NON-OPTICAL VIEWFINDERS

"Cap-type" mask

Until 1930, the Leica camera was equipped with a viewfinder that displayed the field of view for the standard 50mm (5cm) f/3.5 Elmar lens⁵⁷⁴. The earliest non-optical accessory viewfinder from Leitz was likely the "cap-type" mask designed for the 135mm f/4.5 Elmar⁵⁷⁴. Early evidence this viewfinder can be found in a Photo Porst catalogue dated 1930⁵⁷⁴. This catalogue illustrated a non-standardized Leica I Model C model featuring three lenses: 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar, 50mm (5cm) f/3.5 Elmar, and 135mm f/4.5 Elmar lenses, along with a tiny cap-type viewfinder mask⁵⁷⁴. However, the "cap-type" mask designed for the 135mm f/4.5 Elmar lens was easily lost, which likely prevented it from becoming a standard production item⁵⁷⁴.

The "cap-type" mask was also illustrated on page 235 of the Leica Handbook from 1932³⁶⁰ and page 26 of the 1982, July-September issue of Viewfinder magazine.

The "cap-type" mask was produced in such limited quantities that Leitz deemed it unnecessary to assign code names to it³⁶⁰.

Swing-in viewfinder mask

By late 1930, Leitz had equipped the Leica I Model C with a permanently attached swing-in viewfinder mask for the 13.5cm f/4.5 Elmar lens⁵⁷⁴. This mask swinged in front of the 50mm fixed viewfinder, providing an approximate representation of the field of view covered by the 13.5cm f/4.5 Elmar lens³⁶⁰. The mask was available as an option; however, while many Leicas from that era have the supporting bracket, not all include the mask³⁶⁰. Occasionally, one could encounter a mask modified to provide coverage for the 9cm lens; however, such modifications would not have occurred until the 9cm f/4 Elmar was introduced in 1931⁵⁷⁴.

It was likely that many masks were removed with the introduction of the "torpedo" viewfinders³⁶⁰.

The swing-in viewfinder mask was produced in such limited quantities that Leitz deemed it unnecessary to assign code names to it³⁶⁰. It appeared that no effort was made to develop a viewfinder for the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar⁵⁷⁴.

FOLDING FRAME SPORTS VIEWFINDERS

Prototype

A prorotype "folding frame sports finder" was illustrated in Mr. Lars Netopil's "Museum Leica" book in 2018⁵⁹⁶.

RASAL, RASUK, RAMET (1930s)

The RASAL was designed to provide framing for six different focal lengths, with parallax correction achieved through a sliding rear assembly⁵⁷⁴. The RASAL folding frame sports viewfinder, introduced in 1933, consisted of two main components:

the basic finder, known as the RASUK⁵⁷⁴. This frame-finder attached to the camera's accessory shoe and featured a front part that could rotate through 180 degrees³⁶⁰. This design allowed users to adjust the distance between the eyepiece and the frame, enabling a single viewfinder to accommodate four different focal lengths³⁶⁰, namely 3.5cm, 5cm, 7.3cm, and 9cm⁵⁷⁴.
a separate auxiliary mask called the RAMET⁵⁷⁴. The RAMET gave access to 2 focal lengths, namely 10.5cm and 13.5cm⁵⁷⁴.

The configuration was as following:

If one needed to see 3.5cm frames - the main frame assembly was swung backward with the peepsight extended⁵⁷⁴.
If one needed to see 5cm frames - the main frame assembly was swung forward and the peepsight was extended⁵⁷⁴.
If one needed to see 7.3cm frames - the main frame assembly was swung backward with the peepsight extended⁵⁷⁴.
If one needed to see 9cm frames - the main frame assembly was swung forward and the peepsight was extended⁵⁷⁴.
If one needed to see 10.5cm frames - the RAMET mask needed to be in rear position with the peepsight retracted⁵⁷⁴.
If one needed to see 13.5cm frames - the RAMET mask needed to be in front position with the peepsight retracted⁵⁷⁴.

There were several variants of RASUK:

Variant 1 had:

black finish of the body
nickel finish of the foot
meter scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line)" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 2 had:

black finish of the body
nickel finish of the foot
feet scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 3 had:

black finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
meter scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 4 had:

black finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
feet scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 5 had:

chrome finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
meter scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line)" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 6 had:

chrome finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
meter scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 7 had:

chrome finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
feet scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

There were 2 variants of RAMET⁵⁷⁴:

without cutouts (early)⁵⁷⁴
with cutouts (late)⁵⁷⁴

The last catalog listing for the RASAL encountered dated back to 1943⁵⁷⁴.

ROSOL (1950s)

After the war, in 1953, a simplified version of the RASUK was introduced: the ROSOL⁵⁷⁴. This new model was developed in response to the very limited range of lenses available and had frame lines for 50, 90, and 135 mm lenses³⁶⁴. Unlike its predecessor, it featured a non-rotating design, which resulted in fewer frame options; however, this was offset by the introduction of a collapsible mask for the 135 mm lenses³⁶⁴. The rear section retained parallax compensation and included a pinhole diaphragm for the 135 mm lens³⁶⁴. This viewfinder enjoyed only limited success compared to its pre-war counterpart and was discontinued in the early 1960s³⁶⁰.

There were 2 variants of ROSOL:

Variant 1 had:

chrome finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
meter scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

Variant 2 had:

chrome finish of the body
chrome finish of the foot
feet scale
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the section between main frame and peepsight

OPTICAL VIEWFINDERS

WAIST-LEVEL VIEWFINDERS

Waist level viewfinders were designed for use when the camera was positioned below the eyepiece level, typically at waist height³⁶⁰. They were the only accessory viewfinders available for the Leica I Model A cameras³⁶⁰. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the waist-level viewfinder for 3.5cm lenses ("Aufsichtsucher mit ausklappbarer Vorsatzlinse für 3,5 cm Objektiv") as July 20, 1933, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. Paul-Henry Van Hasbroeck asserted that the earliest waist-level finder (AUFSU) was dated 1930³⁶⁰. James L. Lager claimed that the earliest versions were produced around 1932⁵⁷⁴.

The earlies did not include an accessory shoe or the centering cross and circle⁵⁷⁴. Some AUFSU models were made without the accessory shoe but still featured the cross and circle⁵⁷⁴. When composing a shot, the cross and circle had to be aligned to ensure that what was seen through the viewfinder corresponded accurately with what appeared on the film⁵⁷⁴.

