Leica LTM anyone else watching the Swedish Army IIIG on Ebay?

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
I just bought this camera!

I just bought this camera!

Hi Chris,

I was the one who bought this very rare camera for US$ 19.900. I know the seller, a very reliable person. It's a ' bargain'. Normally this camera will sell for over US$ 25.000 during auktions in Germany. Only 125 were made in 1960 and only 50-60 camera's are left. The others are distroyed by the Swedisch Army at the end of the sixties. It's by far one the most rarest Leica screwmount camera. A real collectors piece.

Best regards,
Rien:) ,
Arnhem, Netherlands
 
rien said:
Hi Chris,

I was the one who bought this very rare camera for US$ 19.900. I know the seller, a very reliable person. It's a ' bargain'. Normally this camera will sell for over US$ 25.000 during auktions in Germany. Only 125 were made in 1960 and only 50-60 camera's are left. The others are distroyed by the Swedisch Army at the end of the sixties. It's by far one the most rarest Leica screwmount camera. A real collectors piece.

Best regards,
Rien:) ,
Arnhem, Netherlands
Click to expand...

Just curious Rien ... will you use it at all? I would have to I think but maybe just on the odd occasion! :)
 
rien said:
Hi Chris,

I was the one who bought this very rare camera for US$ 19.900. I know the seller, a very reliable person. It's a ' bargain'. Normally this camera will sell for over US$ 25.000 during auktions in Germany. Only 125 were made in 1960 and only 50-60 camera's are left. The others are distroyed by the Swedisch Army at the end of the sixties. It's by far one the most rarest Leica screwmount camera. A real collectors piece.

Best regards,
Rien:) ,
Arnhem, Netherlands
Click to expand...

Wow!

Congrats Rien, these IIIG`s were amazing cameras, I had a friend in Germany who owned one of these back in the 1980`s

Seriously if you ever need to hire anyone to be curator of your Leica Museum please let me know, I`m ready to move to Holland :D

Let`s talk soon about the Military IIIC K`s when you can, write me off the board at winkermeister@aol.com

Tom

OMG! You live in Arnhem? I LOVE THAT CITY! Spent some time there with friend`s from the Parachute Regiment, visting the Airborne Museum there, marvelous place!
 
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And just in case ... there is another one at the auction site, BIN 26,495.00$ The SN# is close, 3 numbers higher. No relation or what's ever to the seller, just curious why these cameras all of the sudden pop up ?
 
I guess I dont get this whole Leica investing/collecting deal. Yes its a nice camera, but 20K - Cmon!. I like interesting cameras and lenses, but to use, but to lock away in a box! Plus, in this case it's not even all that to a user - IIIG regular can be found easy and the lens - even easier and in much better shape!. Little 3 crowns on them - I could care less really as they don't make it take better photos. I'd pay good money for a camera or a lens that is useful. If I want something expensive to sit on a shelf or hang on a wall - I'd buy a painting by someone famous. I'm not saying this to hurt anyone's feelings, so dont flame me. I just really don't understand collecting cameras just to collect them. They were made to be used and so they shell be used. Thats how I feel.
 
People collect all types of things for reasons I don't understand. That said, I do understand the value of collecting and preserving something so rare. Does that make any sense?
 
Gefeliciteerd Rien,

Post-WW2 cameras aren't really my cup of tea, but like gumanow said it's good to see people preserving something so rare.

Perhaps this year I'll be in/around Arnhem for the Airborne March. Normally I stay a bit further South with the US Airborne re-enactors. ;)


Met vriendelijke groet,
 
LeicaTom said:
Wow!

Congrats Rien, these IIIG`s were amazing cameras, I had a friend in Germany who owned one of these back in the 1980`s

Seriously if you ever need to hire anyone to be curator of your Leica Museum please let me know, I`m ready to move to Holland :D

Let`s talk soon about the Military IIIC K`s when you can, write me off the board at winkermeister@aol.com

Tom

OMG! You live in Arnhem? I LOVE THAT CITY! Spent some time there with friend`s from the Parachute Regiment, visting the Airborne Museum there, marvelous place!
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Hi Tom,

thanks for your kind words! You're welcome to visit me in Arnhem of course. I wil be happy to show you my (still growing) Leica collection. Mostly wartime Leica's of the Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht and US Army.
Especially the Luftwaffen-Eigentum Leica's I like most. I have also a large collection of militaria of the "Fallschirmjaeger"-Regiments and the US Airborne Divisions. Some of these items are super rare, even the Airborne Museum is jealous because they don't have it:D

The Swedish Army Leica IIIG is rather unique, so I couldn't resist to buy this nice looking camera of historical importance from the owner of a well known Leica shop here in Holland. i was very lucky to buy this camere for a honest price:)

I will write you (of board) this weekend and send you some pics of my wartime Leica's. Especially the IIIcK's.

Cheers, Rien:)
 
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Thank you Rick!

When you are in Arnhem-Oosterbeek for the Airborne march this year, please come along and I will show you my (small but unique) Leica collection.
I see them every year when they are passing my home.

Rien
 
US Army Leicas...?

US Army Leicas...?

