximately $1,000,000,000,000.

Signed,

David H. Bebbington
Photographic Expert At Large

PS: The mounting of the camera is the clue. Imagine the camera pointing downwards with the big metal clamp attached to a heavy-duty laboratory stand. It's a microscope or macro camera, probably pre-World War I. It's not especially rare, they made quite a lot of them, or at least sold them under the Leitz name to go with a Leitz lens, of course not too many survive after 100 years or so. The bellows of this example is of course shot, and I can't see any glass in the lens, also the pneumatic shutter may be having a little lung trouble (seals on its tiny cylinders). On the other hand, the camera may go cheap and with a little effort make a nice display piece - it wouldn't be too hard to take a picture with it, either, with new bellows and a working lens/shutter.

PPS: The seller is not correct in saying there are no mentions of this camera in literature. There's a picture of essentially the same camera on page 13 of Rogliatti's "Leica The First 70 Years." These cameras were produced from the 1880s onwards, so it looks as if this camera, which may well sell cheaply, comes with full bragging rights about owning the oldest and rarest Leitz (not Leica) camera in the world!

one might think the seller thinks it can get a huge price...

I've seen one almost like this (leitz wodden camera) but with another stand, in a shop in copenhagen. the price there is about 600$ (and they are by far the most expensive photo shop in Denmark..)