The earliest model lacks an accessory shoe on top and does not feature any cross or circle for alignment assistance³⁶⁰. Later models include optical engravings and specialized negative lens masks for 3.5cm and 2.8cm lenses³⁶⁰. The recorded variants are listed below³⁶⁰:

Variant 1 - For 5cm lens only³⁶⁰. No top accessory shoe³⁶⁰and no centering cross (+) and circle (0)⁵⁷⁴to aid alignment³⁶⁰. Code-named AUFSU³⁶⁰. From 1930³⁶⁰.
Variant 2 - Similar to Variant 1, but with the centering cross (+) and circle (0)⁵⁷⁴to aid alignment³⁶⁰. When composing a shot, the cross and circle had to be aligned to ensure that what was seen through the viewfinder corresponded accurately with what appeared on the film⁵⁷⁴.
Variant 3 - Similar to Variant 2, but with accessory shoe³⁶⁰. Code: AUFSU³⁶⁰. From 1932³⁶⁰.
Variant 4 - Similar to Variant 3, but with swing-over optical mask for 3.5cm lenses (previously available only as a conversion)³⁶⁰. Code: AYOOC³⁶⁰. From 1935³⁶⁰. With "3.5cm" engraved on top of the swing-over optical mask. Originally introduced for use with the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens⁵⁷⁴.
Variant 5 - Similar to Variant 4, but without "3.5cm" engraved on top of the swing-over optical mask.
Variant 6 - Similar to Variant 4, but without accessory shoe³⁸⁴. Possibly a prototype³⁸⁴. An example was auctioned off at 39th Leitz Photographica Auction on November 20, 2021³⁸⁴.
Variant 7 - Similar to Variant 3, but with swing-over optical mask for 2.8cm lenses³⁶⁰. Code: AHOOT³⁶⁰. From 1935-1936⁵⁷⁴. This variant is considered very rare³⁹⁶. With "2.8cm" engraved on top of the swing-over optical mask. Originally introduced for use with the 2.8cm f/6.3 Hektor lens⁵⁷⁴.
Variant 8 - Similar to Variant 7, but without "2.8cm" engraved on top of the swing-over optical mask. This variant is considered very rare⁴⁰⁸. One example of AHOOT was illustrated on page 40 of the "10 Jahre Leica HISTORICA: Beiträge zur Geschichte der LEICA" book⁵⁹⁵. It had museum sticker "M225" (or "M275", hard to read)⁵⁹⁵.
Variant 9 - Similar to Variant 3, but for 7.3cm f/1.9 Hektor lens. This variant was illustrated on page 16 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴. This variant had the accessory shoe, the centering cross (+) and circle (0) and a rectangle around the circle (0)⁵⁷⁴to aid alignment³⁶⁰. When composing a shot, the cross, circle with rectangle had to be aligned to ensure that what was seen through the viewfinder corresponded accurately with what appeared on the film⁵⁷⁴. This variant was engraved "für Hektor Objektiv 7,3cm 1:1,9 Germany" on the side⁵⁷⁴.

These viewfinders were provided in small, well-designed leather cases that were nearly cubic in shape³⁶⁰.

VIEWFINDERS WITH CLIP-ON HOLDERS

Post-World War II development brought into life the 3.5cm viewfinder lens with clip-on holder, that would be affixed of the viewfinder of Leica IIIc cameras (author's note). Describing the same device, in his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated its "birthday" ("3,5 cm Sucherlinse mit Aufsteckhalter") as March 15, 1951, and noted Karl Clös as designer⁵⁷³. The unit was illustrated on page 136 of the same book⁵⁷³. Author of this website believed that this unit never reached commercial production.

DIRECT OPTICAL VIEWFINDERS

Two small direct-view optical viewfinders, SUWOO and WEISU, were available for use with 5cm and 3.5cm lenses, respectively³⁶⁰.

SUWOO

The version for 5cm lenses (code-named SUWOO) was designed very similarly to the viewfinder of the Leica I Model A³⁶⁰, Leica I Model B, Leica I Model C, and Leica Standard Model E⁵⁷⁴. It was introduced in 1935 as an optional accessory for use with the single exposure device³⁶⁰(OLEYO or OLIGO⁵⁷⁴). Not many units were sold, making existing specimens highly sought after³⁶⁰.

WEISU

The work on creating a viewfinder for 3.5 cm started in 1930 - as in his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the "5cm Galilean finder with a swivel lens for 3.5cm" ("5 cm Galileisucher mit Schwenklinse für 3,5cm") as April 8, 1930, and noted himself and Oskar Barnack as designers⁵⁷³.

Officially, the WEISU for 3.5cm lenses was introduced in 1932—two years after the launch of the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens³⁶⁰.

WEISU was permanently mounted to a small numbers of Leica Standard Model E ("snapshot") cameras that had the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens attached to them as a standard lens⁵⁷⁴. Some cameras included number 185526 (1936) with a chrome WEISU with flared front end, 188551 (1936) with a chrome WEISU with flared front end, 253706 (1937) with a black WEISU with flared front end⁵⁴⁰.

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the "3,5 cm Galilean finder without a swivel lens" ("3,5 Galileisucher ohne Schwenklinse") as March 11, 1939, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³.

There were several variants of WEISU:

Variant 1 had:

earlier design, from 1932³⁶⁰
code-named WEISU
with a flared front end
black body
nickel foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
no engraving on the left when looking through the device

Variant 2 had:

earlier design, from 1932³⁶⁰
code-named WEISU
with a flared front end
black body
nickel foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
"Germany" engraved on the left when looking through the device

Variant 3 had:

earlier design, from 1932³⁶⁰
code-named WEISU
with a flared front end
black body
chrome foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
"Germany" engraved on the left when looking through the device

Variant 4 had:

earlier design, from 1936³⁶⁰
code-named WEISUCHROM³⁶⁰
with a flared front end
chrome body
chrome foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
no engraving on the left when looking through the device

Variant 5 had:

earlier design, from 1936³⁶⁰
code-named WEISUCHROM³⁶⁰
with a flared front end
chrome body
chrome foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
"Germany" engraved on the left when looking through the device

Variant 6 had:

later design, from 1942⁵⁷⁴
code-named WEISUCHROM³⁶⁰
with a smooth contour front end
chrome body
chrome foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the right when looking through the device
"Germany" engraved on the left when looking through the device

UNIVERSAL VIEWFINDERS

There were 3 different categories of universal viewfinders made by Leitz: "torpedo" models, VIDOM type and the "right-way-round" frame type³⁶⁰.

"Torpedo" viewfinders

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the "torpedo" viewfinder ("Universalsucher mit Strichplatte") as June 17, 1930, and named Oskar Barnack and Wilhelm Albert as designers⁵⁷³. Oskar Barnack received the DRP Patent No. 558 799 for the "torpedo" (Mehrfach (Torpedo) Sucher) viewfinder³⁶⁴.

"Torpedo" viewfinders, named for their elongated shape³⁶⁴, were introduced by Leitz in January of 1931 under catalog name VISOR, and had frame lines compatible with the 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar, 50mm (5cm) f/3.5 Elmar, and 135mm f/4.5 Elmar lenses, as detailed in brochure 2371c⁵⁷⁴. They were the first universal viewfinders designed for use with Leica I Model C³⁶⁴. The "torpedo" viewfinders indicated the field of coverage using a line-drawn plate⁵⁷⁴and produced laterally reversed images³⁶⁰. The catalog stated that the reversed image made it easier to see whether the camera was held horizontally³⁶⁴. Additionally, the eyepiece could be rotated 90 degrees using the knurled ring³⁶⁴ to facilitate the taking of portrait-oriented photographs³⁶⁰.

Neat, pouch-like cases, similar to those made for Leitz rangefinders, were issued with the "torpedo" viewfinders³⁶⁰.

