Leica LTM This was a lucky day for me...

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
haempe

haempe

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Today I made some shots around the house of my father with my zorki and he comes to me and say: "Your camera looks like the Leica of your grandfather" - "I dont know he had a Leica. And where it is?" - "In the basement."
After a while of searching in the basement we found finaly this:

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A Leica III (1933) with Hektor 2,5/50 and Elmar 4/90.
The glass is not in the best condition, but 1/30 - 1/500 sounds good and the body looks nice. Ok, the long times dosn´t work, but after 50 years in a box in the basement ... not bad. And for me - really a bargain.
I will develop the test-roll tomorrow, hope...
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Well worth getting restored, especially as it belonged to your Grandfather. The Hektor is an uncommon lens.
 
A wonderful discovery, especially with the connection to your grandfather. I have a pair of Zeiss binoculars that belonged to my maternal grandfather, who died before I was born. That and a photo of him at my mother's wedding are my only physical links to him.
 
I don't think the Hektor is a coated lens, so you might luck out in that if it is fungus, there won't be any coating to be damaged. A lot of times, the haze is just the old grease breaking down separating into its oil and wax components, so you might be in luck (ie: it could be very fixable!)
 
What a wonderful story! Lucky you indeed!

Optical Instruments (Balham) in Croydon outside London can almost certainly restore the lens at a reasonable price, and for a lens that rare, it's worth it.

http://www.optil.co.uk/

It looks like a small-pin baseplate, which suggests to me that it was probably a factory conversion from a Standard.

Cheers,

R.
 
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these are the things we usually only dream about ....... Similarly, but not quite the same, last week I found that my uncle has my 97 year old Gpa's 1960 Rolleiflex TLR, and he said he would send it to me. At least he said he would, but ya'all dont know my uncle ........
 
This is the best kind of classic camera to have - one whose history is known and linked to yours, congratulations!

I have a similar story behind my Rolleiflex. On a recent trip home I got started talking photography with my mother's long time partner. I remembered his Nikon SLR from a visit a couple of years ago and asked him if he was still shooting film. He has gone mostly digital and although the Nikon had a roll in it, he lamented the fact that he didn't use the Rolleiflex any more. Knowing that I was using a cheap Lomo Lubitel for medium format he offered me the Rolleiflex me on the spot. He just said, if you get it serviced, can find film for it, and will use it then its yours!:)

I second the other posts urging you to get it CLA'd, you won't regret it!
 
Thanks all for your kind words.

ChrisN said:
A wonderful discovery, especially with the connection to your grandfather. I have a pair of Zeiss binoculars that belonged to my maternal grandfather, who died before I was born. That and a photo of him at my mother's wedding are my only physical links to him.
Click to expand...
Similar story, my grandfather was KIA in 1944 when my father was 2 years.

Roger Hicks said:
What a wonderful story! Lucky you indeed!
Optical Instruments (Balham) in Croydon outside London can almost certainly restore the lens at a reasonable price, and for a lens that rare, it's worth it.
http://www.optil.co.uk/
It looks like a small-pin baseplate, which suggests to me that it was probably a factory conversion from a Standard.
Cheers,
R.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link. I will keep it in mind.
The other point is interesting. The story my father told about the Camera dosn´t fit with the serial number.
The oral-family-history tells, he buyed the leica in 1928 before his travel to the olympic games in Amsterdam. But the serial number says, the cam is from 1933. Maybe he give the cam for an upgrade, but I always thought the serial number would be remain in this case.
Maybe help more pics to clearify?
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Thanks...
 
Lucky find, that's definitely one to have restored and never sell! Not in the same league but I have my father's Kiev 4 that I rarely use but won't part with, it's a sentimental link.
 
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Congratulations on such a great find. The lens and the camera are excellent pieces to enjoy and treasure. Being linked to your family makes this an even better find.
 
grandpa, Leica. grandson, Zorki :eek: (just joking :) )

congratulations, indeed a lucky find! none of my grandparents ever owned any camera, but least I got a pocket watch :p

if it needs a CLA, Will van Manen is good candidate here in Europe.
 
Yes, normally the serial number would stay the same - but the small pin and the oral history argue for a conversion. A mystery. What does the pressure plate look like? Very early Leicas have a hole in the pressure plate, with a screw behind the hole, for setting up the fixed lens, but I've forgotten when this feature was dropped.

Cheers,

R.
 
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