Pimp my classical Rangefinder

[ISO]

I thought this might be a nice thread for a sunday. Show us photos, how you "pimped" your classical Rangefinder. (Leather Jobs, Paint Jobs, Side Grips or Winders...)

I sent this Minolta 7 into the race. Nothing special on this one, but I like the outside and grip more with this brown leather.... I think it is quiet nice now... Ready to see yours... THX

 

[erikhaugsby]

The only way I would ever pimp my M2 would be by adding an internal light meter. Matters of external appearance are trivial on a Leica.

 

[radiocemetery]

Hey ISO,
Very stylish Minolta. I always like to see something other than black and chrome all the time. I have a couple of projects underway involving paint and leather. Will post when done.
Steve

 

[dovi]

How do you refinish a camera body?
Sounds like an interesting sub-hobby!

 

[Farace]

I'm seriously considering recovering one of my Konica Auto S2s with something wild from www.cameraleather.com. And although not a rangefinder, I think my black FS-1 would look cool with their red snakeskin.

 

[radiocemetery]

Dovi,
I wanted to make a black Olympus 35RC. The head bartender here says on his site that Olympus never made one, so I decided to try it since I had a user condition RC on hand. Just to check I first tried painting right over the chrome plating and I found out that everyone was right... paint does not stick to chrome. I stripped the chrome chemically using muriatic acid and got the chrome off and some of the nickel that usually is used as a base for the chrome. Anyway, the body was masked, primed and then color coated, and I cut my own leather from an old pigskin camera bag. I like the results, will have to post some pics. if I can borrow a digital cam.

Steve

 

[ISO]

black Olympus 35 RC (very nice) and other BP cameras here....

http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~tomys800/sub4.html

...but I want to see your cameras....

 

[dazedgonebye]

My Moskva 5 got a sort of inadvertant pimping.
I sent it to Certo6 for a new bellows. I asked for red. He got my order mixed up with someone else's and replaced the cover leather with red as well.
I've since sold this one to another member here.

 

[radiocemetery]

ISO,
Thanks for the link. Now I want to know more about that Topcon rangefinder that I saw on that site. Hope to get some pics up if my daughter will bring her D70s (evil digital SLR) over to help me out.
Steve