Variants

There were at least 29 different variants of "torpedo" viewfinder. Some of which were:

Variant 1 specifications:

Codeword VISOR
Model A
dated 1931
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
partially knurled eyepiece
considered very early, 1st model
one example was illustrated on page 48 of the "10 Jahre Leica HISTORICA: Beiträge zur Geschichte der LEICA" book⁵⁹⁵.
a very interesting sample, alberit with an attachable 90-degree angle viewfinder, was sold at the May 13, 2023 Team Breker Auctions (source). The example appeared to be a 1 of 1.

Variant 2 specifications:

Codeword VISOR
Model A
dated 1931
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 3 specifications:

Codeword VISOR
Model A
dated 1931
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
"Germany" engraved on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 4 specifications:

Codeword VISOR
Model A
dated 1931
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece
without accessory shoe on the top

Variant 5 specifications:

Codeword VISAX
Model B
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 6 specifications:

Codeword VISIL
Model C
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90, 135
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
meter scale
fully knurled eyepiece
without accessory shoe on the top

Variant 7 specifications:

Codeword VIDEO
Model D
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73, 105
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slits on the left and right feet
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
"Germany" engraved on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 8 specifications:

Codeword VIDEO
Model D
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73, 105
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slits on the left and right feet
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 9 specifications:

Codeword VIEME
Model E
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 10 specifications:

Codeword VIEFF
Model F
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 73, 90
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 11 specifications:

Codeword VIHEU
Model H
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 12 specifications:

Codeword VISSI
Model J
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 90
black finish
without parallax foot

Variant 13 specifications:

Codeword VIKAN
Model K
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 73, 90, 135
black finish
without parallax foot

Variant 14 specifications:

Codeword VILLO
Model L
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 15 specifications:

Codeword KINOR
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 15, 25, 50, 75, 100
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece
the cinematographic model designed for 16mm format and was the predecessor of the highly sought-after KINSU model³⁶⁰
One example was illustrated on page 26 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴.

Variant 16 specifications:

Codeword VIGEH
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73, 90
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 17 specifications:

Codeword VISET
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90, 135
black finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 18 specifications:

Codeword VISET
dated 1932
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90, 135
chrome finish
without parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
fully knurled eyepiece
without accessory shoe on the top

Variant 19 specifications:

Codeword VIUNA
Model I (Roman numeral for 1)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 20 specifications:

Codeword VIUNA
Model I (Roman numeral for 1)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 73
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
"Germany" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 21 specifications:

Codeword VIZWC (Sometimes referred to as VIZWO)
Model II (Roman numeral for 2)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
meter scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 22 specifications:

Codeword VIZWC (Sometimes referred to as VIZWO)
Model II (Roman numeral for 2)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" | "Germany" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 23 specifications:

Codeword VIZWC (Sometimes referred to as VIZWO)
Model II (Roman numeral for 2)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
"Germany" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 24 specifications:

Codeword VIZWC (Sometimes referred to as VIZWO)
Model II (Roman numeral for 2)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 90
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" | "Germany" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 25 specifications:

Codeword VITRE
Model III (Roman numeral for 3)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 105
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 26 specifications:

Codeword VITRE
Model III (Roman numeral for 3)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 105
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
"Germany" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
feet scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 27 specifications:

Codeword VIFUR
Model IV (Roman numeral for 4)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
black finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
meter scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 28 specifications:

Codeword VIFUR
Model IV (Roman numeral for 4)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" | "Germany" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
meter scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 29 specifications:

Codeword VIFUR
Model IV (Roman numeral for 4)
dated 1933
had field of view frames for 35, 50, 135
chrome finish
with parallax foot
ease of removal slit on the left foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved on the circular part around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
no engraving on the accessory shoe on the top looking from above
meter scale
fully knurled eyepiece

Variant 30 specifications:

The stereo model, equipped with an 18x24 mm mask, preceded the rare stereo version of the VIDOM viewfinder³⁶⁰.
An example was illustrated on page 70 of Viewfinder Volume 15, Number 4, October-December 1982.
Another example was illustrated on page 49 of the "10 Jahre Leica HISTORICA: Beiträge zur Geschichte der LEICA" book⁵⁹⁵.

Viewfinder with adjustable frame (VIDOM)

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of what is known today as VIDOM viewfinder ("Fernrohrsucher mit verschiebbaren Blendenlamellen für Leicaformat") as January 28, 1932, and noted himself and Dr. Ernst Leitz as designers⁵⁷³.

According to Gordon Hight, the first mention of VIDOM appeared in the "Leica Dealers' Bulletin" No. 13, January 1933 (see Viewfinder magazine, Vol. 7, No. 1 January - March, 1974).

The VIDOM universal viewfinder, which was introduced to the market in 1932⁵⁷⁴, featured an adjustable masking device that displayed fields of view for focal lengths of 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 10.5, and 13.5 cm³⁶⁰. With the VIDOM, only one frame was visible at a time³⁶⁰. To set the desired field size, users turned the knurled ring on the finder barrel until the long index mark aligned with the chosen focal length⁵⁷⁴. For close-up work, a short index mark was available to compensate for the reduced field of view⁵⁷⁴. Additionally, there was a parallax correction lever located at the back of the attachment shoe⁵⁷⁴. The image produced by the VIDOM was laterally reversed; when taking vertical photographs, users adjusted the view by rotating the knurled eyepiece 90 degrees⁵⁷⁴. All variants of the VIDOM were equipped with a foot for parallax correction³⁶⁰.

The VIDOM finder was made in several finishes: black and nickel, black and chrome, and all chrome⁵⁷⁴. The earliest models featured a single-piece nose, while later versions used a two-piece composite nose⁵⁷⁴. There were variations in finish, mounting foot length, nose type, and overall length⁵⁷⁴. Production of the VIDOM was discontinued with the introduction of the VIOOH viewfinder in 1939⁵⁷⁴.

Variants of VIDOM

There were several variants of VIDOM viewfinder.

Variant 1 was considered early, was designed for use with the Leica Standard Model E³⁶⁰, and had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in black
single-piece nose
long (18mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 2 was considered early, was designed for use with the Leica Standard Model E³⁶⁰, and had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in black
single-piece nose
long (18mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
"Germany" engraved under the middle section of the foot

Variant 3 had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in black
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 4 had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in black
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
feet scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
"Germany" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 5 had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in black
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
feet scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 6 was a prototype, without accessory shoe on the top, and had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in black
angular two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
feet scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 7 had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in black
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in black
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 8 had:

barrel finished in black
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 9 was never officially released to the public, and had:

barrel finished in nickel
eyepiece finished in nickel
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in nickel
nose finished in nickel
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 10 had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"E.Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 11 had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 12 had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"E.Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 13 was associated with military, and had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"E.Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right
"Hakenkreuz and Reichsadler and M12" ("M12" for German Navy) engraved on the focal length selector
see page 94 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 1 - Cameras - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book for a similar finder engraved "M18"⁵⁴⁰

Variant 14 was associated with military, and had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"E.Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
"M187" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the left
"Hakenkreuz and Reichsadler" engraved on the side of the foot looking from the right
see page 94 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 1 - Cameras - Signed Deluxe Limited Edition" book for a similar finder engraved "M117"⁵⁴⁰

Variant 15 had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
meter scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

Variant 16 had:

barrel finished in chrome
eyepiece finished in chrome
knurled ring on the finder barrel finished in chrome
nose finished in chrome
two-piece composite nose
short (14mm) mounting foot
feet scale
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar | Germany" engraved around the eyepiece
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the left
no engraving on the side of the foot looking from the right

