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Last week there was an auction on eBay that staed it was for a Leica IIIg that belonged to the seller's grandfather and had been stored away for "A long long time". The only other information was that it came with a case and that his grandfather did not use it very much. The pictures on the auction were not of the actual item. The price was BIN $140, free shipping. I went for it!
The camera arrived today. It is a IIIc(sn: 584xxx) not a "g" but is in decent shape. Shutter seems to be working on all speeds, shutter curtains look good, covering is intact and not peeling... The case is falling apart (that's what I expected) It came with an owner's manual; complete but in poor shape. The lens is a Summitar 5cm f2 (sn: 863xxx) that has haze but no fungus or scratches and has the original silver lens cap.
The one thing that seems to be a problem is the rangefinder patch; it's very hard to see.
All in all, I think I got my money's worth
John
The camera arrived today. It is a IIIc(sn: 584xxx) not a "g" but is in decent shape. Shutter seems to be working on all speeds, shutter curtains look good, covering is intact and not peeling... The case is falling apart (that's what I expected) It came with an owner's manual; complete but in poor shape. The lens is a Summitar 5cm f2 (sn: 863xxx) that has haze but no fungus or scratches and has the original silver lens cap.
The one thing that seems to be a problem is the rangefinder patch; it's very hard to see.
All in all, I think I got my money's worth
John
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Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Considering it came with a lens and shipping was free that's a good deal. If you send it off to Youxin Ye to get a CLA and a new beam splitter you should still come out of it at under $300.00.
Solinar
Analog Preferred
Lens and camera together that is an excellent price. I bet that you'd been blown away if a real IIIg showed up. It could have been a "Model G", which is the IIIb.
It's not so unusual for a IIIc to have a dim RF patch. On a restored IIIc the RF patch will be so bright that it will slap you. The mirrored prism at the RF window is probably OK. When you send it to Youxin, request that the beam splitter in the VF be replaced. I'll bet dollars to donuts that the shutter is running pretty dry by now.
Does the camera and lens look to have seen much use?
It's not so unusual for a IIIc to have a dim RF patch. On a restored IIIc the RF patch will be so bright that it will slap you. The mirrored prism at the RF window is probably OK. When you send it to Youxin, request that the beam splitter in the VF be replaced. I'll bet dollars to donuts that the shutter is running pretty dry by now.
Does the camera and lens look to have seen much use?
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There is wear on the top of the camera, above the serial number and "Leica" but basically the camera is in pretty good condition. Does Youxin also clean lenses? The summitar has some haze.
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I just checked the serial number in my copy of McKeown's and the camera is a IIIf from 1951-52. I assumed it was a IIIc because of the owner's manual.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I think from memory Youxin does clean some of the ealier Leica glass ... if not he forwards them to DAG for cleaning then returns them with your camera. He did this for me a while ago with a 3.5 Summaron while he was CLAing my cameras.
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
John,
You got your money`s worth and Youxin can put in a new beamsplitter/mirror parts and do the rangefinder adjusting, etc. etc. and it will work like new
(he`s the BEST to go with and most affordable who I know`s doing the RF repair) - my CLA`s are done by Leo B in San Francisco, but I`m not sure if he`s repairing RF patches though?
I have a very uncommon 1951 Leica IIFBD and it`s like 98.9 % mint but it has a dead VF patch, the quailty control and materials in production were not so good with the 1948 to 1953 Leica products and these are all notorious for having bad RF patches and rotten dry shutter curtains, and with the late postwar IIIC production bad peeling and pitting chrome (from contamination)
To find a Leica camera of this era that`s mint and 100% useable is nearly impossible, nearly every surviving camera must now be CLA`d to make it operational
That lens should be easy to clean, most Summitar`s of that era have some haze, that`s so common to them....
Not too sure if Youxin does lenses, but the few CLA`d lenses I have bought from other RFF members and evilbay had a lens CLA`s from Sherry Krauter and they are all now butter smooth and crystal clear
http://www.sherrykrauter.com/
Tom
You got your money`s worth and Youxin can put in a new beamsplitter/mirror parts and do the rangefinder adjusting, etc. etc. and it will work like new
(he`s the BEST to go with and most affordable who I know`s doing the RF repair) - my CLA`s are done by Leo B in San Francisco, but I`m not sure if he`s repairing RF patches though?
I have a very uncommon 1951 Leica IIFBD and it`s like 98.9 % mint but it has a dead VF patch, the quailty control and materials in production were not so good with the 1948 to 1953 Leica products and these are all notorious for having bad RF patches and rotten dry shutter curtains, and with the late postwar IIIC production bad peeling and pitting chrome (from contamination)
To find a Leica camera of this era that`s mint and 100% useable is nearly impossible, nearly every surviving camera must now be CLA`d to make it operational
That lens should be easy to clean, most Summitar`s of that era have some haze, that`s so common to them....
Not too sure if Youxin does lenses, but the few CLA`d lenses I have bought from other RFF members and evilbay had a lens CLA`s from Sherry Krauter and they are all now butter smooth and crystal clear
http://www.sherrykrauter.com/
Tom
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Carlton
Newbie
I'm new to the list but I'm about to purchase a 3G for around $500. It to was stored for a long time so it looks great but all the speeds are off and the RF is hard to see through. It came with a 2.8 50mm Elmar and avisoflex with a 200mm attached. The strangest lens to me is thw 300mm 5.6 tele-kilar. I figured it out and research it a bit. All of the lens have hazy and one has some fungus is why I'm getting it all so cheap. The serial # 826449.
