LEICA "NULL-SERIE" REPLICA
In the fall of 2000, Leica Camera AG unveiled a new edition of the Leica "Null-Serie" camera at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany269. The camera has catalog number of 10500270.
Looking through the viewfinder, which can be folded down and features a lens with etched crosshairs and a small swing-in sight, the viewer sees the subject and needs to adopt a different position for holding the camera. The camera should be held 25 to 30 cm away from the eyes and oriented so that the crosshairs on the viewfinder lens are centred on the tip of the sight. This alignment helps define the picture area269.
When the camera is placed in its leather case, the carrying strap, measuring 50 to 60 cm in length, helps maintain the right distance from your eyes. Additionally, it significantly increases the stability of the camera when held at arm's length269.
The shutter speed knob allows the selection of five different exposure times. Unlike modern cameras, the numbers on the perforated disc inside the knurled ring do not directly indicate exposure times in fractions of a second. Instead, these numbers represent the slit width in millimetres between the two shutter curtains needed to achieve the desired exposure time. The numbers are as follows269:
- 2mm width of slit / shutter speed setting = 1/500th of a second337
- 5mm width of slit / shutter speed setting = 1/200th of a second337
- 10mm width of slit / shutter speed setting = 1/100th of a second337
- 20mm width of slit / shutter speed setting = 1/50th of a second337
- 50mm width of slit / shutter speed setting = 1/20th of a second337
For exposure times longer than 1/20th of a second, the photographer should set the shutter speed to 1/20th of a second and switch the exposure setting from "M" (for "Momentaufnahme," which means instantaneous exposure) to "Z" (for "Zeitaufnahme," meaning time exposure). With the "Z" setting, the shutter will remain open as long as the shutter release button is pressed269.
The settings on the shutter speed button can only be selected when the shutter is slightly tensioned. Specifically, these settings cannot be adjusted when the shutter is either fully tightened or completely released. To position the shutter correctly, the winding knob must be turned until the inner red dot on the disk of the setting button is aligned exactly to the left of the index line. In this specific shutter position, the first shutter curtain is not on its take-up drum; instead, it is completely in front of the film gate. This allows the shutter curtain to be freely moved to set the desired slit width269.
At this stage, you can press down on the knurled ring of the setting knob. When the setting is made correctly, a silver pin located beneath the button rises into the desired hole in the disk, allowing the knurled ring to snap back up. Only then can the shutter be fully wound, which also advances the film by one full frame269.
The choice of exposure times is heavily influenced by the desired sharpness of a photograph. Longer exposure times can lead to blurring, while the aperture setting limits the amount of light that enters the camera. This also affects the depth of field, which refers to the range within the photograph that appears sharp—both in the foreground and background relative to the subject269.
The parts of the subject that are at the selected focus distance are always depicted with the greatest sharpness. This highest level of sharpness decreases gradually in front of and behind the set distance, creating an area still perceived as sharp by the human eye despite a slight degree of blur. This area of acceptable sharpness, known as depth of field, is generally distributed approximately one-third in front of the focus point and two-thirds behind it. Additionally, the depth of field increases as the aperture becomes smaller269.
The black numbers on the nickel-plated exposure counter, marked in intervals of five, indicate the number of exposures made269.
The combined film advance mechanism and shutter winder have a unique characteristic. Similar to the original models, the leather cap must be placed on the lens each time before advancing the film to prevent light from entering. This precaution is necessary because, in the "Null-Serie" Leicas, the focal plane shutter curtains that create the slit do not have self-capping features, unlike those in later models269.
To rewind the film, set the rewind lever to "R" (for "Rückspulen" - rewind). Additionally, you must continuously press the shutter release button to disengage the film advance mechanism. It is also crucial to always place the lens cover on during rewinding to prevent light from penetrating269.
The baseplate is attached to the right side of the body using a slim pin and is opened and closed with a toggle fastener on the left side. The original "Null-Serie" Leica featured a 7x1 mm (metric) tripod socket, similar to the ¼-inch tripod socket found on the new edition269.
With the introduction of the Leica I (Model A), cameras that featured lenses calibrated in meters were equipped with baseplates that had the 3/8-inch "German" tripod socket. Conversely, cameras with lenses calibrated in feet typically had baseplates with a ¼-inch tripod socket, instead of the 7x1 mm size269.