Leica viewfinders ?

gliderbee · 05-20-2010

Is there some place I can read about those Leica viewfinders with these ... well .. peculiar names (SLOOZ, etc ...) and where these names come from and their meaning ?

I'm asking because
- I have one for sale, and I would like to know what that one is called
- out of curiosity what else exist there

Stefan.

cidereye · 05-21-2010

Small piece here on the codes etc and the focal lengths they match:- http://nemeng.com/leica/027ba.shtml

Roger Hicks · 05-21-2010

There are over 40 with code names, some available as CHROM as well, plus several more without code names. Try van Hasbroeck, Leica, Sotheby's 1983, but I don't know of an on-line source.

Cheers,

R.

Beemermark · 05-21-2010

Leica dropped the code names in the late 50's or early 60's I think, so if your VF is later than that it doesn't have a code name. Also if your going to list it for sale a description is more important than the code name. People often post a WTS or WTB ad with only the code name and unless a person has a reference handy (or an incredible memory) one has no clue what is offered.

Roger Hicks · 05-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beemermark

Leica dropped the code names in the late 50's or early 60's I think, so if your VF is later than that it doesn't have a code name. Also if your going to list it for sale a description is more important than the code name. People often post a WTS or WTB ad with only the code name and unless a person has a reference handy (or an incredible memory) one has no clue what is offered.

All true. I was referring only to the older finders. To the OP: often, there's little or no meaning to the names, which were instigated for telegraphic ordering. Some may have a meaning or derivation (eg VIDEO) but others are often variations on this (VIFUR, VISUR) and there are other related names such as RASUK, ROSOL, etc.

Cheers,

R.

payasam · 05-21-2010

The five-letter "names" appear to be entirely arbitrary. If you'd post a couple of photos of the finder you have, someone here is sure to help.

Roger Hicks · 05-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by payasam

The five-letter "names" appear to be entirely arbitrary. If you'd post a couple of photos of the finder you have, someone here is sure to help.

Dear Mukul,

Not always. ELMAR, EKURZ, ELANG are easy to follow. Not finders, I know, but equally, proof that there often is a 'base' name (like VIDEO for the torpedo finder).

Cheers,

R.

Landshark · 05-21-2010

In someone's mind they may be completely logical.
They are simply catalog designations. Since the 60-70's they have used a five digit number. They may seem random to a customer but have some meaning to Leica.
Ikea uses similar alpha catalog numbers because the founder was dyslexic and prefers(d) catalog letters/words. That tiny bit of useless information came from their company history.

gliderbee · 05-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by payasam

The five-letter "names" appear to be entirely arbitrary. If you'd post a couple of photos of the finder you have, someone here is sure to help.

Thanks ! Here are the pictures. Anybody an idea what the name of this one is ? It's quite peculiar (to me at least): If you turn it a quarter turn (form horizontal to vertical) the image makes a half turn: it is upside-down then ! You can then turn a ring to have it "right" again. Nice trick

Roger Hicks · 05-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark

In someone's mind they may be completely logical.
They are simply catalog designations. Since the 60-70's they have used a five digit number. They may seem random to a customer but have some meaning to Leica.
Ikea uses similar alpha catalog numbers because the founder was dyslexic and prefers(d) catalog letters/words. That tiny bit of useless information came from their company history.

Well, ELMAR for for the 5cm ELMAR is about as simple as it gets, and EKURZ (kurz = short or 3,5cm Elmar and EKURZKUP or coupled version), ELANG (lang = long or 9cm Elmar) and EFERN (fern = far or 13,5cm Elmar) are not hard to understand either.

Likewise HEKTOR (5cm Hektor) or SUMAR (5cm Summar). Then you have the 73 Hektor and 135 Hektor (HEKON and HEFAR, clearly derivatives of HEKTOR), though HOOPY (28 Hektor) is harder to follow.

In finders, VIDEO (Latin 'I see') for the 35-50-90-135 'torpedo' in 1932 makes sense, after which VISOR, VISAX, VISET, VISIL are VI-derivatives, as are VIDOM and VIOOH.

My German is not up to making sense of many of these, buit it's not hard to imagine it as a pub game at lunchtime. There are probably puns, in-jokes, rude jokes, nicknames and contemporary references in many of them. And some, no doubt. simply are meaningless.

Cheers,

R.

payasam · 05-21-2010

VIDOM. Came after the torpedoes and before the VIOOH.

gliderbee · 05-21-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by payasam

VIDOM. Came after the torpedoes and before the VIOOH.

Wow, thanks ! Did you know that out of the top of your head ? You must be a walking enclyclopedia

Stefan.

payasam · 05-21-2010

Stefan, there must be at least another lebenteen dozen members here who can identify a VIDOM with their paws held before their eyes. All ambulatory, what's more.

The VIOOH had a nicer "trick", though a static one: two prisms.

I don't see a name as having meaning just because its first two letters are the same as those of other names. To my mind, the only logical 5-letter code is that in the previous para, derived from the Ancient Hellenic "vioohfinder".