Leicina Super 8 Prototypes

Barnack displayed considerable skill as a motion picture camera man back in the days when he designed an all aluminum movie camera, a radical departure from the heavy wooden models of the time. back in the day Oskar had almost considered becoming a professional camera man. His new venture was to become the first all metal motion picture camera ever. So, the first experimental Leitz film cameras go back to Oskar Barnack. Very early on, Leitz was very interested in the development of movie cameras. Since the early 1930s the company manufactured lenses for movie cameras with various mounts. Only in 1960 did Leitz started to produce movie cameras for 8 mm film in series. The offered collection demonstrates the development of the last movie camera, the Leicina Special, for Super 8mm film.

1. Leicina Super Dummy no.A143,
2. Leicina Super no.65170 with Leicina Vario 1:1.9/8-64mm (hood, case, strap),
3. Leicina Super no.65788 with Leicina Vario 1:1.9/8-64mm in different finish, different exposure knob and speed dial (hood, case, strap), wooden design model of Leicina SP (Special) with several different details to the final series production camera,
4. Leicina Special prototype without contacts, no serial number, front with leather covering, with special Macro-Cinegon 1:1.8/10mm no.2495116,
5. Leicina Special prototype without contacts, no serial number, front with leather covering, with Schneider Cinegon 1:1.8/10mm no.11480355 (according to Thiele only 4 pcs. delivered to Leitz as Muster (sample) on May 21st, 1970),
6. Leicina Special Dummy no.074449 A ('A' hand engraved) with prototype Optivaron 1.8/6-60mm,
7. Leicina Special prototype no.080072 with impuls selector on base (14P) and matching prototype Optivaron 1:1.8/6-60mm no.11892607 (the series production lens was a 1:1.8/6-66mm Optivaron), including the rare transparent Leicina exposure meter made by Metrawatt A.G. Nürnberg.

Photo credit: © WestLicht Photographica Auction