KINSU

A special version of the VIDOM, code-named KINSU, was developed for cinematographic use³⁶⁰. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of what is known today as KINSU viewfinder ("Fernrohrsucher mit verschiebbaren Blendenlamellen für Kinoformat") as December 23, 1932, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³. This model succeeded the "torpedo" cine viewfinder (code-named KINOR) and was designed to work in conjunction with 16mm cine cameras³⁶⁰. The KINSU accommodated lenses with focal lengths of 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 cm³⁶⁰. In terms of design, the KINSU closely resembled the standard VIDOM, but featured a larger round eyecup on the eyepiece³⁶⁰. It was listed in catalogues from 1933 to 1940, and a special bracket was provided to facilitate its mounting on cine cameras³⁶⁰. Sometimes, KINSU was used in conjunction with a horizontal parallax corrector (probably referenced as KINHA by Leitz)⁵³³. All units of KINSU examined by the author of this website had parallax foot in meter scale. There were black/nickel and all chrome finished variants.

Stereo VIDOM

Another unique variant was the stereo VIDOM, which was specifically designed for use with the 3.5cm f/3.5 Stereo-Elmar (OWENO) lens³⁶⁰. This model had no focal length markings, and its selector ring was fixed, with the inner frame measured 24 × 18 mm³⁶⁰. Some examples had parallax foot in meter scale, while others had feet scale.

Viewfinder with adjustable "right-way-round" frame (VIOOH and IMFIN)

VIOOH

The VIOOH universal viewfinder was first listed in the Leitz Wetzlar Gesamtkatalog dated May 1939, along with the associated price list from July 1939⁵⁷⁴. The VIOOH viewfinder represented a significant advancement over the VIDOM³⁶⁰. The inclusion of an additional prism within its housing allowed for lateral correction of the image, enabling photographers to take either vertical or horizontal photographs without any adjustments³⁶⁰. Numerous variants of the VIOOH exist; however, the listing of these variants was complicated by the fact that during the war, Leitz New York manufactured a nearly identical viewfinder called the IMFIN (Imarect Finder)³⁶⁰.

Some VIOOH facts:

All VIOOH finders were equipped with a parallax correction lever, a knurled ring for setting the focal length (ranging from 3.5 cm to 13.5 cm), and an accessory shoe⁵⁷⁴.
The earliest VIOOH models were engraved with the 10.5 cm index and featured an unthreaded conical nose⁵⁷⁴.
Around 1943, the 7.3cm lens mark was replaced by an 8.5cm mark³⁶⁰ to accommodate for 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex lens⁴⁴⁴.
As early as 1942, a special attachable tube, known as the TUVOO, was introduced to show the field of view for the 2.8 cm f/6.3 Hektor lens⁵⁷⁴. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the 2.8 cm telescope viewfinder attachment, known today as TUVOO, ("2,8 cm Suchervorsatz für Fernrohrsucher") as April 25, 1939, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³.
The body shape of the VIOOH evolved over time, transitioning from a pinched design to an intermediate one, and finally to a slope-sided configuration, which occurred around 1949⁵⁷⁴.
Special leather cases were created for both the VIOOH and the Imarect models³⁶⁰. Additionally, ever-ready cases were made available for carrying a camera with the viewfinder attached for both models³⁶⁰.
The last catalog listing for the VIOOH encountered by James L. Lager was in July 1965⁵⁷⁴.

Variants

The Wetzlar (VIOOH) variants were as follows:

Wetzlar Variant 1 was considered to be a prototype made around 1939 and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
nickel-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in nickel finish
brassy circular piece inside the nose when looking from the front (likely a small part was missing / not developed yet)
not threaded nose, therefore, incompatible with the TUVOO
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
round body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
no engravings around the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 2 was considered to be a prototype made around 1939 and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
nickel-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in nickel finish
black circular piece inside the nose when looking from the front
not threaded nose, therefore, incompatible with the TUVOO
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
round body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 3 was considered very rare and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in black finish
black circular piece inside the nose when looking from the front
not threaded nose, therefore, incompatible with the TUVOO
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 4 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece
"W.haven Rechsadler, Hakenkreuz, M" engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the left

Wetzlar Variant 5 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece
"W.haven Rechsadler, Hakenkreuz, M" engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the left

Wetzlar Variant 6 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece
"W.haven Rechsadler, Hakenkreuz" engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the left

Wetzlar Variant 7 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 8 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 10.5, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 9 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
nickel-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in nickel finish
nickel circular piece inside the nose when looking from the front
not threaded nose, therefore, incompatible with the TUVOO
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 10.5, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 10 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 10.5, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 11 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 12 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece, Rechsadler, Hakenkreuz, M on the left, M.F.6XX (three-digit number starting with 6) on the right

Wetzlar Variant 13 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece, Rechsadler, Hakenkreuz, M on the left, M5XX (three-digit number starting with 5) on the right

Wetzlar Variant 14 was a military issue, was a specially modified VIOOH viewfinder, with the ocular on the reversed side (that is with the eyepiece facing the subject³⁶⁰), and had:

barrel in grey finish
eyepiece in grey finish
chrome-finished knurled ring without field frame values engraved
nose in grey finish
grey-threaded nose
had no engravings for view frames. Equipped with only one frame line for a 13.5 cm lens
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
no parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved above the eyepiece
the viewfinder was positioned in reverse when it was mounted in the camera accessory shoe³⁶⁰. This military version was likely used alongside the large panoramic device developed during wartime³⁶⁰.

Wetzlar Variant 15 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 16 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
intermediate between pinched (lyra-shaped) and sloped (straight side) body shapes (best described and illustrated on page 22 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories")
body shapes
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 17 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 18 was a military issue and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece, "Heer" engraved to the right of the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 19 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
chrome-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
pinched (lyra-shaped) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 20 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 21 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece

Wetzlar Variant 22 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 8.5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 23 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 8.5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (title case)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 24 was a 18x24 (Half Frame) prototype, which was developed to use with the Leica 72 and had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (new line) 18x24" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 25 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 8.5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
feet scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) GERMANY (uppercase)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 26 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 8.5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) GERMANY (uppercase)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 27 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 7.3, 9, 10.5, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY (uppercase)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Wetzlar Variant 28 had:

barrel in black finish
eyepiece in black finish
chrome-finished knurled ring with field frame values engraved
nose in chrome finish
black-threaded nose
had field of view frames for 3.5, 5, 8.5, 9, 13.5
sloped (straight side) body shape
meter scale on the parallax foot
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY (uppercase)" engraved above the eyepiece
serial number engraved on the side of the barrel looking from the right

Cine VIOOH

A special version of the VIOOH was developed for cinematographic use. This cine VIOOH accommodated lenses with focal lengths of 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 cm. In terms of design, the model closely resembled the standard VIOOH. One example was illustrated on page 26 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴.

