Non-Leitz Reflex Housings for Leica Cameras

The earliest reflex housing designed to fit the Leica appears to be the Astro Berlin Identoscope of 1933. Two years later Leitz Wetzlar introduced the PLOOT assembly. In 1936 Ihagee debuted the Kina Exacta and the Russian Sport camera was introduced. During this four year period, reflex housings gave the Leica reflex capability and “genuine” 35mm SLR’s were born. The Astro Identoscope was advertised during the 1930’s in the British Journal Almanac (BJA). High aperture lenses were typically fitted to the housing. Massive Astro lenses 300-800mm were catalogued. During WWII German PK photographers documented military operations with this cumbersome equipment tripod mounted. The viewing image was upside down!

After the War, the German photo industry slowly recovered and by 1949-1950 reflex focusing reached a new plateau with the announcement of the Zeiss Contax S SLR featuring a built-in pentaprism viewfinder yielding an upright laterally correct focusing image. Ihagee offered an accessory pentaprism finder fitting the Exacta Varex. At least as early as 1951 the Astro Identoscope provided an upright image.

Firms other than Astro marketed reflex housings fitting the Leica. Period literature reveals Tewe, Kilfitt, Novoflex, Accura, Orion-Miranda, Komura, and Deltascope apparatus. Operation was straightforward. Attach the housing to convert the Leica to an SLR. Adjust the mirror and release action, mount the desired lens, and a new realm of photographic possibilities opened: close-up, wildlife, sports, landscape, architecture, etc. Reflex focusing had expanded exponentially the Leica’s usefulness. Throughout the 1950’s non-Leitz reflex housings were available but continuing development of the pentaprism equipped SLR such as the 1957 Asahi Pentax, the 1958 Praktina FX, and the landmark 1959 Nikon F signaled the demise of the attachable housings. The SLR’s were significantly more convenient to operate. The illustrations chronicle non-Leitz reflex housings fitting the Leica. During 1933-1958 these devices extended the Leica beyond the capabilities of rangefinder focusing.