Leica IIIa w/Elmar 5cm lens - good deal?

[lightshot]

Hi,

First post here. I found a Leica IIIa 35mm with an Elmar 5cm lens for sale for $200.00. From my reading it seems that this is a good deal, but I am wondering what the drawbacks are to this camera. The camera appears to be in fair to good condition so I will probably need to get it cleaned.

Should I buy this one or wait for a Leica IIIg to come along? And if I do get this one, where should I send it for a cleaning?

Thanks!

 

[wlewisiii]

Welcome!

First of all, that's a very good price for a IIIa & an Elmar lens. A similar IIIg & lens would probably set you back $800 and also need the CLA. Aside from being significantly more expensive the IIIg really doensn't offer much more to a user than the IIIa did.

If you haven't already read it, this page: http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmcam.htm will give you a great deal of information on the various models as well as the pluses and minuses of using a 50 to 75 year old camera. I just got a IIIf & Summicron recently so that should tell you my thinking on the matter.

I say buy it, burn film & have fun!

William

 

[lightshot]

Humm... so maybe there is a fly in the ointment here. If it's selling for that good a price, then maybe there is something wrong with the body or the lens. I'm going to check into it a little bit more.

Thanks!

 

[Pickett Wilson]

You just have to figure in the cost of a CLA when you are buying these old LTM's. Even if they seem to work right, it is amazing how smooth and quiet they are after a CLA.

 

[lightshot]

Where can I send it in for a CLA? Will any camera shop do one, or do I need to go to a professional? I was reading on here about DAG (I think that's what it was) is that a good person?

Thanks again!

 

[wlewisiii]

DAG's good, but generally up to his ears in work. I'd suggest Youxin Ye wye7@yahoo.com instead. I intend to send mine there once I get the money saved up.

William

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Youxin is the man. Great work, great prices and turnaround.

 

[ZorkiKat]

Humm... so maybe there is a fly in the ointment here. If it's selling for that good a price, then maybe there is something wrong with the body or the lens. I'm going to check into it a little bit more.

Thanks!

Maybe, maybe not. It could just be that the seller isn't aware "how" the price should be. $200 is fair for a IIIa. I got a IIIc last year for less than $150. A really problematic Leica IIIf I recently got was about $20.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Welcome!

First of all, that's a very good price for a IIIa & an Elmar lens. A similar IIIg & lens would probably set you back $800 and also need the CLA. Aside from being significantly more expensive the IIIg really doensn't offer much more to a user than the IIIa did.

If you haven't already read it, this page: http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmcam.htm will give you a great deal of information on the various models as well as the pluses and minuses of using a 50 to 75 year old camera. I just got a IIIf & Summicron recently so that should tell you my thinking on the matter.

I say buy it, burn film & have fun!

William

Dear William,

Yes it does, and I've had both. But I can't see why any photographer (as distinct from collector) would want a IIIg instead of a (cheaper, better) M.

I still have the first Leica I ever bought for myself, IIIa no. 229 589, £30 in 1969, and $200 is a good price in 2009 -- but the camera is 40 years older and 40 years less reliable.

IIIc and later (cast chassis) are much superior cameras to the (fabricated chassis) IIIa, and I've owned IIIa-b-c-f-g in the III series alone.

So: my advice to the OP is to go for the IIIa if you want a camera with more history than usability, even though it is likely to be a usable camera without a CLA, which (if done properly) will bring the price up to near-M levels.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ZorkiKat]

A 1937 Leica IIIa without lens but with original box has just sold on Ebay (UK) for £516 ($825) 😱😱

See:- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250500372601&rvr_id=&mfe=sidebar

The Box must be really expensive! That accounts for the $600 difference between IIIa's with, and those without, boxes.😛