Fotofix - Vintage Cameras

1940 - 1951

The Leica IIIc was introduced to the public in 1940. As an innovation, it had a one-piece top plate made of die-cast. This makes the camera 3mm longer than the previous models. The body shell was also a diecasting instead of a flattened tube which made it more rigid and allowed easier production in large numbers. The eyepieces of the viewfinder and rangefinder were located directly next to each other as with the IIIb. The diopter compensation was also located under the rewind button.

Since the camera was produced both before and after the war, there are slight differences between the copies. The body covering also varies: the "shark skin" cover was used in 1948/49. Some had grey paint finish due to the lack of chrome during the war.