I hate asking questions, but....I know nothing about Leica

[jwc57]

I really need some help here. A co-worker and new friend gave me a group of Leica cameras and one Tower of the same design. As far as I can tell, they are Leica IIIs. Serial numbers of the two that are operating properly (as far as I can tell) are: 410433 and 680278.

Thursday he finds a box in his late father inlaw's garage of a bunch of Leica odds and ends. Several Leitz self timers; some really cruddy filters; a lens hood that is adjustable to 135mm; a SCNOO.

I can't get the SCNOO to attach to either body. I thought it worked on any body after 159,---. Any hints as to how it attaches? It appears to be too short.

And one other question. There was a red box, velvet and satin lined like a jewelry box that I think may have been for a camera body. Inside were a 50mm viewfinder, a 35mm viewfinder and a SOOBK hood---all in excellent condition and with their boxes. I looked up the SOOBK to see what lenses it fits and Google returned with some outrageous prices. Why?

I already feel guilty about accepting so much without payment, but he says it was going to Goodwill anyway and he and his wife wanted it to go to someone who could/would use it, but this is getting to be too much of a gift.

 

[Vince Lupo]

The SCNOO won’t fit those bodies - it’s for the shorter, two-piece, non-diecast bodies (like the III, IIIa, IIIb). 410433 is a IIIc (1946-47) 680278 looks to be a IIf (1954) which are 2.5mm longer than the ‘short-bodied’ Leicas. The reason why they say that the SCNOO fits bodies above serial number 159,000 is that the film advance shaft (where the takeup spool goes) has a notch at the end to engage the SCNOO. Earlier ones don’t have the notch.

The SOOBK fits the 28mm Summaron, and is apparently a rare hood. Yeah you’re right - the prices are pretty crazy, but that’s Leica for you. I’m sure there are people who will pay those prices too. The finders bring some pretty good prices too, depending on their condition. And when you say ‘several Leitz self timers’, do you mean the APDOO self timer? Several of those?

Any lenses come with these cameras?

 

[jwc57]

The other bodies are 696303 66821 and the Tower type 3 33667

The lenses are Elmar 3.5cm (1) 50mm Elmar (2) and a 90mm Elmar & silver in a leather case. I shot the better of the two 50s and the 90mm and loved the results. I admit I ruined the first roll because I didn't load the camera correctly and didn't know how to rewind it. (Moral: Google first). Viewerfinder are three 50s, a 135 with aperture markings, a 28 and a 35.

I had posted previously in the "what have you just bought thread" about the original "gift" but this new bunch of stuff has me baffled. There is a Leitz table top tripod, what may be a copy stand, a bunch of reloadable cassettes in Leica metal cans, one is a double canister....or the late father in law glued two together.

 

[jwc57]

As for the self-timers, I don't know model numbers. There are two loose ones and two in leather cases. There is also an Alpex self timer in a plastic case that is awesome.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Photos of the items might help.

 

[jwc57]

I was afraid someone might ask for photos....LOL. I was asked for photos about a Frank-Six I have over a year ago.....and still haven't gotten to it because I see how great everyone here makes photos of their cameras and want mine to look as good.

But, I'll get out the digital Pentax K7 and see what I can do. I need to post pics anyway because there is some kind of jig that I haven't a clue what it is.

This guy (the late father inlaw) was an eye doctor and bought anything he wanted. The family sold the M3 and M4 Leicas to KEH, also with a bunch of lenses for 1800$, but the family missed these cameras and decided to give them away...fortunately to me. The co-worker is still looking for a TLR Rollieflex that KEH turned down because the shutter speeds were off. I told him if he finds it, I'd try to sell that for him.

But the Leica stuff....I've grown attached to.

 

[jwc57]

Also, to be clear, I'm not here trying to sell anything. I seemed to have inherited someone's Leica treasures and I see this as something that rarely happens, if ever.

