bnz
Newbie
Hi All,
I am new to the forum, and new to film/mf photography but as a keen digital photographer i am investigating my grandfathers camera and how to use it. The camera itself appears to be a Leica IIIB which my grandfather bought before WWII and continued to use for many years. We have a large collection of his photography, but I only just discovered his camera.
The camera has probably not shot any frames since the early 70's in Nepal when my grandfather passed away, but the shutter mechanism still seems to fire well and from what I can see the internals (curtain etc?) are in good condition, if not a little dusty. The slow shutter movement is intermittent, and the inbuilt viewfinder/rangefinder are both pretty foggy but still useable enough to focus.
The lens is a Meyer Gorlitz 1.9 with the focal length listed as 2" (50.8mm) and has engraving that indicates the lens was purchased from the Singapore Photo Company. My confusion about the lens is: The lens details are engraved in the outward facing silver colored ring, not in the black inner facing ring that I have seen on other lenses of the same description, and that the focal length is listed in inches, not mm.
The lens appears to be in quite good condition for its age, the aperture ring moves smoothly, however the focus ring is quite stiff. The glass appears to be clear, however there are a few dust/dirt spots between the inner elements that need cleaning.
My questions that I would appreciate any guidance on are:
1 - What exactly is this lens? (why does it look different to other Meyer Gorlitz 1.9 lens that I can see on the internet)
2 - What is the camera / lens worth?
3 - How should I restore it? (Any recommendations for service places available from NZ/Australia to clean the glass and lube the focus movement)
Thanks!
I am new to the forum, and new to film/mf photography but as a keen digital photographer i am investigating my grandfathers camera and how to use it. The camera itself appears to be a Leica IIIB which my grandfather bought before WWII and continued to use for many years. We have a large collection of his photography, but I only just discovered his camera.
The camera has probably not shot any frames since the early 70's in Nepal when my grandfather passed away, but the shutter mechanism still seems to fire well and from what I can see the internals (curtain etc?) are in good condition, if not a little dusty. The slow shutter movement is intermittent, and the inbuilt viewfinder/rangefinder are both pretty foggy but still useable enough to focus.
The lens is a Meyer Gorlitz 1.9 with the focal length listed as 2" (50.8mm) and has engraving that indicates the lens was purchased from the Singapore Photo Company. My confusion about the lens is: The lens details are engraved in the outward facing silver colored ring, not in the black inner facing ring that I have seen on other lenses of the same description, and that the focal length is listed in inches, not mm.
The lens appears to be in quite good condition for its age, the aperture ring moves smoothly, however the focus ring is quite stiff. The glass appears to be clear, however there are a few dust/dirt spots between the inner elements that need cleaning.
My questions that I would appreciate any guidance on are:
1 - What exactly is this lens? (why does it look different to other Meyer Gorlitz 1.9 lens that I can see on the internet)
2 - What is the camera / lens worth?
3 - How should I restore it? (Any recommendations for service places available from NZ/Australia to clean the glass and lube the focus movement)
Thanks!
