M2 Canada Pre-series

This camera served the Leica constructor Heinrich Staubach, working for Leitz Canada from 1954 - 1974, as a test camera. Heinrich Straubach is mentioned both in the celebratory publication for the 50th anniversary of Leitz Canada and in the brochure 'Die Leitz Werke in Wetzlar' by R. Beck. From 1958 to 1966 M2 and M3 cameras were produced in Canada, most of them engraved 'Ernst Leitz Wetzlar'. Only a very few engraved 'Midland'. The cameras engraved 'PL - P 000 00x' are prototypes or pre-series cameras of the Midland production. The internal serial number of the body is 937624 which is the 4th camera produced in Canada in a batch of 50 cameras (937621-937650). M2 engraved 'PL-P 000 001' was discovered in Canada, M3 engraved 'PL-P 000 007' was sold 2011 in Germany - see Charles Duckworth and Randal Hopper 'The Midland M's' LHSA Archiv