Hello Rien

Congratulations on the nice Sweden Leica...I think it deserves being used once in a while even it it was very expensive. Like with old cars not using them means killing them.

I read in this thread that you are the expert on military Leicas. Did the US Army issue Leicas in WWII and if yes were they marked somehow. I just recently bought a IIIa that has a US Army WWII connection, I just posted pictures in the sticky thread on top of the board. I would love to hear an opinion...and maybe picture of an U.S.A.Issue Leica.

cheers
Uwe
 
Rien, do you have photos you can post of your collection? It would be great to see the cameras. Also, the photo on your winning camera is gone.

:)
 
uwe zankl said:
Hello Rien


I read in this thread that you are the expert on military Leicas. Did the US Army issue Leicas in WWII and if yes were they marked somehow. I just recently bought a IIIa that has a US Army WWII connection, I just posted pictures in the sticky thread on top of the board. I would love to hear an opinion...and maybe picture of an U.S.A.Issue Leica.

cheers
Uwe
Click to expand...

80% of all the US Army issued Leica`s starting with III`s, IIIa`s and possibly a handful of IIIb`s before the war and IIIC`s after the war DIDN`T have any special engravings or markings on them

*all three of my Postwar IIIC stepped rewind platform cameras are US Army issue* (June 1945 & Feb 1946)

I have seen document copying devices and the PLOOT marked with
"Property Of US Army" (pre 1949 issued) and also some later post 1951 Leica IIIF`s with that engraving as well, but equipment during WW2 was`nt marked as such

The postwar IIIC K Grey cameras, IIID`s and stepped rewind platform
"Half Race" cameras didn`t have any engravings as well, but some of the IIIC K`s had brown leather everready cases with their owners names stamped in gold relief on the top of the cases
(most of these were all US Army issued from a General Officer to lower grade Officers in the field)

If anyone has seen any engravings or anything else US Army stamped, please let me know, for Leo B and I are researching for a US Army Leica book in the future

Tom
 
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rien said:
Hi Chris,

I was the one who bought this very rare camera for US$ 19.900. I know the seller, a very reliable person. It's a ' bargain'. Normally this camera will sell for over US$ 25.000 during auktions in Germany. Only 125 were made in 1960 and only 50-60 camera's are left. The others are distroyed by the Swedisch Army at the end of the sixties. It's by far one the most rarest Leica screwmount camera. A real collectors piece.

Best regards,
Rien:) ,
Arnhem, Netherlands
Click to expand...

Well Congradulations you lucky son of a ...

;)

When I seen the listing, knowing as little as I do about them and seeing the brassing, I was thinking for the price, these had to be extremely limited. Course as you say only 125 were made. Course I'm sure you are feeling lucky seeing as you saved a potential 5 grands off their estimated going price, and owning a rare piece of Leica history. (and by god, you certainly got the bragging rights ehehe).

Again Congrats to you, and thanks for sharing your words.
 
LeicaTom said:
80% of all the US Army issued Leica`s starting with III`s, IIIa`s and possibly a handful of IIIb`s before the war and IIIC`s after the war DIDN`T have any special engravings or markings on them

*all three of my Postwar IIIC stepped rewind platform cameras are US Army issue* (June 1945 & Feb 1946)

I have seen document copying devices and the PLOOT marked with
"Property Of US Army" (pre 1949 issued) and also some later post 1951 Leica IIIF`s with that engraving as well, but equipment during WW2 was`nt marked as such

The postwar IIIC K Grey cameras, IIID`s and stepped rewind platform
"Half Race" cameras didn`t have any engravings as well, but some of the IIIC K`s had brown leather everready cases with their owners names stamped in gold relief on the top of the cases
(most of these were all US Army issued from a General Officer to lower grade Officers in the field)

If anyone has seen any engravings or anything else US Army stamped, please let me know, for Leo B and I are researching for a US Army Leica book in the future

Tom
Click to expand...

Hi Tom

Thanks for thr reply, graet infos...

If you want to use the pics of my IIIa with the name and service number on the back please feel free to do so. If you need other angles or background I will happily provide those. I know the camera is not an issue piece but maybe interesting anyway. Do you know here I could find out more about the previous owner? Service records would be super great.
On the Leica User Forum, international section, there is a thread about Patton's Leica that is in a very bad shape right now and located in the Patton museum in the US, have you read that one?

cheers
Uwe
 
Hi Uwe,

I wasn't expecting to meet you here on RFF. Did you get to try out that Bell&Howell Filmo yet? You were going to get some old film last time we spoke.

I fear on the next 2nd Armored tour there'll be quite a lot of War Photographers and Signal Photo corps men ;)


Kind regards,
 
Hi Rick

So far I have three rolls of 1950s Kodachrome for the B&H 8mm Filmo Turret but I expect 16mm material to show up soon. Because of the high price of fresh film I will stick to outdated material for a while until I am more experienced. I meanwhile have a second 16mm B&H that I just bought for the leather case, so the naked camera is up for graps...if you are interested.
I shot two rolls of 35mm with my Leicas the other day, let's see how those pictures turn out.

cheers
Uwe
 
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