Leica IIc

Leica IIc

The Leica IIc is a 35mm Leica screw-mount rangefinder camera introduced by Ernst Leitz Wetzlar in 1948. It was developed as a simplified version of the Leica IIIc, using the same postwar die-cast body concept but omitting the slow-speed mechanism [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 other compatible 39mm screw-mount rangefinder lenses [1].

The IIc has a built-in coupled rangefinder and a separate built-in optical viewfinder. Like other Barnack-style Leica cameras, focusing and framing are handled through two different windows. The rangefinder is used for focusing, while the viewfinder is used for composition [1][2].

The most important difference from the Leica IIIc is the absence of the front slow-speed dial. The IIc uses only the fast-speed shutter range, with B, 1/30, 1/40, 1/60, 1/100, 1/200 and 1/500 second. It has no built-in exposure meter, no flash synchronization and no battery-dependent functions [1][2].

The body dimensions are listed as 136 × 39 × 65 mm. Leica Wiki describes the body as aluminum with chrome-plated brass top plate, base plate and knobs. Some examples have the rough postwar covering commonly called sharkskin [1].

History

Development and Launch

The Leica IIc was introduced in 1948 as a lower-cost version of the Leica IIIc. Pacific Rim Camera describes it as a budget IIIc without slow speeds. It was intended for users who wanted the improved postwar IIIc body construction but did not require the slow shutter speeds below 1/30 second [2].

Production Evolution

The IIc was produced from 1948 to 1951. Leica Wiki lists total production as 10,999 cameras, while Pacific Rim notes that the model was not especially popular and that only about 10,999 were sold over four years [1][2].

Summichronica gives the main delivery blocks as 440001–449999 in 1948 and 450001–451000 in 1951. These delivery blocks create a practical range of 440001 to 451000, but the production should be treated as non-contiguous rather than one continuous sequence [3].

Serial Number Notes

Serial-number identification should be handled carefully. The safest wording is 440001 to 451000, non-contiguous delivery blocks. A serial number in the correct range should still be checked against the body layout, because Leica bodies could be converted or upgraded by the factory or later repairers [3][4].

Catalog Codes

The Leica IIc body-only catalogue code was LOOSE. A IIc supplied with a 5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens was coded LOOEL, while a IIc supplied with a 5cm f/2 Summitar was coded LOOSU. These are kit or catalogue codes, not separate camera models [5].

Relationship to Leica IIIc

The Leica IIc should be kept separate from the Leica IIIc. The IIIc has a front slow-speed dial and shutter speeds down to 1 second. The IIc lacks the slow-speed dial and uses only the faster shutter-speed range. This makes the IIc simpler and less versatile for low-light or tripod-based work, but also visually cleaner from the front [1][2].

Factory Conversions

Some Leica IIc cameras were later modified into Leica IIIc specification by adding the slow-speed mechanism and front slow-speed dial. Pacific Rim notes that these conversions can often be spotted by serial number and by the accessory shoe, which has two screws rather than the IIIc’s four-screw shoe [2].

These converted cameras should be treated carefully in matching. A body with an IIc serial number but IIIc features may be a factory or later conversion rather than a normal IIc.

Relationship to Leica IIf

The IIc was discontinued as the Leica IIf generation arrived. The IIf continued the idea of a simplified rangefinder body without slow speeds, but added flash synchronization and belongs to the later f-series design family [3].

Identification

The Leica IIc is identified by its postwar IIIc-style die-cast body, LTM lens mount, built-in rangefinder, built-in viewfinder, no front slow-speed dial, no flash synchronization and fast-speed shutter dial with 1/30 to 1/500 second markings.

Common listing names include Leica IIc, Leica IIC, Leica IIc LTM, Leica IIc screw mount, Leica IIc sharkskin and Leica IIc with Elmar. Lens names and covering descriptions should be treated as kit or variant information rather than part of the base model name.

Collector Notes

The Leica IIc is a less common postwar screw-mount Leica and is often overshadowed by the IIIc and IIIf. Its appeal comes from its compact IIIc-derived body, simple fast-speed shutter layout and relatively low production.

Collectors should check the serial number, absence of the slow-speed dial, rangefinder alignment, viewfinder clarity, shutter curtains, body covering, accessory shoe screws and whether the camera has been converted to IIIc specification.

The Leica IIc should be treated as a separate LTM camera model because its simplified shutter layout, postwar IIIc-derived body and dedicated delivery blocks distinguish it from both the Leica IIIc and the later Leica IIf.

Sources

• [1] Leica Wiki. Leica IIc. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Leica_IIc
• [2] Pacific Rim Camera. Leica IIIc, Leica IIc, and Leica Ic. https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/leica3c.htm
• [3] Summichronica. Leica IIc. https://www.summichronica.com/leica-iic
• [4] CameraQuest. Leica Screw Mount Serial Numbers 1923–1965. https://www.cameraquest.com/ltmnum.htm
• [5] Leica Wiki. Leica IIc, code words. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Leica_IIc