Leica 250 Reporter (c. 1934–1946)

The Leica 250 Reporter is a standard screw-mount Leica body stretched at both ends to hold a bulk film magazine. The magazine takes ten metres of film, good for 250 exposures before reloading. Most Leicas of the 1930s needed a reload after thirty-six frames. The body bulges into two oversized chambers to make room for the long roll.

It was built for press photographers. Its use by professional, military, aviation, and scientific shooters has made it one of the most desirable Leica screw-mount collector cameras. The 250 FF variant, based on the Leica III, appeared around 1934. The later 250 GG, based on the Leica IIIa, added the 1/1000-second top shutter speed. Serial numbers run roughly from 130,001 to 353,800, with the FF and GG records mixed and non-contiguous. A small run of 29 cameras was specially made to accept an electric motor drive - the Leica-Motor MOOEV dates back to the World War II era. One motor-equipped example sold at auction in Wetzlar for a hammer price of €900,000.

Surviving examples often show their age — slow shutter speeds tend to stick and rangefinders drift out of accuracy — but the 250 Reporter remains every bit as intriguing today as when it first appeared in the early 1930s. A typical outfit might include the camera body, two internal cassettes, and an Elmar 3.5/5 cm lens. Kosmo Foto has noted that the 250 was essentially an upgraded Leica II fitted with the outsized film magazine, a reminder that this was a working tool first and a collector's prize only much later.

Known specifications: