Leica Leicaflex

Introduction: The Leicaflex at a Glance

The Leica Leicaflex is the first series of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras made by Leitz. It was marketed between 1964 and 1976, and the original model described here is a fully mechanical body with a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter. If you are building a collection of 35mm SLR film cameras, it is one of the more distinctive entries you can find.

Leitz built it as a very sturdy, carefully finished and costly camera, and gave it a new bayonet mount with three lugs. This guide covers the original Leicaflex, not the later SL versions.

Shooting with a fully mechanical SLR is slow and deliberate. You set the speed, judge the light and wind on yourself, so every frame is a small decision.

Design Roots and Historical Background

Leitz enters the SLR market

The first Leicaflex appeared in 1964, a moment when the SLR was becoming the camera of choice and Japanese manufacturers were driving that shift. Leitz answered with a heavily built, beautifully finished and expensive camera.

It was offered in chrome and in black enamel, and the black version is the rare one. That rarity is worth keeping in mind when you compare examples.

Two series and how to recognise the original

The original Leicaflex was built in two series, and the exposure counter window tells them apart: it is fan-shaped on the first series and round on the second. The second series also has a built-in tripod socket, while on the first the socket is held on with three screws.

To tell the original from the later Leicaflex SL, look at the front of the prism housing: the original carries the CdS meter window and the battery cover there. For what came next, see our Leicaflex SL with a Schneider 35mm f/4.

Key Technical Highlights

Mount and shutter

The Leicaflex introduced the three-lug Leica R bayonet. The shutter is a mechanical horizontal cloth focal-plane type, with speeds from 1 second to 1/2000 shown in the viewfinder, plus mirror lock-up. According to the manual, the mirror selector switch has three positions: quick-return mirror, a jump (instant-return) mirror and mirror up.

Metering and film speed

The original has no through-the-lens (TTL) meter, and it was criticised for that. The later SL gained one. The meter it does have uses a Mallory PX 625 button cell, which the manual says usually lasts more than a year. The film speed scale runs from 8 to 6500 ASA.

Viewfinder, flash and self-timer

The viewfinder gives a very bright aerial image, but it is not fully focusing: only a small central zone is used to set focus. The self-timer works at all shutter speeds with a delay of about 8 to 10 seconds. On the front are two flash contacts: the upper one for electronic flash and the lower one for flash bulbs.

• Leica R three-lug bayonet mount
• Mechanical horizontal cloth shutter, 1 s to 1/2000
• Mirror lock-up and shutter speed visible in the finder
• Film speed scale from 8 to 6500 ASA
• Mallory PX 625 cell for the meter

Modern-Day Use in 2026

Where the Leicaflex excels

Today the Leicaflex is at its best as a deliberate, hands-on film camera and as a collectible. Its bright viewfinder and solid build reward photographers who like to work slowly.

Use it for:

• Deliberate, slow-paced film photography with fully manual control.
• Landscape and still-life work from a tripod, using mirror lock-up.
• Collecting an early Leitz SLR in chrome or the rarer black enamel.

Practical shooting tips

• Use a handheld meter, or read the camera's own meter and compare it with a known scene.
• Choose the mirror lock-up position for tripod shots to reduce vibration.
• Focus on the small central zone, then recompose carefully.

Buying and Maintenance Guide

What to check before buying used

On a mechanical camera, moving parts matter more than cosmetics. Work through this checklist:

• Fire the cloth shutter at all speeds and check that the curtains run evenly.
• Test the mirror in all three positions of the selector, including mirror up.
• Look through the finder for haze, dust or marks on the prism and screen.
• Open the back and check the light seals and the film transport and counter.
• Check the battery compartment on the front of the prism housing for corrosion.

Power and batteries

The battery powers the light meter, which uses a Mallory PX 625 button cell that usually lasts more than a year, according to the manual.

• Fit a fresh cell and test the meter against a known light.
• Take the cell out if the camera will be stored for a long period.

Basic care and accessories

A few simple photography accessories keep a camera like this in good shape:

• A padded camera bag or case to protect the body from knocks.
• A microfibre cloth for the lens and the outside of the body.
• A sturdy tripod to make use of mirror lock-up.

What to pay

On European marketplaces such as eBay, working examples are typically listed around €175–€235. That range is for complete original bodies.

Conclusion: A Heavyweight with Character

The Leicaflex is the camera with which Leitz entered the SLR market in 1964: sturdy, costly and carefully finished. It brought the three-lug R bayonet, mirror lock-up and a very bright viewfinder, but it left out TTL metering.

Today it suits photographers who value a mechanical, hands-on camera and collectors who want an early Leitz SLR.

Ready to explore cameras like the Leicaflex? Browse our SLR film cameras and the wider range of analog cameras at DutchThrift.com.

Sources: original Leicaflex instruction manual (Dutch); Leicaflex on camera-wiki.org, text licensed under GFDL 1.3; price range based on eBay listings of complete original bodies.