Graybeard
Longtime IIIf User
FWIW-
There are two real magicians in the world of Barnack Leica overhauls; Don Goldberg and John Maddox. Both of these fellows are horribly backlogged - figure six months for a full overhaul. No insult to Sherry here but I'm uncertain about if she does LTM Leicas. Some time ago, she instructed me not to send in a Barnack Leica for overhaul. Things may be different now.
Youxin is a fully competent technician (and has done many cameras for me) but is limited in how far he will go with a complicated repair. He does not have a large inventory of replacement parts but he can return a serviced camera to you in seven days and at a good price for routine work (i. e. a CLA on a camera that is merely gummy and not broken).
All things being equal, I'd send the IIIg to John Maddox. He took a pretty nice (cosmetically) IIIg of mine and brought it to proper functioning - this after Kindermann in Toronto botched the job after two tries. John Maddox evidently has sources of aftermarket parts - he replaced the shutter brake in my IIIg with a new unit.
If you are in a hurry, call John and see if things can be expedited. You will enjoy speaking with John - he is a walking encyclopedia on all things Barnack Leica. He evidently has a collection of Focomatg enlargers BTW - I'm not the only one so I find.
All the best-
Graybeard
There are two real magicians in the world of Barnack Leica overhauls; Don Goldberg and John Maddox. Both of these fellows are horribly backlogged - figure six months for a full overhaul. No insult to Sherry here but I'm uncertain about if she does LTM Leicas. Some time ago, she instructed me not to send in a Barnack Leica for overhaul. Things may be different now.
Youxin is a fully competent technician (and has done many cameras for me) but is limited in how far he will go with a complicated repair. He does not have a large inventory of replacement parts but he can return a serviced camera to you in seven days and at a good price for routine work (i. e. a CLA on a camera that is merely gummy and not broken).
All things being equal, I'd send the IIIg to John Maddox. He took a pretty nice (cosmetically) IIIg of mine and brought it to proper functioning - this after Kindermann in Toronto botched the job after two tries. John Maddox evidently has sources of aftermarket parts - he replaced the shutter brake in my IIIg with a new unit.
If you are in a hurry, call John and see if things can be expedited. You will enjoy speaking with John - he is a walking encyclopedia on all things Barnack Leica. He evidently has a collection of Focomatg enlargers BTW - I'm not the only one so I find.
All the best-
Graybeard
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
No last time I talked to Sherry she told me she HATES to repair LTM Leica`s - I think it`s alot to do with the supply of replacement parts
Leo B. has done an amazing job on my 1945 IIIC K to IIIF conversion and I`m using it almost everyday now, it was in for a standard CLA and nothing major was broken, I have two more IIIC K`s coming back from him soon, my 1942 Grey one and another 1945 chrome PostWar US Army one, both also not needing major repairs, just some cleaning and vulcanite repairs (the chrome IIIC K needed some RF work, but Leo handmade the replacement part for what was needed)
I`m sure that he will be taking on more customers as soon as he has built up more of his LTM parts replacement stock, the parts are just getting harder to find though......
Tom
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Solinar
Analog Preferred
If it is a IIIg - do try to get it back into action.
John Maddox - L&J Leica Repair
109 Royal Oak Road
Greenville, SC 29607
Ph: (864) 297-6931
John Maddox - L&J Leica Repair
109 Royal Oak Road
Greenville, SC 29607
Ph: (864) 297-6931
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It's not a IIIg, it's a IIIf with a IIIc owner's manual. I shot a test roll of film yesterday which should let me see if there are any hidden problems.
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I got the test roll of film back and the pictures all look like they were taken in a snow storm with giant flakes. Oviously the shutter curtains are full of pin holes. This is not the kind of pinhole photography that I want.
How much does replacing the shutter curtains add to the price of an overhaul?
On the bright side the images are in focus and the exposures seem to be good.
John
.How much does replacing the shutter curtains add to the price of an overhaul?
On the bright side the images are in focus and the exposures seem to be good.
John
martin_t
Established
Leica shutter brakes are fairly durable, even with the higher
curtain velocities of the IIIF/G. What did he charge for the
aftermarket part and did he return the old one ? It must
have been very worn.
Nando
Well-known
The previous owner of my IIIf (Traut) had Youxin Ye CLA the camera. I cannot tell you how buttery smooth the camera is. It feels smoother than my MP!
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
I got the test roll of film back and the pictures all look like they were taken in a snow storm with giant flakes. Oviously the shutter curtains are full of pin holes. This is not the kind of pinhole photography that I want
How much does replacing the shutter curtains add to the price of an overhaul?
On the bright side the images are in focus and the exposures seem to be good.
John
I think Youxin will do it in the $200 range CLA and New Curtains
(best is to write and ask him)
He has to do my IIFBD sometime, I remember it was quoted somewhere in that pricerange , but I`m in no rush it`s like a Museum quality camera/film prop camera - so it`s going to be a lifelong shelfqueen anyway....
Tom
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I sent the camera to Youxin for a CLA and new shutter curtain; he also cleaned the lens. I mailed it last Wednesday and the camera arrived back today' you can't beat that turn around time.
I am very pleased with his work. He explained that since the lens has had the fogging for so long he could not remove it all. The lens looks crystal clear and any haze is only visible when you shine a flash light through it. The camera works like new.
Can't wait to shoot some film!
John
I am very pleased with his work. He explained that since the lens has had the fogging for so long he could not remove it all. The lens looks crystal clear and any haze is only visible when you shine a flash light through it. The camera works like new.
Can't wait to shoot some film!
John