Leica LTM Leica IIIC K - share info and questions

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Tom, thanks again for your expertise on LTM cameras. I started with a IIIc with a Summar f/2, so even though I only had it for 1 year it was my first real 'camera.'
 
LeicaTom said:
Amazing!

How many times is this seller going to sell this camera I wonder?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leica-IIIcK...676879373?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item2eb9462c0d

It has been on evilbay now I think 4 TIMES! ~ Not correctly advertised, not correct lens which he sold last time as the original, yeah here's a heads up to stay away from this one :(

Too bad

Tom
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I see that the lens has f/8, 11, 16, which would seem to be a later Elmar. When, though, were lens apertures changed from the older system of f/6.3, 9, 12.5?

Other than the lens, is the question of staying away from this camera a matter of the body not being original or is it that the seller doesn't honor sales?

I'm not buying, but it would be interesting to know.

Another Tom
 
That camera was once a complete camera owned by a very well known dealer, long long ago, a 100% complete with a very rare US Army issue "feet" Summitar 50 lens and had the case with the original Officer's name in it etc. etc.

The camera has just lost all it's originality, a few poor colelctors got their hands on it and now this evilbay seller, the original lens gone, original case gone, the Elmar there now is a 1946 or 7 one and well, need I say more, real sad, most of these cameras don't keep their history, I have tried to preserve the history of all the cameras I have owned and even share the history and pass it on to the new owners I sell the cameras to...................sadly it's up to them to carry the torch and most people just buy these cameras as an investment to resell, so nothing's remembered or carried on into the future, well very few cameras have even survived the war or used thereafter. :(

Tom
 
Any thoughts on ebay item 230623865882 ?

SN is close to both my chrome IIIc cameras. Could this one already have had bearings in the shutter?
 
Its been there over a year now. 3rd time its been listed. Started off as a leitz black camera for 9995 OBO. Since then another piece of the vulicanite has been broken off.
 
Mr_Flibble said:
Any thoughts on ebay item 230623865882 ?

SN is close to both my chrome IIIc cameras. Could this one already have had bearings in the shutter?
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That's a matching numbers verified 1942 IIIC Grey paint (pre k bearing) camera.

Camera is overpriced and is not a K camera.

Tom
 
Mr_Flibble said:
Cheers Tom,

So Leitz ran out of chrome somewhere between 382xxx and 387xxx then?
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Leitz switched over to using RLM Grey paint on cameras during the August/September 1942 era. *#387xxx (due to war shortages) also at that time the red parachute fabric (from Eastman Kodak ca. 1936) was still being used, this surely made some interesting oddities at Leitz. fe. Grey IIIC with Red Curtains, or one Half Red Curtain, or a Grey IIIC K with Red Curtains, with a Black "K" on the shutter curtain.

But, despite the major production of all post August 1942 cameras done in RLM Grey, there were shipments of normal bearing IIIC cameras in chrome to the Luftwaffe in 1943/44 and 45, so not all cameras issued after August 1942 were Grey painted. (post August 1942 delivered Chrome cameras are some of the rarest of WW2).

I'll be receiving soon two very interesting chrome cameras (a very early 1942 IIIC Red Curtain and a 1942 IIIC K ) which BOTH have a documented Luftwaffe history and which were captured by the Allies in May 1945, start of another collection I'd say. :)

Tom
 
Hello, I recently bought a Leica IIIc with serial number 375164 (red curtains) with an Elmar 5cm #533010- average wear, but pretty good overall (none of the usual rusty spots inside the body, and the lens has minimal cleaning marks). Any information would be appreciated. The Elmar has a nearly 1/2 inch notch out of its front rim- possibly for an adapter of some sort?
 
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littlefields said:
Hello, I recently bought a Leica IIIc with serial number 375164 (red curtains) with an Elmar 5cm #533010- average wear, but pretty good overall (none of the usual rusty spots inside the body, and the lens has minimal cleaning marks). Any information would be appreciated. The Elmar has a nearly 1/2 inch notch out of its front rim- possibly for an adapter of some sort?
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Sorry I just saw this........you have a 1941/42 era Red Curtain with perhaps a matching lens or very close from your serial number.

