Red Robin
It Is What It Is
When did they start to start with the lowered standards during the prewar and post war cameras? Was it only chrome, or are there other things to watch for?
Since this is in the LTM forum, I expect the OP is talking about something a bit earlier than the M4-2.
I have heard it said that the LTM camera quality peaked with the just-prewar IIIB. I have one of these, and its design seems to combine the best of the small-body and large-body Barnacks, but I don't know that quality suffered after. The IIIC and later cameras, with their more modular design, were probably easier to manufacture, but ease of manufacture does not equate to reduced quality.
I have seen many examples of wartime and just postwar LTM cameras that seemed to have poorer chrome than the earlier or later ones; I presume this was because of materials shortages during and after the war. This would have been over by 1950 or so, and I certainly don't detect any reduction in quality in the 50's IIIC and IIIF's.
I'l leave the ongoing argument about the M4-2 and M4-P cameras to others. Being Canadian, I am probably a bit biased.
Cheers,
Dez
I would not say that the later M film cameras were cheapened. The early run of the M4-2 had vf problems but these were corrected. The change to the use of steel gears may have saved some costs, but also enabled the M4-2 and later models to use a motor drive. (The M6 uses steel gears too). Leica cut costs on the M4-2 also by eliminating certain features like a self-timer. But the M4-2 is a robust and excellent user if you avoid samples from the early run.
Edit: I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but when I read about all the problems that owners of the M8 and M9 have had with their cameras, I'd say it was the change to digital that cheapened Leica cameras [donning flame-proof suit and ducking].
Edit: I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but when I read about all the problems that owners of the M8 and M9 have had with their cameras, I'd say it was the change to digital that cheapened Leica cameras [donning flame-proof suit and ducking].
The chrome. I wouldn't say it's a 'lowered standard' however. The war had all sorts of effects on raw material availability.
So many of these cameras are still working today! I have a wartime 3c and it's still going strong 73 years later.
As opposed to the endless CLAs some older Leica's need Steve 😉
Ha! My film Leicas have not needed endless CLAs, Kent, just one good CLA each.
With regard to Barnacks, all I can say is that the chrome on my IIIc is in great shape, which kind of supports the point in the thread above about chrome issues being related to wartime and postwar shortages. My IIIc is from 1949.