I took a Leica with the 35mm and finder to an event today, along with my usual OM2n, and loved every second of it. The co-worker is in a band and has several guitars, and we often talk about music and photography. I tell him that shooting different cameras is like playing different guitars....there is a characteristic that is unique to each camera and lens combination.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

That's funny, and true. There are quite a few "guitar guys" here at RFF, myself one. We travel in a lot of the same schools, watches, guitars, bicycles, anything shiny with lots of moving parts really.

 

[Doug]

Gents, I know it can be tempting, but please avoid any offers/suggestions in the discussion forums to buy or sell. Leave that to the Classifieds section or PM. Thanks...🙂

 

[jwc57]

Thanks. Selling isn't a primary consideration.

There is so much stuff, and the information available, even in the Leica books he gaveme, isn't very clear if it even mentions the item. Besides the stuff, there is the history behind it that interests me. It began in Chicago with his wife's grandfather, then his wife's father. One used IIIs and evidently the other shot with M Leicas, Yashica, Nikkormat, Minolta, Canon, a ton of P&S's.

But, if there comes a time to sell, the classifieds here are my first choice.

The questions I ask also are intended to start a conversation on the variety of equipment Leica offered and I seem to have been entrusted with a variety of gear---some in almost new condition and some can only be a conversation starter as it sits upon a shelf.


And it may not be about the gear itself. Several viewfinders have price tags, like the SBOOl from Caples Camera Shop for $16.50. Where was Caples? When would something like this have sold for less than twenty bucks?

 

[madNbad]

Take a look at the Collectable and Historical thread on the Leica Users Forum. You may find information on many of the items in the collection. Enjoy the research and post a few images.

 

[jwc57]

Part of what is confusing for me is some items are just parts and some just are Leica only that I've no experience with. I just figured out an hour ago that the folding rectangular boxes (two of them) are Summitar lens hoods.....that either don't fit anything I have or I just don't know how to mount them.

 

[CameraQuest]

the topic reminds me of some net Leica experts

"I hate answering Leica questions, but....I know nothing about Leica"

 

[Vince Lupo]

Caples Camera Shop was in Tucson, AZ, and they had three locations at one point. The SBOOI finder was new in 1951, so the $16.50 price was likely somewhere during that time, I'd suspect. Interestingly, the SCNOO finder was $16.50 new in 1939.

 

[jwc57]

Caples Camera Shop was in Tucson, AZ, and they had three locations at one point. The SBOOI finder was new in 1951, so the $16.50 price was likely somewhere during that time, I'd suspect. Interestingly, the SCNOO finder was $16.50 new in 1939.

Thanks. With the family's history, I was sure it would have been in Chicago.

 

[enasniearth]

you have a true friend
perhaps you can return the favor

 

[jwc57]

I wish I could. This is an act of generosity that is difficult to repay.

Attempting to repay is the reason I have to consider selling a couple of items. I just found a pamphlet that appears to have some value. It is "Photography with the Leica Camera" by Herbert McKay. I've been sitting here with a cup of coffee and reading the book. It doesn't have a year of copyright, but it seems to have been produced by NYIP.

 

[pagpow]

Viewerfinder are three 50s, a 135 with aperture markings, a 28 and a 35.

jwc,

Are you sure that the markings on the 135 finder are aperture markings? The Leica 135 finder SHOOC has distance scales in both meters and feet to correct the view for parallax.

Enjoy your good fortune.

Giorgio

 

[jwc57]

jwc,

Are you sure that the markings on the 135 finder are aperture markings? The Leica 135 finder SHOOC has distance scales in both meters and feet to correct the view for parallax.

Enjoy your good fortune.

Giorgio

Now that makes more sense. I guess this shows my limitations, which is embarrassing in a way since I took photography in college and have been shooting almost continuously since 1976. My rangefinder experiences have been limited to Olympus 35rc/ds and Minolta Himatics. I guess my Mamiya Standard fits into that category as well.