Black Leica II, what coverings?

[johannielscom]

A few days ago I finally had saved up enough to get myself a little black Leica II for very decent money.

The paint on this 1933 camera still is pretty good but there is a fair amount of brassing. I'd like to re-cover it with a leather covering from www.cameraleather.com since it has non-original coverings which are applied less than perfect, according to the seller.

In the poll, I've included some colours that cameraleather.com has available, which would you choose? Multi-choice poll!

Any example shots of black paint Leica II's which were re-covered are very welcome here, I need some input to decide!

 

[nikonosguy]

mines already done in claret ------ make sure to tell morgan not to punch the hole in the center back ---- some ii's have a plug in the back

 

[nikonosguy]

 

[johannielscom]

mines already done in claret ------ make sure to tell morgan not to punch the hole in the center back ---- some ii's have a plug in the back

Actually, the new baby coming is an early II and it does have that plug in the back so the hole should be punched.

I'll make sure to mention it though, thanks Blake!

 

[gb hill]

Voted black, keep it real & original looking.🙂

 

[Livesteamer]

I've got Griptac on a IIIc. Looks good and feels great. Let us know what you decide. Joe

 

[johannielscom]

What she was thinking is beyond me😱, but it's a nice shot all the same Blake. Thanks for posting!

 

[gb hill]

What she was thinking is beyond me😱, but it's a nice shot all the same Blake. Thanks for posting!

Someone should of told her where the shutter is. My 1st thought was, Is she really looking through the vf? 😀

 

[nikonosguy]

the scnoo winder is certainly worth chasing down

makes a problem with cases though

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kenji-Leath...1?pt=US_Camera_Cases_Bags&hash=item4ac76c0947

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-SCNOO...990?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d14dd828e i'd buy this if i could trust the leather to not be rotten

she's not a photographer, she's a local weather girl on the news so don't be too hard on her

 

[gilgsn]

Blue?

http://keskydee.com/images/IIIc_Strap.jpg

Gil.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Some Leica I cameras were originally fitted with a calf skin covering, usually red or brown. However, I once saw an original Leica I with a calf skin covering that was deep purple, exactly like an aubergine! That one looks really great, it is an ultimate art-deco piece. See my avatar. I think an early Leica II also will look great with an aubergine-skin.

Erik.

 

[johannielscom]

Erik,

I saw a picture online from a Leica I with brown leather coverings and it looked great indeed. Cameraleathers Mahogany Kid Goat Skin seems closest.

Kater today I'll post a link to it, it was posted to this forum before according to Google but I haven't been able to locate it, or the member who posted it

EDIT:

 

[Penny Lane]

Other than black, the walnut looks very nice. If you'r going for a colour though, go for a signal colour such as the cardinal red or the cobalt blue (I have bright blue leather on a black Yashica FX3; the black/bright blue combo looks surprisingly good).

If you're willing to make a skin yourself, I have some very nice dark burgundy leather you can have some of.

Derk

 

[Erik van Straten]

I found this one in my archives.

I don't know anything about it.

Erik.

 

[semrich]

I voted walnut to match the brassing, keep it color coordinated, but if it's available I'd go for brown lizard skin.

 

[johannielscom]

Heren, bedankt! (Thank you, gentlemen!)

Erik the leather on that camera matches beautifully with the brassing and the nickel. Incidentally, the new Leica II will have a nickel Summar coming with it, the main reason I decided to spring for the little kit. In due time I might sell the Leica II body (my only Leica is a Leica II from 1932, nickel too) and keep the Summar, but first I will bring it back into specs and replace the current ill-fitting coverings on it.

Derk, I'd love to see that dark burgundy leather up close and see if it can match. Would save me the cost of buying a new skin, too! I'll be in touch, need to start that interview-and-portrait thing in your neck of the woods soon anyway!

Richard, that's something I considered too, keeping the coverings in the same color range as the body or the brassing so that it effectively will be close to 'two-tone' and not 'three-toned' in colour... Something brownish or yellowish might be best, or just black but since I already own a black paint Leica II in original vulcanite I wanted to explore other colours to cover the camera with.

 

[johannielscom]

How about covering #34 from Aloysius Ng's LeicaLeathers?

Might be a nice candidate to match the brassing! 🙄


EDIT: very nice, and as a result anything but cheap. Wholly recommended, but surely won't get any of those!

 

[Penny Lane]

I like the two teal variations (11 & 12)...

Derk

 

[newspaperguy]

My Barnacks are all gone now, but the OM-1n & OM-2n are so close in body size (feel), and I have several, with a variety of coverings, including snake skin.

My hands-down, or should I say 'hands-on' favorite for USE, is the grey Griptac.


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/rffgallery/showphoto.php?photoid=128811

 

[helen.HH]

Since You already have another Barnack in black
I would step out, Dress 'her' up
If it was Moi ... (not listed in poll) Dark Brown Lizard...lovely !