Joe Mac
Newbie
Hi there, I stumbled upon a Leica 3G, problem is the leather cover has been completely removed. Is it worth trying to cover it myself from scratch? All suggestions
sure, hugostudio, aki asahi, cameraleather all supply various types of leatherette replacement for the IIIg
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
Here you go, OP: http://aki-asahi.com/store/html/IIIg/IIIg.php
I've used Aki Asahi's stuff a couple of times. It's really well priced, is delivered surprisingly quickly considering it's coming from Japan, and looks great. For example, my 2020 lockdown project of a Kiev 4A restoration used Aki Asahi's leather in an on-theme Soviet Red, and it came together nicely:
Fitting new coverings on Leicas with both the slow speed dial and self-timer is a bit fiddly, but take your time and follow the instructions and I'm sure you'll be okay.
Also, note that the name of screwmount Leicas is usually written in Roman numerals (i.e. IIIg), not Arabic ones. You'll get better results when trying to find information that way.
I've used Aki Asahi's stuff a couple of times. It's really well priced, is delivered surprisingly quickly considering it's coming from Japan, and looks great. For example, my 2020 lockdown project of a Kiev 4A restoration used Aki Asahi's leather in an on-theme Soviet Red, and it came together nicely:
Fitting new coverings on Leicas with both the slow speed dial and self-timer is a bit fiddly, but take your time and follow the instructions and I'm sure you'll be okay.
Also, note that the name of screwmount Leicas is usually written in Roman numerals (i.e. IIIg), not Arabic ones. You'll get better results when trying to find information that way.
d_c
Established
Yep - it's absolutely worth doing. As above you can get precut self-adhesive leatherette, so with a bit of care it should be a fairly straightforward job to get this camera looking great again.
JeffS7444
Well-known
It's definitely worthwhile, but with a camera such as Leica 3G, some disassembly may be required, so if you are uncertain of your skills, have someone assist you.
d_c
Established
The Aki Asahi link above says no disassembly is required to reskin a IIIg.
It can be done without disassembly but it still can be tricky. Message me if you need help. Restoration35.com
Shac
Well-known
I also have used Aki Asahi's covers for Leicas and highly recommend them as the are quite straightforward to apply, also his service is great
maddoc
... likes film again.
I have ordered from AkiAsahi many times and he provides a great service. Since his workshop is located only a couple of kilometers distance from where I live, he usually drops the covering just into my mailbox. I also ordered from hugostudio, and cameraleather. In all cases the provided coverings had a very good fit.
The trick to apply the new covering is to "soften" the adhesive by applying some hand sanitizer gel that contains isopropyl alcohol. Doing so, the adhesive is hardly sticky until the isopropyl alcohol has evaporated and gives you enough time to precisely adjust the new covering, fitting it to screw holes, levers, etc. The isopropyl alcohol will slowly evaporate after the covering has been applied to the camera so you need to wait about 12 hours or so and then can use the camera.
The trick to apply the new covering is to "soften" the adhesive by applying some hand sanitizer gel that contains isopropyl alcohol. Doing so, the adhesive is hardly sticky until the isopropyl alcohol has evaporated and gives you enough time to precisely adjust the new covering, fitting it to screw holes, levers, etc. The isopropyl alcohol will slowly evaporate after the covering has been applied to the camera so you need to wait about 12 hours or so and then can use the camera.
Beemermark
Veteran
The hardest / messiest part of putting new skin on a Leica is the removal of the old skin. Since that's already done it's a simple matter to install the new covering using maddoc's advice. No removal of any parts of the camera are necessary. I'm about as ham fisted as you can be but I put new covers on in about 15 minutes on a number of Leicas