Leica microfilm?

I’m reading a book about Soviet spies in the US back in the 30s. It refers to them using a Leica microfilm camera, but I can’t find any reference to such a camera then. Was there such a thing?

Up into the 50s 35mm cameras were called "miniature cameras". Likely that is the explanation.

Leitz also made "microscope cameras", but these were microscopes taking 35mm film. I have never heard of any subminiature Leitz camera.

Basically a spy could have used a standard microphotograpy camera, typically using 35mm microfilm, but that is a huge thing. And to my knowledge Leitz did not build such either.

AgX said:

Up into the 50s 35mm cameras were called "miniature cameras". Likely that is the explanation.

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So were medium format cameras. But Leica's were used with microfilm to copy documents.

Ian

Leitz made a 16mm camera for the CIC according to William White in Subminiature Photography - he says that "an example most certainly exists in a US army museum" and there seems to be a few more subminiatures that have been attributed to Leitz during war years although it seems evidence there is more uncertain.

They may have been involved in making the Zapp microfilm camera too from skim reading my copy of White's book

Leica, AKA Leitz, made all varieties of specialsed optical instruments, so I would not be surprised if they made what you describe. Not all were for sale to the general public and I am sure that there may be some items made which they would not be keen to admit to for reasons. of security.

Craig75 said:

Leitz made a 16mm camera for the CIC according to William White in Subminiature Photography - he says that "an example most certainly exists in a US army museum" and there seems to be a few more subminiatures that have been attributed to Leitz during war years although it seems evidence there is more uncertain.

They may have been involved in making the Zapp microfilm camera too from skim reading my copy of White's book

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With those devoted Leica collectors investigating into each nut, there should have been spread knowledge about such still 16mm camera. I am also curious to learn about an involvement of Leitz in the VEF enterprise.
(Youg writes that Zapp wrote to Barnack, disclosing some of his design ideas, but never got a reply from Barnack or someone else at Leitz.)

Leitz made a variety of copy accessories for Barnack and later Leica cameras. Some of these would have been very good for accurate copying of documents. I've used the nicknamed "spider legs" for such work, although not as a spy.

AgX said:

With those devoted Leica collectors investigating into each nut, there should have been spread knowledge about such still 16mm camera. I am also curious to learn about an involvement of Leitz in the VEF enterprise.
(Youg writes that Zapp wrote to Barnack, disclosing some of his design ideas, but never got a reply from Barnack or someone else at Leitz.)

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reading on it turns out author was allowed to see FBI's captured Zapp camera and he decided it was a fake given to J Edgar Hoover by a Yugoslav MI5 spy who claimed he studied under Zapp. Apparently the Germans in 1930s went on a microfilm / microdot spree in USA spying missions but the Zapp Camera / Cabinet itself was a forgery fabricated by the Yugoslav spy to prove his loyalty. It's quite a complicated story!

Author seems certain Leitz made a 16mm camera for USA Counter Intelligence Committee and posits a few other Leitz subminis and interviewing different spies notes that some of them say they liked using the Leitz best but then he isnt sure these ex agents arent confusing it with an Austrian submini . He does say "there was still another camera, now known from only one extant photograph. However, an example most certainly exists in a US Army museum" - it's just one paragraph in White's book on pages 206-7 with the Zapp camera discussed 192-7.

juan said:

I’m reading a book about Soviet spies in the US back in the 30s. It refers to them using a Leica microfilm camera, but I can’t find any reference to such a camera then. Was there such a thing?

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juan

if something like that exited i am sure if they told you ... they'd then have to K¡11 you !
john