IMFIN (Imarect Finder)

During and immediately after World War II⁵⁷⁴, Ernst Leitz New York manufactured a nearly identical to the VIOOH viewfinder which had 3 designations:

Leica Image Erecting Universal Viewfinder (1944)
"Imarect" finder (early 1948)
IMFIN (late 1948)⁵⁷⁴

The Leitz New York-issued viewfinder variants were as follows:

New York Variant 1 had:

frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 105 and 135mm lenses
unthreaded nose
featured a distinctive beaded edge at the rear of the finder housing
did not have a serial number

New York Variant 2 had:

frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 105 and 135mm lenses
threaded nose to accommodate the special 28mm adaptor (code-named VIOAD, similar to TUVOO)
featured a distinctive beaded edge at the rear of the finder housing
did not have a serial number

New York Variant 3 had:

frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 127 (adapted to the Wollensak 127mm lens³⁶⁰), and 135mm lenses
threaded nose to accommodate the special 28mm adaptor (code-named VIOAD, similar to TUVOO)
featured a distinctive beaded edge at the rear of the finder housing
did not have a serial number

New York Variant 4 had:

frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 127 (adapted to the Wollensak 127mm lens³⁶⁰), and 135mm lenses
threaded nose to accommodate the special 28mm adaptor (code-named VIOAD, similar to TUVOO)
featured a distinctive beaded edge at the rear of the finder housing
have a serial number

New York Variant 5 had:

frames for 35, 50, 73, 90, 127 (adapted to the Wollensak 127mm lens³⁶⁰), and 135mm lenses
threaded nose to accommodate the special 28mm adaptor (code-named VIOAD, similar to TUVOO)
featured a distinctive beaded edge at the rear of the finder housing
have a serial number

The availability of the American IMFIN and VIOAD ceased by 1950⁵⁷⁴.

SPORTS VIEWFINDERS

Folding Optical Sports Viewfinders

These viewfinders are designed to be folded for easy storage and feature a parallax-correcting device built into the foot³⁶⁰. They were released in black finish starting in 1935 and in chrome finish from 1936³⁶⁰. Three models were available, each intended for a specific lens focal length and size³⁶⁰:

7.3cm (code-named SAIOO), issued with little leather case³⁶⁰
9cm (code-named SEROO), issued with little leather case³⁶⁰
13.5cm (code-named SYEOO), issued with little leather case³⁶⁰

A 10.5 cm model, known by the code name SIZOO, was announced, but it appearred that it was never produced³⁶⁰.

Variants of SAIOO

There were 4 variants of 7.3cm viewfinder (code-named SAIOO):

Variant 1 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 2 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
"Germany" engraved under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 3 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 4 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variants of SEROO

There were 6 variants of 9cm viewfinder (code-named SEROO):

Variant 1 had:

black body
nickel foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
no engraving on the scale dial (under the meter designation)
no engraving on the scale dial (above the lever)
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front
less than 10 examples known to exist, with one of them auctioned off at the 37th Leitz Photographica Auction

Variant 2 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
no engraving on the scale dial (under the meter designation)
no engraving on the scale dial (above the lever)
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 3 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
no engraving on the scale dial (under the meter designation)
no engraving on the scale dial (above the lever)
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 4 was military issue and had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
no engraving on the scale dial (under the meter designation)
"Heer" engraved on the scale dial (above the lever)
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 5 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
"Germany" under the scale on the foot
no engraving on the scale dial (under the meter designation)
no engraving on the scale dial (above the lever)
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 6 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Germany" engraving on the scale dial (under the feet designation)
no engraving on the scale dial (above the lever)
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variants of SYEOO

There were 6 variants of 13.5cm viewfinder (code-named SYEOO):

Variant 1 had:

black body
nickel foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front
less than 10 examples known to exist. Some known samples:
- first one was auctioned off at the 38th Leitz Photographica Auction. This one was illustrated in Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck 'Leica, a history illustrating every model and accessory' revised edition, colour pl.XXV³⁸⁵.
- second one (albeit, with 9cm mask³⁹⁹) was auctioned off at "100 years of Leica Camera" Leitz Photographica Auction.
- third one was illustrated on page 35 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴, and resided in the famous WestLicht finder collection in 2014³⁹⁹.

Variant 2 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 3 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 4 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
meter scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 4 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Variant 5 had:

chrome body
chrome foot
feet scale
no engraving under the scale on the foot
"E. Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved under the mask looking from the front

Rigid Optical Sports Viewfinders

The rigid optical sports viewfinders replaced the folding sports viewfinders, which stopped production around 1943³⁶⁰. Optically similar to the folding models, these viewfinders are partly made of plastic and have a U shape, earning them the nickname "saddle" (or "cradle") viewfinders³⁶⁰. However, the new models were not issued until 1949³⁶⁰. They were available in the following focal lengths: 5 cm, 9 cm, and 13.5 cm, referred to by their code names SOODL, SOOUT, and SOOYV, respectively³⁶⁰.

In the chronological order, 13.5cm version was developed first, followed by 8.5cm, 9cm and, finally, 5cm⁵⁷³. The author of this website believed that the mysterious 7.3 cm version never existed.

The below is what was known about each:

13.5 cm version

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the 13.5cm injection-cast mirror-frame viewfinder ("13.5 cm Spiegelrahmenucher (Spritzg.)") as April 3, 1940, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³.
The earliest reference to this version discovered by James L. Lager was in a Leitz Wetzlar brochure dated 1943, where it was listed as SOOYV or SOOYF⁵⁷⁴.
In 1949, this version was listed as SYEOO in the Ernst Leitz New York catalog⁵⁷⁴. It was important to note that the codeword SYEOO was also used for the 13.5cm folding sports viewfinder introduced in 1935⁵⁷⁴.
There were 2 variants of SOOYV or SOOYF observed by the author of this website:
- Variant 1 had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - foot scale
- Variant 2 had:
  - small knurled parallax correction knob (similar to the one on VIDOM)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - meter scale

8.5 cm version

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the 8.5cm injection-cast mirror-frame viewfinder ("8.5 cm Spiegelrahmenucher (Spritzguß)") as September 6, 1940, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³.
In 1949, Leitz literature included this version as SOOLB⁵⁷⁴.
James L. Lager believed that this version may not have reached full production⁵⁷⁴.
This version was illustrated on page 28 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴. On that illustration, the viewfinder was attached to Leica IIIc/IIIf number 517486 and the image was credited to Dr. Bahman Bawendi⁵⁷⁴.
The author of this website observed only 1 version of SOOLB and it had the following characteristics:
- large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
- E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
- meter scale

9 cm version

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the 9cm injection-cast mirror-frame viewfinder ("9 cm Spiegelrahmenucher (Spritzguß)") as September 6, 1940, and noted himself as designer⁵⁷³.
The earliest reference to this version discovered by James L. Lager was in a Leitz Wetzlar brochure dated 1943, where it was listed as SOOUT⁵⁷⁴.
There were 3 variants of SOOUT observed by the author of this website:
- Variant 1 had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - foot scale
- Variant 2 had:
  - small knurled parallax correction knob (similar to the one on VIDOM)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - meter scale
- Variant 3 had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - meter scale
In 1948, this version was listed as SEVUE in the Ernst Leitz New York catalog⁵⁷⁴.
The author of this website observed only 1 version of SEVUE and it had the following characteristics:
- small knurled parallax correction knob (similar to the one on VIDOM)
- "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
- foot scale

