VERY COLLECTABLE --- A Very Rare US Military "Navy" Leicaflex SL Camera w/black painted body #1244971-SHUTTER WORKS! A working, RARE "Navy" Leicaflex.
Everything on this camera seems to be working as it should, but the prism is really dirty and needs some work (with a lens on it's hard to see through). I might not have the right battery screw "door" on it. It fits but screws all the way in, and it looks like it's missing the battery terminal at the bottom of the battery compartment maybe broke off? Shutter speeds all work and appear to be accurate.
I have been a professional photographer for over 50 years, and running through the shutter speeds several times they seem to accurate with no hesitation or misfires. The body is very worn looking, with paint worn off especially on the edges and corners, but has no dents, scratches or dings. I have not run any film through it, because the Leica lens I have is "frozen". It comes with a plastic bottom cover made for it, a Leica body cover, and a maintenance label on the bottom that states FLTAVCOMLA, RFI, MAINT.
", and "ICS or something else? , written in ink on 2 lines (see photos).
FROM THE INTERNET --- The US military was also a frequent customer for Leica cameras and -lenses. Apart from the more well-known military versions of Leica M2 and M4 (KS15-4 and KE7-A), small numbers of Leicaflex SL cameras were delivered. Since 1963, the United States Navy (Naval Photographic Center and the Naval Air Systems Command) had considerably expanded its efforts to upgrade 35mm photography on a systematic basis.
The US Navy then asked E. Leitz Canada to exclusively develop components for its "High Resolution Small Format Camera System", to be used specifically for enhanced photographic intelligence gathering during the Vietnam War and ongoing Cold War. The Leicaflex SL 35mm SLR Camera was an integral component of that system. This item is in the category "Cameras & Photo\Vintage Movie & Photography\Vintage Cameras\35mm Cameras". The seller is "norwaypaul" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, Korea, South, Indonesia, Thailand, Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Ukraine, Croatia, Republic of, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macau, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Vietnam, Uruguay.