Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/01/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It was sold to Hughes Aircraft some years ago, and is no longer part of Leitz, or Leica. Gene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Herbert Kanner" <kanner at acm.org> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2013 12:45:04 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central Subject: Re: [Leica] Some artifacts at the Computer History Museum #2 Because both of my Summicrons (35 and 90mm) are marked "Made in Canada, I'm interested in this history. Does Leitz Canada still exist and if not, what happened to it? Can you give me the date it came into existence and the date it disappeared if that's what happened. Thanks, Herbert Kanner kanner at acm.org 650-326-8204 Question authority and the authorities will question you. On Jan 20, 2013, at 10:07 AM, Cedric Agie wrote: > One of the first civilian computers using semiconductors instead of > tubes and destined to calculate optical formulas was used by Leitz > Canada in Midland Ontario. It had the volume and aspect of 2 or 3 > bench model freezers > In fact US Laws at that time prohibited to buy anything made in > Germany. This was the main reason for setting up this new Leitz > facility abroad. The US Governement badly needed their optics for > civilian and military use. Including NASA. You can easely recognize > those optics and systhems, Most of the time they bear the name ELCAN > i.e. Ernst Leitz Canada. M-4 military cameras often come with a double > serial number. One from the company and one from the US forces. ELCAN > labelled items are much in demand by some collectors. > > When Leitz Germany had just taken the decision to stop the production > of the M-4 in favor of the M-5 they received a huge order for M-4 > cameras and lenses from the US Governement. Again for the military (US > Navy) and NASA. The whole production facility under the supervision > of Docter Mandler was then moved to Canada where production continued. > Later it appeared that the M-5 would have a shorter history than > expected and that there was an additional demand for the M-4 from the > civilian market, not only in North America but also in the rest of the > world > > Leitz Canada is totally separated from the German Leitz and Leica > facilities. In Germany the company suffered years of financial > troubles. Its management changed several times. Not so in Canada where > they kept making profits after a management buy-out. But they continue > to work with the German company. > > Have a nice W-E. > > Cedric Agie > > cedric.agie at gmail.com > > > 2013/1/20 Frank Filippone <red735i at verizon.net>: >> Herb... the Museum is certainly on my list, next time up north.... >> >> In exchange for which I need to also go to the Lace Museum (San Jose, I >> think)...! >> >> Can you point us to the WEB Page? >> >> Frank Filippone >> Red735i at verizon.net >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information