5 cm version

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert credited himself with designing 5cm injection-cast mirror-frame sports viewfinder ("5 cm Spiegelrahmensucher (Spritzg.)" on or before November 6, 1940⁵⁷³. Images of these items, viewed by the author of this website, confirm that both are examples of "saddle" viewfinders³⁶⁴.
In 1949, Leitz literature included this model as SOODL⁵⁷⁴.
This version was never officially cataloged³⁶⁰.
Photographs of two 5cm viewfinders were illustrated on page 28 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴. One viewfinder was tagged with red Leitz Wetzlar museum sticker ("M 756") and was missing the parallax control⁵⁷⁴. The other one had the parallax control and was engraved "E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" on its left side⁵⁷⁴.
There were 3 variants of SOODL observed by the author of this website:
- Variant 1 had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - meter scale
- Variant 2 had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - foot scale
- Variant 3 was considered a prototype⁴¹⁵ and had:
  - large parallax correction lever (similar to the one on VIOOH)
  - "E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraved on the left side
  - foot scale

7.3 cm version

The earliest reference to this version discovered by James L. Lager was in a Leitz Wetzlar brochure dated 1943, where it was listed as SOOAW⁵⁷⁴.
It was worth mentioning that Wilhelm Albert didn't mention 7.3cm version⁵⁷³.
James L. Lager believed that this version may not have reached full production⁵⁷⁴.
James L. Lager had never encountered this model⁵⁷⁴.

Production of these viewfinders was discontinued by the end of 1951⁵⁷⁴.

2.8CM BOX VIEWFINDER (SUOOQ)

Introduced in 1935 for use with the 2.8cm f/6.3 Hektor lens⁵⁷⁴, the folding box viewfinder (code-named SUOOQ) shared some similarities with the folding sports model³⁶⁰. However, since the subject was only visible within the lens field, the box model could not be classified as a sports viewfinder³⁶⁰.

When using the box viewfinder with the Leica Standard Model E, it was necessary to use an intermediate accessory shoe (code-named YSOOE) to add extra height and ensure clearance for the shutter dome³⁶⁰. Additionally, a small, beautifully crafted case was included with the box viewfinder³⁶⁰.

There were several variants of SUOOQ:

Variant 1 had:

black finished body
nickel finished foot
no finger grippers
no "2.8 cm (new line) E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraving

Variant 2 had:

black finished body
nickel finished foot
finger grippers
had "2.8 cm (new line) E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraving

Variant 3 had:

black finished body
nickel finished foot
finger grippers
had "2.8 cm (new line) E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraving
"Re. 370317" (possibly "Re." after "Reichssicherheitshauptamt" (Wehrmacht procurement office)) engraved under the bottom of the front part

Variant 4 had:

black finished body
chrome finished foot
finger grippers
had "2.8 cm (new line) E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraving

Variant 5 had:

chrome finished body
chrome finished foot
finger grippers
had "2.8 cm (new line) E.Leitz Wetzlar (new line) Germany" engraving

Glass components and the open/close hinge mechanism was very delicate⁵⁷⁴. Last catalog listing of the SUOOQ was in 1943⁵⁷⁴.

REFLECTING "BRIGHT-LINE" VIEWFINDERS

The first bright-line viewfinder (SBOOI) was designed for a 5cm lens and was introduced alongside the Leica Ic in 1949³⁶⁰. Photographers using Leica cameras were able to view their subjects through a bright frame created by reflecting a line-drawn plate off the finder’s silvered interior⁵⁷⁴. This new device, known as the "Spiegelsucher" (reflecting finder), quickly became commonly referred to as the "brightline" finder⁵⁷⁴.

In the first viewfinder of its kind, developed by van Albada, a frame-shaped white marker was reflected into the user's eye by a partially silvered concave mirror⁴⁴⁸. This design allowed the marker frame to appear sharply in focus as a bright outline within the image field, simultaneously with the object viewed through the partially silvered surface⁴⁴⁸. However, the partial silvering of the entire mirror surface considerably reduced the brightness of both the overall viewfinder image and the reflected frame of the image field⁴⁴⁸. The Leitz bright-line viewfinder was an advanced version of this type of viewfinder⁴⁴⁸. Its optical design was based on the principle that only a frame-shaped mirror was needed to project a frame-shaped mark⁴⁴⁸. This frame mirror had to be sized appropriately so that the light beams it reflected aligned with the position and size of the viewer's pupil⁴⁴⁸. Instead of having a partially silvered coating over the entire surface, the Leitz bright-line viewfinder featured a fully silvered mirror frame⁴⁴⁸. This design left the central part of the mirror clear, allowing the viewer to see the object at full brightness⁴⁴⁸. According to Zimmermann (Deutsches Reichspatent 628739, published on April 1936, available via this link), this specially designed silvered image field frame ensured that the image boundary remained clearly visible, even in challenging lighting conditions⁴⁴⁸.The previous design had separate and foldable mirror and marker carriers, but the Leitz bright-line viewfinder combined these components into a single, continuous glass cylinder that was cemented together, providing greater stability⁴⁴⁸. Additionally, the favorable position of the pupil allowed eyeglass wearers to view the image in the viewfinder with ease⁴⁴⁸.

With a sharp image of a fixed frame, the bright-line viewfinder showed the object to be photographed upright and laterally correct in its natural size⁴⁴⁸. This design allowed users to keep both eyes open, providing a wide field of view while the image area was defined by a bright frame⁴⁴⁸. Additionally, using both eyes created a natural three-dimensional impression, which was crucial for accurately assessing the composition of the image⁴⁴⁸.

During the 1950s, various viewfinders designed for focal lengths ranging from 21 mm to 135 mm were constructed based on the brightline principle⁵⁷⁴.

It was important to note that neither the 5cm viewfinder nor the wide-angle models were compensated for parallax, while all telephoto viewfinders included this compensation³⁶⁰.

SBKOO (12002)

21mm model was code-named SBKOO³⁶⁰. Silver chrome finish 21 mm viewfinder was originally listed as 12002⁵⁷⁴. Later, black finish metal finders were introduced, but the catalog numbers remained the same⁵⁷⁴.

There were many variants of SBKOO:

Variant 1 was a prototype that was much larger in size than the standard SBKOO. It was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
no engravings on the top

Variant 2 was a "test" sample that was auctioned off at the 14th WestLicht Photographica auction. It was:

chrome finished
no eyepiece
no engravings on the top
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 42-589.14-U5 (new line) 21mm (new line) GERMANY)" engraved on top
According to the lot description, "with special number engraving: 42-589.14-U5, the first numbers indicates development numbers, U5 could be an internal inventory number, these test sample could be made for engraving or other tests - from the property of a former employee of a Leitz test department"

Variant 3 was :

black finished
black eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 21mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 4 was :

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 21mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 5 was :

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"21mm (new line) Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 6 was :

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"VERIWIDE 100 (new line) BROOKS NEW YORK (new line) Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

SLOOZ (12007)

28mm model was code-named SLOOZ³⁶⁰. Silver chrome finish 28 mm viewfinders were originally listed as 12007⁵⁷⁴. Later, black finish metal finders were introduced, but the catalog numbers remained the same⁵⁷⁴.

