Guilted Lilly

[Red Robin]

Misread a buy-it now post. Now a Leica iif is hurling its way to my house via the US postal service. It's occurred to me that my many Canon built bodies all have worked fine right off the Bay. The regular advice with the Leica seems to be "Get it a CLA" . Is this kind of camera just a bit more fragile? Is it all that trekking in the National Parks? Going to war? Hiding in the bushes to get those street shots? What? Most of the other brands just "seem" to be a bit more rugged. All kidding aside is the Leica just a delicate "flower" to be handled with care, or not.

 

[NeeZee]

People who buy a Leica are more likely to pay for a CLA? - that's just my guess. I have a IIIf that I bought used 7 years ago and it's still going strong. Never had a problem although I ve been using it on a weekly basis since then. No CLA needed.

 

[FrankS]

Mechanical items require maintainance because lubrication dries out.

The rounded ends a Leica feel much better to my hands than the angular ends of a canon rf.

 

[Martin Carone Santos]

A IIf Leica os built like a war tank. It will survive almost everything. But ever the huggest tank needs some lubrification and adjust to work properly - and the Leica too. Once CLAed it will give you many and many years without thinking about technicians.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Never owned a iif, but my iiif was "bullet-proof". It was made in 1954, and when I first got it it appeared to have never been serviced, so I had a CLA done. But in the years I owned it I never babied it and it never skipped a beat. Used to ride cross country with the camera and a collapsable Cron just tossed in my tank bag, an the vibration never caused a problem (I have since been told it was a stupid thing to do). Used it in rain, and snow, again, no problem.

The German camera makers at the time used what was known as "wet lubricants" on those cameras, which do dry out and need to be re-applied, that's the main reason for a CLA.

Have fun with your new camera.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Of all the Leicas I've bought, I've only sent out my IIIcK because it was capping at 1/1000th. All the others work fine to this day (though there's one IIIc that can probably do with some new curtains soon). Even the one that came from KEH that was supposedly inoperative (still haven't figured out what's supposed to be wrong with it :\ )

 

[goamules]

It's probably the lubes they used, plus some of them are older than the mid 1950s Canons and Niccas that always seem to work fine, no CLA required.

Shoot a roll with it, and you'll know if it needs work. My educated guess: it will.

 

[Luddite Frank]

The only one of my screw-mount Leicas that is unusable is my cosmetically very-nice III-f from 1952 - the shutter curtains are swiss-cheese.

I have several black leicae II / III from 1932-33 that work fine, an e-bay 1934 III with peeling chrome that has been my "daily-driver" since 2009 ( has a CLA decal from Peerless Camera in NYC from the early '70's), and a 1949 III-c /-f /black-dial/self-timer that seems to work flawlessly. Even the slow-speeds.

I have a cosmetically very nice Nicca III that functions perfectly, but needs shutter curtains.

I also have my Dad's Nikon S which needs new curtains.

Storage environment has a lot to do with how a camera functions 50 + years after it leaves the factory.

If you do have to have your II-f serviced, you probably won't ever have to do it again.
(Provided you send it to a competent tech.)

 

[Bingley]

My IIIc was functioning when I first acquired it, but the vf was dim and the spindle for the take-up spool broke after a couple of weeks of use. Things wear out. I sent the camera to Youxin Ye, who replaced the spindle, shutter curtains, beam splitter and did a full CLA. That was about three years. I've used the camera almost constantly since then w/out a problem. Leica bottom loaders are robust camera bodies but (as others have observed above) they are 60 + years old and stuff wears out.

 

[Bingley]

I had a IIf red dial for awhile. A sweet little daylight shooter, very lightweight and neat to use. Ultimately, I sold it b/c I realized I needed the slow shutter speeds, but it's a cool little camera nevertheless. And not having the slow shutter speeds is one less thing to go wrong.

 

[Red Robin]

Thanks all for the insights.

 

[Red Robin]

Oh ! another question about the Leica iiif RD. The ad stated that the seller was not an "expert " but the 1 sec,and the 1/2 sec (my favorite term)"sounded off". Does that mean I may only have limited use, like having a iif ? How much does a CLA cost anyway?

 

[noisycheese]

Based on what I can discern from the reading I have done about Leica cameras from previous decades, I think you can proceed under the belief that the older the Leica, the more durable, rugged, dependable and well built it will be. I would not sit up at night worrying that your soon to arrive IIf will be a delicate china doll.

Every mechanical Leica needs a CLA sooner or later. If you get this done up front, you will not have to worry about your IIf for around ten years. I would recommend that you get in touch with Sherry Krauter to get this done. From her website:

For Repair and sales please contact us at

krauter@warwick.net​

845 496 8834​

mailing address

Sherry Krauter
Golden Touch
118 Purgatory Road
Campbell Hall NY
10916-2616

Call, don't rely on email; last I heard, Sherry's email was not a reliable way to contact her.

