Rudolf Leidolf
Wetzlar - Germany

I have tried to dig up some detailed informations about the Leidolf company, but unfortunately I have not been very successful. It seems like the Leidolf company was established 1921, and that their main range of products were microscopes and related optical equipment. After the II World War, in 1948, Leidolf began producing medium-quality cameras, and allthough they shared the same hometown as Leitz and the Leica, neither quality or origin has anything to do with Leitz.  Leidolf produced a quite nice range of cameras until 1962, and the Lordomat stands out as the most popular model among collectors, partly due to the good functionality, and partly due to its appealing design and the option of changing lenses, which were made by either Rau, Schact, Will or Enna. The lenses marked as "Leidolf" and "Schact" are the most common.
 

Leidox  1950/52 I (IA,II) VF
Serial no.: 15300
Format:  4 x 4 on 127 rollfilm
Optics: Triplet 1:3,8  50mm
Shutter:  Vario B + 1/25 - 1/75 sec. - 1/200 sec.

The Leidox are a very very simple camera. As you might see on the photo above, the camera body are simply laquered, and you'll find nothing on the Leidox but the absolutely necssesary. The only feature that stands out are the square strap lugs, which doubles as locks for the removable back that slides off. By turning both strap lugs 90 deg. counter clockwise, the camera back are unlocked. That's in fact quite clever !!. The shutter release button are placed on the lens barrel on the right. The 4 x 4 format sets its natural limits for regular use. The Leidox from 1950 are more of a curiosa these days, than actually an useable camera.

Leidox 1952 VF
Serial no.: 22530
Format:  24 x 36 on 35mm film (135)
Optics: Leidolf Lordon 1:2,8  50mm
Shutter:  Prontor SV  B + 1 sec => 1/300 sec. + selftimer

In comparison with the Leidox 4 x 4, this Leidox offers some great improvements. The first being of course the 24 x 36 format, but also when it comes to a much better shutter. The finish is also much better, the body covered with leatherette, and a beautiful nickel plated top cover. It's still a rather simple camera with no rangefinder, but it feels and looks a lot nicer. The shutter release button are on the top cover, there's a framecounter and a double exposure prevention, and it's got the same square strap lugs which are also locking nuts for the back cover. Allthough Karen Nakamura doesn't think much of the Lordox, I find it rather charming, and the finish is not bad at all.  

Lordox Junior 1954 VF
Serial no.: 122534
Format:  24 x 36 on 35mm film (135)
Optics: Leidolf Triplon 1:2,8  50mm
Shutter:  Pronto SV  B + 1/30 sec => 1/250 sec. + selftimer

The black front Lordox from 1954 offers an entirely new outer design. People who don't find the Lordox attractive just hasn't got any taste at all, -good taste that is. It's a sleek rounded body that feels comfortable, and it features the somewhat strange double stroke rapid advance lever, which moves from the front and backwards. Just to the left of the advance lever are the manual reset frame counter. The shutter release button, are the rod that sticks up from the lens barrel. By looking on the front plate, it is obvious that it is ready for a coupled rangefinder, as it is the same front cover as on the Lordomat. The camera back comes off by turning a neatly designed finger grip 90 deg. counter clockwise.
 

(Left Lordomat with Lordonar 1:3,5- 35mm + 35mm viewfinder - Right with Lordon 1:2,8 50mm standard lens)

I think the Lordomat Standard are the nicest of all the Leidolf cameras. First of all it looks good, and secondly it feels comfortable. It's not a high end camera, and I guess the quality are equivalent to the price level. The coupled rangerfinder has got a faily long focal base, which is always desirable. The bigger the distance between the rangerfinder windows the better. The Lordomat Standard also features the odd double stroke rapid advance lever, that moves from the front and backwards, but it actually doesn't feel that awkward at all, and I usually use my indexfinger. The shutter release button are on the shutter housing on the right, and the back cover locking knob are identical with the one on the Lordox Junior. The viewfinder offers no brightlines, so you'll probably want to use an additional viewfinder with parallax correction when using the tele lenses. The 35mm viewfinder shown above are actually very nice and of high quality, and features a parallax correction too, and some very nice engravings. Talking about lenses; I'm sorry, but I simply hate Schacht lenses !. Not that they're not capable of providing nice photos, but it's the quality, or should I say the lack of quality!. I have handled and seen soooo many Schacht lenses with coating problems, mechanical faults etc. etc. However if you really want a Lordomat outfit you probably can't avoid the Schacht's, but check them very carefully !.

Lordomat SLE (1960) RF
Serial no.: SLE-227503
Format:  24 x 36 on 35mm film (135)
Optics: Leidolf Lordonar 1:2,8  50mm (Leidolf bayonett)
Shutter:  Prontor SVS  B + 1 sec. => 1/300 sec. + selftimer
Accs.:  Schacht-Lordonar 1:3,5  35 mm
         Schacht-Lordonar 1:4  90 mm
Misc.: Coupled rangefinder + non coupled lightmeter + interchangeable lenses

I don't know. Is it just me, or does the Lordomat SLE resembles a flat nosed elephant ?. Apart from that, it's not bad at all. The 1960's SLE has got a nice big viewfinder with brightlines, a non coupled lightmeter with a read-out scale on top of the camera housing, and an ordinary one stroke rapid advance lever. The rewind knob features a fold down crank handle. The shutter release button are placed on the front cover just to the right of the lens, and I prefer to use my middlefinger for releasing, and winding with my thumb. The SLE share the same bayonett mount as the Lordomat Standard, and it also got the same back cover locking mechanism. The entire camera back slides off for film loading. Unless you can't live without a built-in lightmeter, I would prefer the Lordomat Standard instead of the SLE. The SLE just hasn't got the same "Leidolf charm" as the Standard.