LEICA "NULL-SERIE" REPLICA OSKAR BARNACK 1879-2004 EDITION

At the 2004²⁸⁹ Photokina, Leica unveiled the first of 1000 reproductions of the Oskar Barnack "Null-Serie" prototype camera. This camera set, which includes an Ever-Ready Case, a DVD, and a book about Oskar Barnack, was created to celebrate the inventor’s 125th birthday. It is a meticulously crafted, exact replica of the 1923 prototype²⁸⁹. This new camera has catalog number 10555³⁴⁸.

The 50mm collapsible lens is designed to focus in meters, but the on-camera rangefinder has not yet been invented. The owner's manual suggests "estimating the distance." The f-stops marked on the lens differ from those we are familiar with; they include f/12, f/9, f/6.3, f/4.5, and f/3.5. Although the stops are one stop apart, they are not the standard markings we typically use. This system was known as the "Continental System" and was established long before the Leica emerged in the market²⁸⁹.

There is a lever on the top of the camera with three markings: M, Z, and R²⁸⁹.

• M stands for Momentaufnahmen (short exposure)²⁸⁹
• Z stands for Zeitaufnahmen (long exposure or “bulb”)²⁸⁹
• R is for rewind²⁸⁹

Note that the Z setting only works if the shutter is set to the 50mm slit width²⁸⁹.