There were many variants of SLOOZ:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
chrome eyepiece
"2.8cm (new line) E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"2.8cm (new line) E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 3 was:

black finished
black eyepiece
"2.8cm (new line) E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
chrome eyepiece
"28mm Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 5 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"28mm Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 6 was:

chrome finished
chrome eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 28mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 7 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 28mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 8 was:

black finished
chrome eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 28mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

Variant 9 was:

black finished
black eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 28mm (new line) GERMANY" engraved on top

OIDYO

Leitz Canada manufactured the 3.3 cm (OIDYO) model for use with the 3.3 cm f/3.5 Stemar lens⁵⁷⁴. There were several variants:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
had finger grips
had a spring shoe
no engraving when viewed from the front
"Stereo 3.3 cm (new line) E. Leitz Wetzlar (condensor logo) (new line) Germany" engraving when viewed from the top

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
chrome eyepiece
had finger grips
had a spring shoe
no engraving when viewed from the front
"Germany" engraving when viewed from the top

Variant 3 was:

chrome finished
chrome eyepiece
had finger grips
had a spring shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Sterero 3.3cm" engraving when viewed from the front
"Germany" engraving when viewed from the top

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
had finger grips
had a spring shoe
no engraving when viewed from the front
"Stereo 3.3cm (new line) Ernst Leitz (new line) Canada Ltd. (new line) Midland (new line) Canada (bold font)" engraving when viewed from the top

Variant 5 was:

chrome finished
black eyepiece
had finger grips
had a spring shoe
no engraving when viewed from the front
"Stereo 3.3cm (new line) Ernst Leitz (new line) Canada Ltd. (new line) Midland Ont. (new line) Canada (bold)" engraving when viewed from the top

SBLOO

35mm model was code-named SBLOO³⁶⁰. Almost all SBLOO viewfinders were finished in chrome; a few were in black³⁶⁰. SBLOO was first introduced at the Cologne Photo-Cinema Exhibition in 1950 to complement Leica Ic⁴⁴³. The viewfinder was large and bright, features sharply defined image field with etched parallax lines and 1.3x magnification⁴⁴³.

There were many variants of SBLOO:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
had spring shoe
"3,5cm" engraved around the eyepiece
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (older print letter, stylized)" engraved on top"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (modern print letter)" engraved on top

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
had spring shoe
"3,5cm" engraved around the eyepiece
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (modern print letter)" engraved on top

Variant 3 was:

black paint finished
had spring shoe
"3,5cm" engraved around the eyepiece
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany (modern print letter)" engraved on top

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
had solid shoe
no engraving around the eyepiece
"Leitz (logo) (new line) WETZLAR (new line) 35mm (new line) GERMANY)" engraved on top

SGVOO

90mm model was code-named SGVOO³⁶⁰. 90mm model, code-named SGVOO³⁶⁰. All commercially produced variants of it were in chrome finish³⁶⁰. The SGVOO finder from 1958 featured dual scales—in feet and in meters—for parallax correction⁵⁷⁴. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of this model ("Sport-Spiegelsucher 8,5; 9 und 13,5 cm") as January 26, 1950, and noted himself and Mr. Bock as as designers⁵⁷³. The same book mentioned that the smaller version of this finder ("Spiegelsportsucher 9cm (Kleinausführg)") was developed Wilhelm Albert on or before March 15, 1953⁵⁷³.

There were many variants of SGVOO:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black
had spring shoe
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany 9 cm" engraving

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
feet scale in black
had spring shoe
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany 9 cm" engraving

Variant 3 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 9cm" engraving

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
feet scale in black
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 9cm" engraving

Variant 5 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 2 "infinity" signs
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 9cm" engraving

Variant 6 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 2 "infinity" signs
had solid shoe
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 90mm" engraving

Variant 7 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 1 "infinity" sign
had solid shoe
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 90mm" engraving

SGOOD

85mm model was code-named SGOOD³⁶⁰. A short-lived model, as it was associated with the production of the Leitz 8.5cm f/1.5 Summarex lens³⁶⁰. Similar in construction to the viewfinder for the 9cm lens, all commercially produced variants of it were in chrome finish³⁶⁰. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of this model ("Sport-Spiegelsucher 8,5; 9 und 13,5 cm") as January 26, 1950, and noted himself and Mr. Bock as as designers⁵⁷³.

There were many variants of SGOOD:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black
had spring shoe
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
feet scale in black
had spring shoe
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving

Variant 3 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 8.5cm" engraving

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving

Variant 5 was:

chrome finished
feet scale in black
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving

Variant 6 was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black, feet scale in red, 1 infinity sign
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving

Variant 7 was a prototype and was:

chrome finished
meter scale in black, 1 infinity sign
had solid shoe
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 8,5cm" engraving
an example was expected to be auctioned off at the 8th Wetzlar Camera Auctions on October 10, 2026⁵⁹⁷.

SBOOI

50mm model was code-named SBOOI³⁶⁰. All commercially produced SBOOI viewfinders were finished in chrome³⁶⁰. It must be noted that the dashed line within the viewfinder mark indicates the upper image boundary at a shooting distance of 1 meter⁴⁵⁰.

A rare version with a parallax-correction foot existed³⁶⁰. It was illustrated on page 40 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴. From the outside, it looked like a regular production SGVOO in terms of its shape.

There were many variants of SBOOI:

Variant 1 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
chrome eyepiece
without finger grips
with accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 25th WestLicht Photographica Auction³⁹⁸
similar finder is shown in "Paul-Henry von Hasbroeck Leica A History illustrating every Model an Accessory' colour plate XXV"³⁹⁸

Variant 2 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm 18x24" engraving
chrome eyepiece
without finger grips
without accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 43rd Leitz Photographica Auction and was described as "Extremely rare original SBOOI type finder for 18x24mm half frame for use with Leica 72 and 50mm lens or Stereo"³⁸⁰
for use with the Stemar and therefore showing the 18 × 24mm frame³⁶⁰.

Variant 3 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
black eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 25th WestLicht Photographica Auction and was described as "extremely rare original SBOOI type finder for 18x24mm half frame for use with Leica 72 and 50mm lens or Stereo"³⁹⁸
for use with the Stemar and therefore showing the 18 × 24mm frame³⁶⁰.

Variant 4 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm 24x24" engraving
black eyepiece
without finger grips
with accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 23rd WestLicht Photographica Auction and was described as "prototype 5cm SBOOI finder with 24x24mm frame"⁴⁰¹

Variant 5 was a prototype version and had:

no finish, raw unchromed metal
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
black eyepiece
without finger grips
without accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 47th Leitz Photographica Auction and was described as "A unique prototype of the 5 cm SBOOI viewfinder, finished in raw, unchromed metal. Unlike the production model, this prototype features a shoe milled from a solid block of metal, whereas the standard version was made from stamped sheet metal. Additional differences include the distinctive engraving style and the altered shape of the rear rim."⁵³³

Variant 6 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
black eyepiece
without finger grips
with accessory shoe on top
one example was auctioned off at the 16th WestLicht Photographica Auction

Variant 7 was a prototype version and was:

chrome finished
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY (all uppercase) 50 mm" engraving. A reversion from "5cm" to "50mm" of the 1925 50mm f/3.5 Elmar-type of engraving was yet to be explained³⁶⁰.
black eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top
This variant was illustrated on page 40 of James L. Lager's "Leica: An Illustrated History - Volume 3 - Accessories" book⁵⁷⁴

