C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Leica IIIa (1935) was the first Leica screw-mount body with a **1/1000s top shutter speed** — earlier IIIs maxed at 1/500s. Same Barnack body design as the rest of the III series: brass body, vulcanite covering, separate rangefinder and viewfinder windows, mechanical horizontal-cloth shutter, Leica Screw Mount (LTM / M39). No flash sync — flash photography on the IIIa requires accessory shoe-mounted bulb flashes. Production ran 15 years (1935–1950) bridging WWII.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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About this camera
The first Leica with 1/1000s shutter. 1935 — pre-war Barnack-era flagship.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica Screw Mount |
| Years | 1935–1950 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s + B + Z, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | None native |
| Meter | None |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | 580 g |
| Battery | None |
Released 1935 as Leica's flagship Barnack body. Production ran 1935–1950, with a hiatus during WWII. Approximately 90,000 units were made — many surviving examples have wartime German military markings (Luftwaffen-Eigentum, etc.) that significantly affect collector value. Replaced 1950 by the IIIf (which added flash sync).
The IIIa is the camera that established 1/1000s as the working photographer's expected top shutter. Henri Cartier-Bresson shot a IIIa for many of his pre-WWII images including significant pieces from his Mexico/Spain period (1934–1937). For 2026 buyers, IIIa bodies at $600–1,500 represent the affordable entry to genuine pre-war Leica history. Many wartime-marked bodies sell at premiums to non-marked equivalents.
Leica Screw Mount lenses (any era). Pre-war: Elmar 50/3.5, Hektor 50/2.5, Summar 50/2 (front lens often hazy on surviving copies), Elmar 35/3.5, Elmar 90/4, Hektor 135/4.5. Post-war LTM lenses also fit. SBOOI accessory finder for 50mm framing.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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