is this black leica III a fake

[Erik van Straten]

obviously l will post some pics on arrival after the camera has had a light wipe down with an appropriate cloth

Use a microfiber cloth with some petrol. Use on difficult places an old fashioned toothbrush. When the camera is clean and dry, rub it in with some ball bearing grease, also the vulcanite. Then rub it clean again with a microfiber cloth.


Erik.

 

[David Hughes]

Thinking about it I can't see any profit to faking anything other than a model II, there's too much to add or make to fake a standard or III and over; things like the slow speeds, strap lugs and dioptre.

The FED or Zorki to a Leica II can be done quickly and usually reasonably well to fool someone, at first glance, who isn't familiar with the breeds.

Having said that a lot try and pass off FED or Zorki 2s, 3s, 4s and so on and get away with it. And then there's those weird ones with all the imaginative limited or specials; covered in pretty little pictures.

It's a great pity they don't just take FED and Zorki 1s and service them properly and do them in a black finish...

Regards, David

 

[lxmike]

Looks like the top has been retouched or repainted. Hope it will respond to cleaning.

Regarding fakes, apart from exotic things like the 250 I have never seen a faked 'ordinary' III...have you?

your right l have not seen a fake III, my paranoia was on overload when l first posted this thread😀

 

[lxmike]

Use a microfiber cloth with some petrol. Use on difficult places an old fashioned toothbrush. When the camera is clean and dry, rub it in with some ball bearing grease, also the vulcanite. Then rub it clean again with a microfiber cloth.


Erik.

great advice thanks🙂

 

[lxmike]

It's a great pity they don't just take FED and Zorki 1s and service them properly and do them in a black finish...

Regards, David

what a great idea🙂

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Nice one Mike,

Unfortunately no way to blacken the vulcanite again, short of painting or replacing it 🙁

I have GAS for a black III or IIIa now 🙁 😉

 

[lxmike]

Nice one Mike,

Unfortunately no way to darken the vulcanite again, short of painting or replacing it 🙁

I have GAS for a black III or IIIa now 🙁 😉

many thanks, good look in your quest for a black III or IIIa

 

[Dez]

Unfortunately no way to blacken the vulcanite again, short of painting or replacing it )

I have found that black leather dye works quite well if allowed a few minutes to soak into the vulcanite.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Dralowid]

I have GAS for a black III or IIIa now 🙁 😉

Be very wary about black IIIa s. There used to be a long running argument about their existence. It was said that a batch of serial numbers were put aside for them but never used. I would assume that any black IIIa claiming to be original is indeed some sort of 're creation' of something that probably never existed.

Happy to be proved wrong.

I have a black IIIa. It is the smoothest and by far the quietest of all my ltm cameras. It is a pre war conversion of something much older.

IMG_1459 by dralowid, on Flickr

 

[Erik van Straten]

Michael, put that away. I'm jealous!!!


Beautiful!


Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Unfortunately no way to blacken the vulcanite again, short of painting or replacing it 🙁

🙁 😉

This is not true. When you keep your camera for some time in a relative dark place, the vulcanite becomes darker.

Typical for the Leica III is the brownish tone of the vulcanite. When the camera has been for some time on a sunny place, the vulcanite will become light brown. Put it in a dark place and it will become dark again. Same is true for the other Leicas of this era, but not as obvious.

Erik.

 

[lxmike]

There is something rather special about the beauty of a black barnack, is there a thread is not there should be dedicated to black screwthread leicas

 

[Dralowid]

There are enough in the 'conversions' thread to keep you happy.

 

[lxmike]

There are enough in the 'conversions' thread to keep you happy.

cheers, happy its like feeding a craving😀

 

[Rob-F]

This is not true. When you keep your camera for some time in a relative dark place, the vulcanite becomes darker.

Typical for the Leica III is the brownish tone of the vulcanite. When the camera has been for some time on a sunny place, the vulcanite will become light brown. Put it in a dark place and it will become dark again. Same is true for the other Leicas of this era, but not as obvious.

Erik.

These are things known only by those in the innermost Leica circles!

 

[mcfingon]

There is something rather special about the beauty of a black barnack, is there a thread is not there should be dedicated to black screwthread leicas

Erik started a black III thread recently:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=165625

 

[mcfingon]

And here's a photo of mine taken just yesterday:

Sony A7S ZM Sonnar 50 ISO 320
John Mc

 

[lynnb]

Please, stop it guys. I've had GAS for a black Barnack for quite a while now, notwithstanding my very nice chrome IIIc and IIIf. I really don't need another Barnack!

 

[lxmike]

Erik started a black III thread recently:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=165625

just spotted that many thanks🙂

 

[lxmike]

And here's a photo of mine taken just yesterday:

Sony A7S ZM Sonnar 50 ISO 320
John Mc

very very nice, nice indeed😎