Reid & Sigrist Reid I

Reid I

The Reid I is a simplified British LTM camera introduced by Reid & Sigrist in 1958. Based on the established Reid body and comparable in concept to the Leica Standard, it omits both the coupled rangefinder and the front slow-speed mechanism. A fixed direct-vision finder is fitted on the top plate, while an accessory rangefinder can be used when required.

Its cloth focal-plane shutter covers B and instantaneous speeds from 1/20 to 1/1000 second. The 39 mm screw mount retains the Leica 28.8 mm register, allowing standard LTM lenses, although focusing is not coupled because the body has no built-in rangefinder.

History

Development and Launch

Reid & Sigrist began regular production of its Leica IIIb-derived camera in 1951 after a lengthy postwar development program. The lower-specification Reid I followed in 1958, aimed principally at British military requirements. Approximately 500 were manufactured.

Production Evolution

Surviving cameras commonly carry P-prefixed serials and military property numbers. Collector records disagree on a simple continuous allocation: Reid I examples include P1723 and P3478, while broader surveys place many bodies within approximately the P2001 to P35xx group. No complete factory serial ledger survives.

Special Variants

Military Broad Arrow and service-registration markings are normal provenance features, not special editions. The announced Reid Ia replaced the built-in finder with a second accessory shoe and should not be silently merged when a clearly identified example appears.

Collector Notes

Confirm the absence of rangefinder windows and a front slow-speed dial, the small direct-vision finder, front synchronization connection, P-prefixed body number and any military markings. Do not mistake a service registration number for the camera serial. The Reid I remains a Standard model despite its scarcity and predominantly military distribution.