Leica IIId 'Sharkskin' rangefinder camera with Leitz Summitar f/2 50mm lens, 1940
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1940
This Leica IIId rangefinder camera, dated to 1940, is a distinct variant notable for its 'sharkskin' body covering, which replaces the standard vulcanite used on other production models.
Bearing serial number 364995, this specific example falls between the recognized production batches of 360001-360135 and 367001-367325, suggesting it may have been a special order. The camera is finished in chrome and is paired with a Leitz Summitar f/2 50mm lens, serial number 703949. The lens features chrome finish and exhibits some internal dot-like haze marks. The camera body is accompanied by its maker's case. The shutter is functional, and the overall construction reflects the precision engineering associated with Ernst Leitz Wetzlar optics of the era.
The unique combination of the sharkskin texture and the serial number classification makes this a particularly intriguing piece for collectors of pre-war German photographic equipment.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- chrome, sharkskin
- Accessory
- maker's case
Technical characteristics
- Lens
- Leitz Summitar f/2 50mm
- Lens serial
- 703949
- Camera serial
- 364995
Design
- Body covering
- sharkskin
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Ernst Leitz Wetzlar
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.