Don't know what the notch is for, someone was adapting something?

Hopefully your curtains are still light tight and you should just get it CLA'd and throw some film in it and give it a go, Red Curtains are great shooters when the curtains have survived.

Tom
 
Thanks, Tom. Do you know if this was issued to a civilian or to the military? The camera has recently had a CLA; running the first roll through this week.
 
littlefields said:
Thanks, Tom. Do you know if this was issued to a civilian or to the military? The camera has recently had a CLA; running the first roll through this week.
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Unless it has Fl. numbers or Heer or Navy War Eagle it was a non military issue, or at least not marked as such.
Seems even Jim Lager has some blanks in the dockets of the cameras and 1941/42 seems to be a time when records ran amuck at Leitz.

Good luck with your first roll :)

Tom
 
Hey Tom, your former 391xxx is currently undergoing a CLA, mainly to see if the capping on the faster speeds can be fixed.

It contained some hardened lubricants that didn't look like regular oil or grease. Possibly this is the original synthetic lubricant, which would indicate it never underwent maintenance after it left the factory.

Some seals are made from very thin sheet metal.
Some extension steel springs are substituted for simpler blade/leaf springs.
Cleary some corners were cut here and in other parts of its construction of the camera to quickly fill the demand for cameras by the occupying armies.

There were also plenty of film chips and a single small glass shard in the gears.


The shutter drum wasn't taken apart (the curtains are worn but good, no real need to replace them), so no confirmation if it truly is a "K". I'm still taking your word for it ;)

She'll should be back in action shortly! I'll ask about sharing some pictures from the CLA.



Cheers,
 
Mr_Flibble said:
Hey Tom, your former 391xxx is currently undergoing a CLA, mainly to see if the capping on the faster speeds can be fixed.

It contained some hardened lubricants that didn't look like regular oil or grease. Possibly this is the original synthetic lubricant, which would indicate it never underwent maintenance after it left the factory.

Some seals are made from very thin sheet metal.
Some extension steel springs are substituted for simpler blade/leaf springs.
Cleary some corners were cut here and in other parts of its construction of the camera to quickly fill the demand for cameras by the occupying armies.

There were also plenty of film chips and a single small glass shard in the gears.


The shutter drum wasn't taken apart (the curtains are worn but good, no real need to replace them), so no confirmation if it truly is a "K". I'm still taking your word for it ;)

She'll should be back in action shortly! I'll ask about sharing some pictures from the CLA.



Cheers,
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Yeah, that was a really nice condition camera, I don't think it was ever opened for service, it came from a family of a servicemember who brought it back after 1946 and I bet it was little used like most 1945 issue cameras were or seem to have been, sitting around for years in some forgotten desk drawer and then I bought it.

That faster speeds and capping has been an issue with a few of the IIIC K's I've owned in the past few years, I think it's a problem that I'm sure the factory addressed with the "new" version of the IIIC in June/July 1946.

The 1945 chrome K cameras are almost impossible to find now, no more on Evilbay and shops normally NEVER have them, with a production run of less than 300 cameras, they are difficult to find, I have (2) that I'm holding on to, one for show and the other for use.

Enjoy the camera, lets see some photos once it's done!

Tom
 
I just bought another IIIC K, it's a Leica Factory Docket Listed 1945 Chrome one, ex- US Army - LOOGI K (originally a IIIC K w/ Elmar 50 mm) from August 4th 1945
(one of the LAST IIIC K's ever issued/made by the factory and listed as such in original Leitz Factory documents etc.)

The camera seems to be all-together, it will be a CLA and restore to "user" camera, I'm adding an original vulcanite back to it as soon as I have one and then looking to put a 1945 issue CZJ f1.5/50 Sonnar T on the camera, perfect shooter! :)

As soon as I have photos of the finished camera, I'll post here again.

Happy Hunting!

Tom
 
I'm having trouble finding just a "k"-marked one...and here someone goes and buys 3....geez :)

391xxx came back from its CLA today. Running some film throug it tout de suite.

L3cK-01.jpg


Shutter should run fine again. And the rewind knob actually extends now. ;)
 
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