Variant 8 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
chrome eyepiece
without finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

Variant 9 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
black eyepiece
without finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

Variant 10 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
chrome eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

Variant 11 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
chrome eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

Variant 12 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar (larger font) Germany (smaller font) 5cm" engraving
black eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

Variant 13 was a serially produced version and was:

chrome finished
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY (all uppercase) 50 mm" engraving. A reversion from "5cm" to "50mm" of the 1925 50mm f/3.5 Elmar-type of engraving was yet to be explained³⁶⁰.
black eyepiece
with finger grips
without accessory shoe on top

SHOOC

135mm model was code-named SHOOC³⁶⁰. Early specimens were engraved either with imperial or with metric measurements; later (from 1958⁵⁷⁴) both scales were marked (the metric distance scale in red)³⁶⁰. All commercially produced SHOOC viewfinders were finished in chrome³⁶⁰. In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of this model ("Sport-Spiegelsucher 8,5; 9 und 13,5 cm") as January 26, 1950, and noted himself and Mr. Bock as as designers⁵⁷³.

There were many variants of SHOOC:

Variant 1 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 13,5cm" (smaller font) engraving

Variant 2 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 2 "infinity" signs
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 135mm" engraving

Variant 3 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 1 "infinity" sign
"ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 135mm" engraving

Variant 4 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black, feet scale in red, 2 "infinity" signs
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 13,5 cm" engraving

Variant 5 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 13.5 cm" engraving

Variant 6 was:

chrome finished
feet scale in black
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 13.5 cm" engraving

Variant 7 was:

chrome finished
meters scale in black
"Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Germany 13,5 cm" engraving

21mm Viewfinder (1979) - Catalog Number 12012

In late 1979, the 21 mm finders were produced with plastic bodies and renumbered as 12012⁵⁷⁴. On the top, it had "Leitz" logo and "21mm", on the bottom it had "GERMANY" (or "CANADA") on the bottom closer to the viewing window⁵⁷⁴. Some had parallax correction, while others didn't⁵⁷⁴.

21mm Viewfinder (1987) - Catalog Number 12008

By 1987, enhancements were made to the 21 mm finders, which now included tightening levers and were renumbered as 12008⁵⁷⁴. On the top, it had "Leitz" logo and "21mm", on the bottom it had "GERMANY" on the bottom closer to the viewing window⁵⁷⁴.

35mm Viewfinder (1987?)

An example of this rare plastic finder was auctioned off at the 11th WestLicht Photographica Auction.

28mm Viewfinder (1979) - Catalog Number 12017

In late 1979, the 28 mm finders were produced with plastic bodies and renumbered as 12017⁵⁷⁴. On the top, it had "Leitz" logo and "28mm", on the bottom it had "GERMANY" on the bottom under the eye piece⁵⁷⁴.

28mm Viewfinder (1987) - Catalog Number 12009

By 1987, enhancements were made to the 28 mm finders, which now included tightening levers and were renumbered as 12009⁵⁷⁴. On the top, it had "Leitz" logo and "28mm"⁵⁷⁴.

RIGHT-ANGLE VIEWFINDERS

Right-angle viewfinders allowed photographers to take pictures with the camera positioned at a 90-degree angle to their body³⁶⁰. Similar to waist-level viewfinders, this device was helpful for photographers who wanted to work without drawing attention to themselves³⁶⁰.

There were several groups of right-angle viewfinders produced by Leitz in 1920s and 1930s:

WINKO for Leica I Model A and Leica I Model C
WINTU for Leica II Model D
WOOLD
WOOSU

WINKO

The WINKO right-angle viewfinder was introduced in 1929³⁶⁰ or 1930⁵⁷⁴, allowing Leica enthusiasts to view subjects at a 90° angle⁵⁷⁴. The view seen through the WINKO was laterally reversed⁵⁷⁴.

There were 4 variants of WINKO:

Variant 1 had:

black finished body
large eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraving
from 1929³⁶⁰ or 1930⁵⁷⁴
was designed for Leica I Model A and Leica I Model C

Variant 2 had:

black finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraving
from 1932³⁶⁰
designed for the Leica Standard Model E⁵⁷⁴

Variant 3 had:

black finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraving

Variant 4 had:

chrome finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraving
Starting 1937³⁶⁰
code-named WINKOCHROM³⁶⁰

WINTU

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the ight-angle finders for Leica II Model D and Leica III Model F cameras ("Winkelsucher für automatische Kamera Modell II und III") as December 24, 1931, and himself with Oskar Barnack as designers⁵⁷³.

In 1932, when the rangefinder-equipped Leica II Model D was launched, Leitz introduced a special viewfinder called the WINTU, which allowed full use of the rangefinder⁵⁷⁴. This was made possible by a prism on a swing-down assembly⁵⁷⁴. In order to achieve focusing, the user pushes an additional angled swinging prism into place opposite the rangefinder window³⁶⁰. The view through the WINTU was laterally reversed⁵⁷⁴. Later it was possible to use WINTU on Leica III Model F and Leica IIIa Model G³⁶⁰.

There were several variants of WINTU:

Variant 1 had:

black finished body
large eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)

Variant 2 had:

black finished body
large eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
"Germany" engraved on the front (next to the viewing window)

Variant 3 had:

black finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)

Variant 4 had:

black finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)
with swing-on mask for 13.5cm (one example was auctioned off at the 37th Leitz Photographica Auction)
was considered a one-off or extremely rare³⁶⁰

Variant 5 had:

chrome finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)
from 1933³⁶⁰

Variant 6 had:

chrome finished body
small eyecup
E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)

Variant 7 had:

chrome finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo" engraved on top
"Germany" engraved on the front (next to the viewing window)

WOOLD

In his "Geburtstage der Leitz-Foto-Konstruktionen ab 1927" book, Wilhelm Albert dated the "birthday" of the "5cm right-angle finder with Dove eyepiece prism and laterally correct image" ("Winkelsucher 5 cm mit Dove-Okular-prisma und seitenrichtigem Bild") as January 27, 1939, and Wilhelm Albert as designer⁵⁷³.

By 1939, Leitz released modified version of the WINKO known as the WOOLD⁵⁷⁴. It included a prism that produced a laterally correct image, making viewing and composing much easier⁵⁷⁴. The prism was secured in place by a screw located between the eyecup and the swing-down assembly⁵⁷⁴. The last listings of the WOOLD encountered by James L. Lager appeared in a Leitz brochure dated 1943⁵⁷⁴. James L. Lager had never encountered one in his research⁵⁷⁴.

WOOSU

By 1939, Leitz released modified version of the WINTU known as the WOOSU⁵⁷⁴. It included a prism that produced a laterally correct image, making viewing and composing much easier⁵⁷⁴. The prism was secured in place by a screw located between the eyecup and the swing-down assembly⁵⁷⁴. The last listings of the WOOSU encountered by James L. Lager appeared in a Leitz brochure dated 1943⁵⁷⁴.

All examples of WOOSE examined by the author of this website had:

chrome finished body
small eyecup
"E.LEITZ WETZLAR condensor logo (new line) Germany" engraved on top
no engravings on the front (next to the viewing window)