Leica 11F do i want to buy one?Are there problems?

[splaash]

For a long time i wanted an M3 or CL But the lens prices stopped me buying

I now use Fed Kiev 111C copies.And like them.
Now ive seen several 11Fs with lens for under 300€ Is the 11F a good version (1954) i think they made over 10,000 that year😱
Are there issues with them?
The one im looking at says it works but unchecked.Could the shutter be sticky?
Also the lens cannot change its f-stops??Could that be dirt????

Any thoughts on buying a 11F on ebay??

 

[sanmich]

they are great cameras, but wouldn't be my first choice (an M2 would)
Any IIf/IIIf can need a cla, including curtain and beamsplitter replacement, and I think an external finder is a must for these, so it doesn't really end up as a cheap option.

 

[splaash]

Am M2 i found for around 300€ but a sumicron adds another 1000€+

The 11F comes with leica lense for under 300€ and i can use my Industar & Jupiter lens that i have

I also have a leica meter(for M so dosnt fit the Fed/111C/11F) but i do have a finder universal from 28mm to 135mm which dose fit

A big reason for buying a real Leica is it has lugs for the cary strap and take great images in 50s style.

The Canon 7 is a good alternative as its a 39mm screw plus canon bayonet adapter light meter and finder for 28 to 135mm looks like an M seires costs around 200€

The beam splitter whats the problem with that?Is the 11F so differant to the 111C with two finders????

Shutter seems OK i hope

 

[crispy12]

You can always get vintage Leica glass. A collapsible 'cron can be bought for $500 or less, otherwise Voigtlander or Zeiss also make very good modern alternatives. Personally I would choose a M4P or M4-2 if budget is an issue.

 

[Nikon Bob]

The seller says it works but it is unchecked? How can it work if it is not checked? I would also budget for a CLA which could include a beamsplitter and shutter curtain replacement which can be expensive. I am sure your Fed and Industar and Jupiter lenses offer a 50s style look also. I am going to guess that the lens on it is a Summitar and they have been known to have sticky aperture adjustment rings from the old grease drying out and getting rock hard. That is another repair cost if you can't fix it yourself. Worst case scenario you could close to double the cost of the purchase price.

If you are looking for a better LTM body I think a Canon P is worth a look and is a better user experience. They may also need a CLA to work properly. Usually a lot of these old cameras need some sort of work to bring them up to par. Not trying to discourage you but go into it with your eyes open and realize there may be more costs involved than just the purchase price of the camera. From personal experience two out of three of my 50s Leicas needed a CLA that included beamsplitter replacement and my only Canon P needed a CLA. Maybe I was just unlucky.

Bob

 

[splaash]

😕OH im already reconsidering.The 11F in Germany is in new collection state and checked the one in France which i hoped to buy isnt😕

The problem is that the German one will be shipped by DHL which is a private post company & private post want profit so the van drivers dont deliver,outside large towns or offten in large cities without parking🙁

The French unchecked one with gummed up lens would arrive with the state run post which dose deliver

There is in France by the same vendor a contax 1 for 230€ with lens i doubt it will sell as contax isnt a Leica😉But amazingly it says the shutter works when i looked at the image it has a Keiv shutter block in it??Wonder how they did that?????

I would like a Leica while prices are low????Just to have a Leica i hoped the shutter would work better than my Russian Leica 111C which runs slow on 80th 40thsec and below.And the Leica has lugs to add a sholder strap

But gummed lense and yes it is a 1948 Summitar


So this German one sold for 350€ hear this morning

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-IIIf-v...o_Camcorder_Analogkameras&hash=item2a1e2e1210

 

[Nikon Bob]

The Contax I is more of the same types of problems as with the leica with the added attraction that the shutter tapes often break, if original, and need replacement. Do a net search on the history of either Contax or Kiev and you will quirky see why they are so similar. If you want a shoulder strap just use a camera case.

Bob

 

[splaash]

Hear is a Leica M2 with Elma in good working condition BUT 450€

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-M2-mit...o_Camcorder_Analogkameras&hash=item231de20543

Ive got a case and id rather carry it without.But a case looks like the way its going to be
My Russian Leica takes good images just a problem with slow shutter.I bought mine in Budapest for 30€ with industar in smooth oiled condition

 

[colyn]

The IIf is a good camera as long as it is in good working order. Before buying ask several questions such as curtain condition, if the rf spot is easy to see, etc..

Don't buy from the seller(s) who usually starts off with "I know nothing about cameras" or "this camera worked when it was put away 40 years ago".....

 

[splaash]

Another said "It worked well 2 years ago"The best cameras are these

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-IIIf-v...o_Camcorder_Analogkameras&hash=item2a1e2e1210

But the vendor in Dortmund is either selling a collection for someone or found it in a house clear out but wont say IF or for how much he would send it to France🙁

Germany only so far

Price has gone up 350€ then theres this but i didnt want another 1930s Leica(mines Russian) 111
http://www.ebay.de/itm/170851104405?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

[Nikon Bob]

Hear is a Leica M2 with Elma in good working condition BUT 450€

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Leica-M2-mit...o_Camcorder_Analogkameras&hash=item231de20543

Ive got a case and id rather carry it without.But a case looks like the way its going to be
My Russian Leica takes good images just a problem with slow shutter.I bought mine in Budapest for 30€ with industar in smooth oiled condition

Maybe see if you can get the camera CLA'd and you would be good to go. That is certainly you cheapest option especially if it is giving you what you want. If you must have the real thing, Leica, just be prepared to spend money on it.

Bob

 

[splaash]

What should a 11F 111F cost?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Contax-I-Ver...o_Camcorder_Analogkameras&hash=item3a753e5782

Found this and this

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...eName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

The German site has others for 1800€

The French one (the second link) says the shutter is slow the last image shows a Keiv shutter not contax

 

[Bingley]

I had a red dial IIF but I sold it. It was a great little camera for daylight street shooting. I got it for a good price from KEH in Atlanta. I sold it b/c, in the end, I found I needed the slower shutter speeds. I found that, too often, I had the camera w/ me as the sun set, and the slowest shutter speed wasn't slow enough.

You want to be able to use your existing LTM lenses, which makes sense. You may be able to find a Leica IIIc or a Canon bottom loader for a very reasonable price, which would give you the benefits of the IIF plus the ability to shoot at slower speeds than, say, 1/40.

I've been shooting my Canon IVSB2 a lot this summer, and it's been a pleasure to use.

 

[splaash]

The canon is a really nice camera,not so many about.I want the 11F to carry without a case and simply enjoy B&W photography.With my Red or Zorki(Leica 111c)i use 24exp and change from panatomicX at 25 asa to FP4 125 asa or in winter HP5 used to be TRIX rated at 600asa thats great with a slow shutter

Time laptops had a standard keyboard.And Toutch screen divices a choise make writing simpler

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

They are all old cameras, even the M2 is old...

So assume it will need a repair and check over etc. Or buy from a dealer and get a guarantee with it. I paid extra for my last one (Leica IIIc) and was glad of it. I had to send it back after a film test and I would have sworn there was nothing wrong with it until then.

BTW, about M2 lenses; look at the f/2.8 Elmar that came with the M2. It's a nice lens and you are not going to use it professionally are you? Even if you were a pro, it's a good lens. It's just that there are better. Buy the better ones for slides that are viewed on screens twice your height. And you'll need a tripod etc to get the best from them.

I'm very happy with my M2 and Elmar 50mm f/2.8 lens and, yes, I do have Summicrons on others.

Regards, David