SS or SA?

[norwest]

Wondering if the fellow on the left is early SS or SA?

[HPL2008]

Definitely SA.

The uniform is of a dark olive-brown shade that appears nearly black in this photo, but it has no badges or other characteristics of the SS (or any other organisation than the SA).

Note the cap badge (1937 pattern SA cap eagle, no Death's Head), the brown tie (SS wore black), the year of-entry sleeve rings (unique to the SA), the slightly lighter shade of the cap top vs. the cap body (SS would be all black) and the tunic's lower patch pockets (SS wore slanting slash pockets; patch pockets were only seen on the earliest black tunics).

[Bob Clark]

hpl2008 is correct .... only SA men are shown in the photo... nice pic by the way!

[wilhelm Saris]

Definitely SA.
The uniform is of a dark olive-brown shade that appears nearly black in this photo, but it has no badges or other characteristics of the SS (or any other organisation than the SA).
Note the cap badge (1937 pattern SA cap eagle, no Death's Head), the brown tie (SS wore black), the year of-entry sleeve rings (unique to the SA), the slightly lighter shade of the cap top vs. the cap body (SS would be all black) and the tunic's lower patch pockets (SS wore slanting slash pockets; patch pockets were only seen on the earliest black tunics).

Andreas is right. The man at left has nothing to be SS.

[norwest]

Thanks for having a look, and the clear explanation, guys! Much appreciated.