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Precision Optics Engineering history

Rollei-Leica-Zeiss history

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Steve Wan31/03/2011 11:40:09
131 forum posts
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Hi guys,
 
I just attended Meta-Asia 2011 in Singapore. It came to my attention when I confronted a counter hosting Zeiss product which is one of Germany precision optics engineering. I got a recollection of former Rollei and ongoing Leica, famous for surveying equipments.
 
Are these companies related as they originated from Germany?
 
Steve-S'pore
Clive Hartland31/03/2011 14:13:46
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Steve, as a retired employee of LEICA I can tell you that Leica is owned by the Schmidhieny Brothers based in Heerbrugg in Switzerland.
By buying out LEITZ they aquired Leica Cameras as well.
The basis of this was that the Electronic Microscope business was not big enough for two manufacturers, That is Cambridge Instruments and Leitz .
Cambridge Instruments is also a Leica holding and work is shared between the two.
Leica have several sub manufacturing concerns in Singapore and in China and also Japan.
One of these is Panasonic, who make a lot of optical glass for Leica and assemble electronic and optical lenses for sale under the Leica name. All HIGH quality gear.
Leica cameras is run as a seperate company on its own but is located in the UK at Milton Keynes along with the Leica Microscopy and Leica GeoSystems that deal with the surveying side.
Leica is at the forefront of electro/optical and mechanical excellence and cannot be bettered.
I enjoyed my 25 years with them and covered many different fields in the company.
I started work with them when they were called Wild Heerbrugg and learnt from the bottom up and now I can take a Theodolite down to the last grubscrew and rebuild it and calibrate it along with all the other instruments as well.
We all went to Heerbrugg for factory training on new or induction training.
90% of the techs. are fully trained machinists and familiar with all machinery they are likely to meet. This plus the basic knowledge makes them good engineers with a high degree of Finesse,
Before I joined them I had spent 22 years in the Technical side of the British Army as an Instrument Tech. in REME. This took me all over the world and I initially retired from them in 1977 and then retired from Leica in 1999, I now work at the age of 74 in a subsidary of Leica here in Kent carrying out much the same work I did bfore I left Leica.
 
clive
 
Peter Gain31/03/2011 17:02:16
103 forum posts
Steve, the Rollei company was founded by 2 Germans, Franke & Heidecke in Braunschweig, Germany, c1920. They had no connection with the famous Zeiss optical company other than they used Zeiss lens for many years. Rollei are credited with producing the first really successful twin lens roll film reflex camera which was subsequently copied by many other firms. The Rolleiflex was virtually "standard issue" to photo journalists & newsmen for several decades. Over the years many books have been published about the Rollei company in many different languages. A "Google" session should turn up several volumes to keep you busy. I have a 50 year old Rolleiflex & a similar age Rollecord, both function as well now as when they left the factory. A complete contrast to the modern digital cameras!
Peter Gain.
Clive Hartland31/03/2011 19:27:04
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I too have a 2.8F Rollieflex c/w light meter that I bought in Germany in 1972, this is complete with Porro Prism and Handle and cable release. I also have the full set of Rollienars. Plus some colour filters fro B/W pics. Also have an E22 Flash gun for it.
It is indeed a formidable camera and the two and quarter square format is excellent for B/W enlargements. This cost me about £70. then.
I doubt that I will ever part with it.
I also have an M6 with a full set of lenses and an R6 with similar set of lenses, both give superb results in colour and B/W.
I have migrated to Digital and have a Sony CD400 that uses small CD's to store about 180 pics.
My carry camera at the moment is a Panasonic TZ3 as it has a 10x zoom and good close up facility.
Over the years I also amassed a good kit of Canon FD kit and lenses.
 
With regard to twin Lens Reflex cameras. Yashica came out with a clone camera of the Rollei. They soon started to go wrong and one was brought to me to repair. I opened up the side plates and discovered that the levers inside were stamped out of tin plate still having the lithographed legend of a tin of peas. Needless to say it did not go back into service. This was in late 50's time.
I did PR work for the Army for 4 years and they supplied everything, paper, chemicals and film in bulk. My work had a fairly large distribution at the time and some was used for recruiting in the Sheffield area. I had at least one military magazine cover every couple of months.
 
Clive
Steve Wan06/04/2011 07:32:22
131 forum posts
3 photos
Hi Clive and Peter
 
Thanks for sharing with me your exciting moments with Leica and Rollei.
Rollei did setup a branch here in Singapore but did not last long.
 
Steve-S'pore
Clive Hartland06/04/2011 09:45:26
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2929 forum posts
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Your right Steve, a lot of assembly of cameras was done in Singapore as it was a new Enterprise center and had lots of cheap avialable labour that was capable and intelligent.
Leica also assembled levels and Tribrachs out there as it was cheaper to make the parts, send them out there for assembly and then fly them back to Europe.
Going back to the Optics side, Leica aquired a holding in the Peking Optical company in China and they supply very good optical components.
Another thing is that if Leica find a Company with a process or a manufactured item they will buy that company outright and put in their own management.
Peter Kern sold out to Leica lock stock and barrel and walked away with the money. They were then Leica's main rival. Kern optics are excellent, their Kern Switar lenses are legend for sharpness. Also their cameras like the Alpa. Alas, no longer made and now become collectors items.
All the big name firms have gone to the wall now, Bolex cine cameras and projectors,
and all the subsidary firms that supplied services to them have gone also.
You should also know that a lot of named cameras, ie Kodac are clone cameras and just have a slight visual difference to carry the name.
The software that drives it just has slightly different 'Take offs' to make it different to the standard model.
 
Clive
Steve Wan06/04/2011 11:32:00
131 forum posts
3 photos
Hi Clive
 
Thanks so much for the added info. BTW since you're an ex-staff of Leica, possible to share with us the insight of Leica work floor? For example, what type of brand they favour most for small precision jobs for lathes and mills? Did you grap any of those small machines when they write off? Guess, those exciting experience in Leica are always remembered for many years to come. In my case, I was a Jig grinder a long time ago. Did enjoyed those wonderful days. The company don't exist anymore.
 
Just like Rolls Royce Engine. They made their own lathes in the 60s. Wonder they do carry on this culture now. They're expanding its avaiation plant to Singapore.
 
Steve
Clive Hartland06/04/2011 17:30:52
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2929 forum posts
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hi Steve, a quick follow up to your question.
Our machines were all Schaublin we had a N102 with threaded collets for chasing threads. This is where the whole chuck head follows the threaded collar and feeds into the chaser.
Then we had two brand new N102N which we bought with all the kit possible/ this was a great machine with foot clutch and quite a high Rpm.
We also had a No 13 Milling machine , again with all the bits. Another wonderfu robust machine. I remember it cost £17000.
When the firm split up they passed the Mill and the new Lathe to the subsidary as reparation for being made redundant. Long story not worth repeating as he is now dead.
I was give a budget and I then bought an EMCO lathe with an attached milling head and a Myford ML10.
These did great work and when I left I made a bid for the Myford and got it for £500.
Then at a later date after I left they decided no more machining or special work and sold off the remaining machines for pennies. The EMCO went for £700 and another Schaublin worth at least £4500 went for a few hundred pounds to a friend of the MD.
An engraving machine went for £200. and the odd bits and pieces were taken by some of the workers.
I did get a drill grinding machine which is very good and works well but does not go smaller than 3mm.
 
Clive
I also got an Aciera bench drill, this is quite a precision item but 3phase. I had to buy a converter but am thinking of going back to single phase with it.
If I had the money I would buy all Schaublin kit as it never loses value.
 
Clive

Edited By Clive Hartland on 06/04/2011 17:31:56

Stub Mandrel07/04/2011 21:56:43
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4318 forum posts
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I have a Yashicamat twin lens reflex, and personally i think it's rather nice. Possibly abit younger than 1950 though. Sadly the shutter sticks bit now
 
Neil

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