Camerapedia
Register
Advertisement

The Wica was a Leica copy made by Wiener Camera Werkstätte and apparently designed by R. Gerstendörfer of Vienna. It was presented in 1948 and is ultra rare.

It had a synchronized focal plane shutter from 1/20 to 1/1000, with no slow speeds. In an article in 4/2005 issue of VÖAV, it is said it was advertised with a top speed of 1/1600, but it might be a mistake. It had a coupled rangefinder, separate from the viewfinder, a detachable back and an accessory shoe screwed to the top plate, but being essentially a hand crafted camera, there were variations:

  • early models:
    • short top plate (like the Leica screw models), with R. Gerstendörfer Wien and Wica engravings
    • 2-plug sync mounted at the top of the front plate
    • advance/rewind knob protruding from the front plate;
  • later models:
    • longer top plate, with Wica, MADE IN AUSTRIA and serial number black-filled engravings
    • recessed rewind knob, extracted by a side mounted lever
    • normal sync post at the bottom of the front plate
    • advance/rewind lever at the top of the front plate
    • different winding knob
    • higher shutter release

Some had a removable lens in a special mount (32mm fine thread), hand adjusted to the rangefinder. Some later cameras had a normal Leica thread mount.

Lenses reported in Wica mount:

Recent auctions and other known pictures:

  • s/n 15, Westlicht Auction 21/5/2005, short top plate marked R. Gerstendörfer Wien and Wica, 2-plug sync, A/R knob, with Steinheil Culminar 5cm/2.8 VL #506977 in Wica mount
  • s/n unknown, ebay auction, short top plate marked R. Gerstendörfer Wien and Wica, 2-plug sync, A/R knob, with Schneider Xenon 5cm/2 #1800997 in Wica mount
  • s/n 130, Westlicht Auction 15/11/2002, short top plate marked R. Gerstendörfer Wien and Wica, 2-plug sync, A/R knob, strap lugs with Berthiot Flor 5cm/2.8 #1800997 in Wica mount
  • s/n 139, Christies 8/6/1995, short top plate marked R. Gerstendörfer Wien and Wica, 2-plug sync, A/R knob, strap lugs with Rodenstock Heligon 5cm/2 #2039679 in Wica mount
  • s/n unknown, pictured in McKeown, early model with both a 2-plug sync and a normal sync post, with an Angénieux 50/1.8 type S1 in Wica mount
  • s/n unknown, pictured in Jason Schneider's Camera Collecting book, volume III, late model with an Angénieux 50/1.8 type S1 in Wica mount
  • s/n 1017, Christies 8/6/1995, long top plate marked Wica and MADE IN AUSTRIA, normal sync, A/R lever, Angénieux 50/2.9 type Z2 #160700 in Wica mount
  • s/n 1040, Westlicht Auction 29/5/2004, long top plate marked Wica and MADE IN AUSTRIA, normal sync, A/R lever, Leica thread mount, sold with a fake SONNAR made in USSR
  • s/n 1042, late model with Leica thread mount, pictured in McKeown equipped with a Steinheil Quinon 50/2
  • s/n 1044, late model, pictured in McKeown with a Berthiot Flor 50/1.5 in Wica mount
  • s/n 1051, Westlicht Auction 23/5/2003, long top plate marked Wica and MADE IN AUSTRIA, normal sync, A/R lever, Angénieux 50/2.9 type Z2 #156141 in Wica mount
  • s/n 1XXX, late model with Leica thread mount, pictured in McKeown equipped with a Leica-Sonnar 5.8cm/1.5

Links[]


M39
b
o
d
i
e
s
(at) Wica
(de) Leica I (A) | Leica I (C) | Leica II (D) | Leica Standard (E) | Leica III (F) | Leica 250 Reporter | Leica IIIa (G) | Leica IIIb | Leica IIIc | Leica Ic | Leica IIIf | Leica IIIg
(ja)  Alta | Baika | Bessa L/T/R | Canon II/III/IV | Canon VT | Canon VIT | Canon P | Canon 7 | Canon 7s | Chiyoca | Chiyotax | Gokoku | Honor S1 | Honor SLIchicon-35 | Jeicy | Konica FR | Lausar | Leotax | Leotax G | Melcon | Melcon II | Muley | Nicca | Nicca III-L | Nippon | Tanack 35/IIIS/IV-S | Tanack SD | Tanack VP | Teica | Yasuhara T981
(uk) Periflex | Reid
(ussr) FED | Zorki | MIR | Drug | Leningrad
M39
l
e
n
s
e
s
(de) Astro Berlin | Enna | Hensoldt | Isco | Meyer | Rodenstock | Schacht | Schneider | Steinheil | Voigtländer | Zeiss
(ja) Arco (Colinar, Snowva) | Canon (Serenar) | Fuji (Cristar, Fujinon) | K.O.L. (Xebec) | Konica (Hexanon) | Konishiroku (Hexar, Hexanon) | Kowa (Prominar)Kyōei (Acall) | Lena | Leotax | Chiyoda / Minolta (Rokkor) | Misuzu (Altanon) | MS Optical R&D | Nicca | Nippon Kōgaku (Nikkor) | Olympus (Zuiko)Orion (Supreme) | Pentax | Reise | Ricoh | Sankyō (Komura) | Shōwa Kōki (Piotar) | Sun (Sola, Sophia, Xebec) | Tanaka (Tanar) | Telesar | Tōkyō Kōgaku (Simlar, Topcor) | Voigtländer | Y.K. Optical (Kobalux, Avenon) | Zeika (Rojar) | Zuihō (Honor) | Teikoku / Zunow
(fr) Angénieux | Berthiot
(uk) Corfield | Dallmeyer | National Opt. Co. | Pam | Ross | Taylor, Taylor & Hobson
(it) Elionar | Koritska | Kristall | Trixar | Wega
(nl) Old Delft
(us) Bausch & Lomb | Kodak
Advertisement