The reasons told today are many, but that the Ur-Leica was designed as a compact means to test film stock is the most reliable. Barnack was a film geek and moving pictures was the new revolution back in early 1900's.Īs early as 1905, while employed by Carl Zeiss (from 1902 to 2010), Barnack had the idea of reducing the format of negatives and then enlarging the photographs after they had been exposed, 'small negative, large picture', was his motto, involving a small camera and an enlarger. Till that moment, the size of the negative had been determining the size of the final picutre. He had developed the first 135mm film-based photo-camera and took it to Zeiss director Guido Mengel, who rejected the design. Disillusioned, Barnack later offered the camera to Leitz after moving to Wetzlar, following his friend Emil Mechau who joined Leitz some years earlier. In any case, he learned that it could actually be turned into a new type of compact as the 'rotated' film format of film was plenty sharp (the film format for motion pictures was 24x18mm for large cinema theater screens, and rotating the film inside the camera and doubling the area made the 24x36mm format). This case has a loop on the back to be carried on the equipment belt and a strap to be slung over the shoulder.With the development of an enlarger, the reduced negative format could then be printed in a larger size than the negative.Īnother Leitz employee, Max Berek, was instrumental in developing a lens for this camera, as he developed the first Elmax 50mm f/3.5 lens as the optimum focal length for the 24 x 36mm format. It is fastened with one or two metal studs.ġ Behalter, a leather, bakelite or Presstoff case to protect the binoculars in transit. It is attached to the straps and often referred to as a rain shield.ġ Knopflasche, a leather or presstoff piece of material meant to strap the binoculars to a button on the tunic. Sometimes these straps are adjustable with multiple stud holes but most of the time they are not.ġ Okularschutz, a leather, bakelite or rubber eye shield cover to keep dirt out of the lenses. The binoculars are featured with 4 accessories:ġ Trageriemen, a narrow leather string attached with two metal studs. I will further discuss the use of this in another article that will be linked here.

The right eyepiece features a reticle or Strichplatte in scale 6400 which is used to calculate distances. The binoculars have two adjustable eyepieces or Okulare with bakelite or aluminium end pieces. Later in the war binoculars where also finished in tan or Sandgelb paint. The metal ones where first furnished with a leather or pressed paper wrap and later in the war in different finishes such as Anodization, Paint or Bluing. These binoculars where made out of different materials such as Aluminium, Zinc and Bakelite. The first number (6) refers to the magnification and the second number (30) indicates the diameter of the objective lens (the light-gathering lens) in millimeters. The most common type is the 6×30 strength Dienstglas. 6×30 designates the capacity of the binoculars.

These where therefor engraved with Dienstglas noting the army property. These binoculars or Doppelfernrohr where expensive and strictly army property. Leitz Wetzlarĭuring the war the German army issued binoculars to some of their troops with specialised functions. The Gruppenführer or group leader would have one for instance. Leitz Wetzlar Kriegsmarine 7×50 Dienstglas – E. Home / Militaria Reference / Kriegsmarine 7×50 Dienstglas – E.

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