 

[Wenge]

My Summicron is in Sherry's hands now (as of this week) for CLA, she responded to my inquiry email a few weeks ago no problem, she said it's about +- 3 week turnaround.

 

[Scrambler]

Oh ! another question about the Leica iiif RD. The ad stated that the seller was not an "expert " but the 1 sec,and the 1/2 sec (my favorite term)"sounded off". Does that mean I may only have limited use, like having a iif ? How much does a CLA cost anyway?

CLA - about $200? I have a CLA'ed IIIc that the times are slow on and a not-CLA'd one (that sadly has no curtains and degenerated beamsplitter so DOES need work) that timing is spot on (and was before the curtains fully died). YMMV

With any mechanical slow speed escapement, regular use is the best way to keep it accurate. If you can, exercise the escapement between rolls. They are sensitive to thickening lubricants.

There are smartphone apps for mechanical shutter timing that work quite well for slow speeds (useless for 1/500 and above). Try it out. If consistent, just adjust your metering accordingly. I do this with one camera of mine which is consistently 1/3 to 2/3 stop slow. The Leica is 1/3 stop or less - I just ignore it.

I would say, use it and see how it goes. They are NOT delicate flowers.

 

[dee]

Excellent budget repair/CLA from the amazing Oleg-OK photo cameras - if he can get my Fed Leica copy and cheap IIIc working exquisitely - he can sort any Leica
.
Really-don't discount him 'cos he is in the former USSR

REPAIR SECTION

We specialize in the repair and reconditioning of 35MM Soviet/Russian cameras. Classic Leicas and other Leica replicas can be repaired too

Sorry, we do not offer repairs for Kiev-6c, Kiev-60, Salyut, Kiev-88 and other MF cameras from ARSENAL factory
If your MF camera need repairing please visit Gevorg Vartanyan site for excellent repair service!

I stopped works on cameras, listed below:
Iskra, Iskra-2, Leningrad, Droug, Kiev-10, Kiev-15, Kiev-5, Kiev-17, Kiev-19, Almaz, FED-10, FED-11.

Also I do not repair body of folder cameras.

No works on lenses, except lenses arrived along camera.



Russian FED/Zorki repair usually costs $ 55 (All parts included). Sophisticated camera repair may be more costly. See table below:

Zorki-1, Zorki-C, Zorki-2, Zorki-2C, Zorki-5, Zorki-6, FED-NKVD, FED-1, FED-2

55


Zorki-3C, Zorki-3M, Zorki-4, FED-3, FED-4, FED-5 55


Zorki-3 63


Leica II, III and any LTM Leica replicas 88


Leica M2, M3, Canon P,VI, 7, and some other cameras 120
Kiev-2, -3, -4 55


Contax II, III 88
Contax IIa, IIIa 120
Zenit, Zenit-C, Zenit-3, Zenit-3M, Zenit-E and other mechanical E- , B- series and TTL,12 55
Moskva, -2,-3,-4,-5 (shutter and RF, not a folding mechanism) 60
Usually the repair takes a week or so, the US-to-Russia delivery may be about 3 weeks, shipping back being a rather faster though.

Secure packaging and trackable airmail back shipping will cost $22 for a package to 1 kg, or $33 - to 2 kg.

I can offer insurance for parcels. It cost 10% of price of items and delivery

Simply e-mail your questions for your restoration at

order@okvintagecamera.com

We will send you our shipping address

(both in English and a Cyrillic jpg) by return e-mail.

Tips: do not declare value of parcel more than $100!
Wrapping your package in paper and securing with string deters pilfering and makes for a safer delivery.

About Me and read some feedback comments on my repair quality.

You always pay after repair, I accept payments to the US address too. If your camera in unrepairable shape - I'll return it to you at no charge.

Best of luck.

dee

 

[Red Robin]

Well, the Leica IIf arrived by post, "Happy Day"! The IIIf will remain as an "around-the-house" documentary tool for now. My IIf will be the carry-all-da-time camera as I wander the mean streets of Saint Petersburg Fla. "Playground of the Newly wed and the nearly dead". So for now this intrepid Photog bids you all a due as I leave the comfort of home to face the City of change. We here, usually have two kinds of weather in our town. Hot-n-dry and Hot-an-sticky. Lately we've had a third kind locals are calling it "rain" ! I'm unsure of whether it a new kind of weather or just a sport of "Hot -an-sticky". Makes changing of the film a challenge, however, I personally prefer a place I call "the shade" to perform that task. Having a few rolls "pre-cut" helps quite a bit here. Less fiddling around with stuff in the heat. Did I mention its a little warm here in paradise? A word to the wise, only bring what you need the sun gits a mite "toasty. Better to keep extra gear at home, in the comfort of the air conditioner. My bride has so far refused to be my umbrella bearer to extend my comfort zone. Guess I just don't understand women . .. .. maybe after another 30 years I'll gain some insight into these creatures. Anything could happen just look at how the weathers changing.