Leica 250 Reporter FF

Leica 250 Reporter FF

The Leica 250 Reporter FF is a rare 35mm Leica screw-mount rangefinder camera produced by Ernst Leitz Wetzlar for high-capacity press and documentary photography. It belongs to the Leica 250 Reporter family, a group of enlarged Leica screw-mount cameras designed to shoot up to 250 exposures on a long roll of 35mm film [1][2].

The camera uses the Leica Thread Mount, also known as LTM, M39 or Leica screw mount. It accepts Leica screw-mount lenses and compatible 39mm screw-mount rangefinder lenses [2][3].

The defining feature of the Leica 250 Reporter FF is its enlarged body with extended film chambers at both ends. These chambers were designed to hold approximately 10 metres of 35mm film, enough for around 250 exposures. Under the winding knob, the camera has a special frame counter that runs up to 250 [1].

The FF version was based on the Leica III, also known as the Leica F. This means it has a coupled rangefinder, a separate viewfinder, a slow-speed dial on the front of the camera and a cloth focal-plane shutter with speeds up to 1/500 second [1][3].

The camera has no built-in exposure meter, no flash synchronization, no self-timer and no battery-dependent functions. It was a purely mechanical professional camera intended for situations where changing film after 36 exposures would be too slow or impractical.

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History

Development and Launch

The Leica 250 Reporter concept was introduced in the early 1930s. Pacific Rim Camera describes the Reporter model as introduced in 1933, with the FF based on the Leica F and the later GG based on the Leica G [1].

The idea was simple but ambitious: create a Leica rangefinder that could shoot far more frames without reloading. For press photographers, sports photographers, scientific users and documentary workers, a 250-exposure Leica could be extremely useful.

Reporter Body Design

The Reporter body was much larger than a normal Leica screw-mount camera. The ends of the camera were modified to accept long-roll film cassettes, giving the camera its distinctive swollen shape. This is the main visual difference between a Leica 250 Reporter and an ordinary Leica III [1].

The camera used special long-roll film cassettes. Later references often mention the cassette code KOOBF, associated with Leica 250 film loading. These cassettes are important accessories and can strongly affect collector value [2].

FF and GG Distinction

The Leica 250 Reporter FF should be kept separate from the Leica 250 Reporter GG.

The FF is based on the Leica III / Leica F and has a top shutter speed of 1/500 second. The later GG is based on the Leica IIIa / Leica G and has a top shutter speed of 1/1000 second [1][2].

This distinction matters because seller listings often use “Leica 250 Reporter” without specifying the exact version. The shutter-speed dial, serial number and body features should be checked carefully before matching an example to FF or GG.

Serial Number Notes

Serial-number information for the Leica 250 Reporter FF is difficult because surviving references mix Reporter bodies, ordinary Leica III records, FF examples and later GG examples.

Leica Wiki lists early Reporter prototypes at 114051–114052, then notes Reporter FF examples within broader Leica III records. The same table includes 150001–150200 as a mixed FF-KUP + GG-CHROM Reporter block from 1934–1936 [2].

For a database field, the safest wording is 130008 to 150200, non-contiguous and mixed FF/GG records, exact FF subset not reliably isolated. This avoids implying that every serial number in the span is a Leica 250 Reporter FF.

Relationship to Leica III Model F

The Leica 250 Reporter FF is mechanically related to the Leica III Model F, but it should be treated as a separate camera model. The ordinary Leica III is a compact 36-exposure screw-mount rangefinder. The Reporter FF uses the same general camera generation but has the enlarged 250-exposure body and special film transport arrangement [1][3].

The Leica III Model F has shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/500 second, split between the top fast-speed dial and the front slow-speed dial. This is the shutter foundation of the Reporter FF [3].

Relationship to Leica 250 Reporter GG

The later Leica 250 Reporter GG belongs to the Leica IIIa / Leica G generation. Its most important technical difference is the 1/1000-second top speed. GG cameras also appear in later serial blocks and are often more commonly referenced in auction records than FF examples [1][2].

Because both versions share the enlarged 250-exposure body concept, the shutter-speed dial is one of the most useful practical identification points.

Identification

The Leica 250 Reporter FF is identified by its enlarged long-roll body, LTM screw mount, separate viewfinder and rangefinder windows, front slow-speed dial, top fast-speed dial ending at 1/500 second, high-capacity frame counter and Reporter-style extended film chambers.

Common listing names include Leica 250 Reporter FF, Leica 250 FF, Leica Reporter FF, Leica FF Reporter, Leica 250 FF-KUP and Leica 250 based on Leica III.

Listings that simply say Leica 250 Reporter should not automatically be treated as FF. They may refer to FF, GG, DD prototype-related bodies, motorized GG variants or later modified cameras.

Collector Notes

The Leica 250 Reporter FF is a major collector camera because of its rarity, unusual body design and direct relationship to professional 1930s press photography. It is much less common than ordinary Leica screw-mount bodies and is often seen in auction contexts rather than normal retail listings.

Collectors should check the serial number, shutter-speed dial, frame counter, film chambers, long-roll cassette compatibility, rangefinder function, shutter operation, body finish, top-plate engraving, base plate and whether the camera has been restored or modified.

Independent conversions exist, and ordinary Leica bodies were sometimes modified to accept longer film loads. These should not automatically be treated as original Leica 250 Reporter cameras [2].

The Leica 250 Reporter FF should be treated as a separate LTM film camera because its 250-exposure body, Leica III-based shutter system and Reporter-specific construction distinguish it from both the ordinary Leica III and the later Leica 250 Reporter GG.

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Sources

• [1] Pacific Rim Camera. Leica Reporter, Leica FF and GG. https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/leicareptr.htm
• [2] Leica Wiki. Leica 250, models DD, FF and GG. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Leica_250_%28models_DD%2C_FF_and_GG%29
• [3] Leica Wiki. Leica III, model F. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Leica_III_%28model_F%29
• [4] CameraQuest. Leica Screw Mount Serial Numbers 1923–1965. https://www.cameraquest.com/ltmnum.htm
• [5] Leitz Auction. Leica 250 FF Reporter. https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Leica-250-FF-Reporter/AI-34-37034