Leica LTM Leica IIIC K - share info and questions

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Ok Erik, my red curtain is from 375xxx range, I believe.
Btw, I am working now on another wartime, 373948. Interesting because this camera has nothing in common with wartime, except the SN. Camera has been converted to IIIf RD w/o selftimer after 1955 and everything, including top cover (w/o step), diecast (main body), shutter, curtains, clockwork, shields, etc. has been renewed. It will be a subject for another VIDOM article.
 
It seems that the early stepper frames were shorter which left a cavity either side of the body as you can see in Jerzwy's photo.
I can confirm that mine (383xxx) is like this.
 
Jerzyw said:
Btw, I am working now on another wartime, 373948. Interesting because this camera has nothing in common with wartime, except the SN. Camera has been converted to IIIf RD w/o selftimer after 1955 and everything, including top cover (w/o step), diecast (main body), shutter, curtains, clockwork, shields, etc. has been renewed. It will be a subject for another VIDOM article.
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That would be a great item for our "conversion" thread too. Why giving a new camera an old number? I hope you will share your experience with us.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
That would be a great item for our "conversion" thread too. Why giving a new camera an old number? I hope you will share your experience with us.

Erik.
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Maybe to avoid the old 'Purchase Tax' or possibly other duties that would have been chargeable on a new item?

Also after WWII certain countries restricted sales to their home markets in order to get more foreign income from exporting. I know this applied to new cars, it may have to applied to new cameras too.

This information is surely available somewhere but probably not in a very digestible form...very much part of the 'conversion' story I suspect.

Michael
 
this is as well explanation which i heard, to avoid paying tax. Leitz (and maybe others) were doing it already before WWII. In particular, almost all III(a)sync originating from I, Standard or early II resulted in new camera returned back.
When talking about conversions - this was my favourite collection topic until few years. Some of my most interesting example I was showing in Leica Forum, German parrt, thread Leica Umbauten.
 
Erik van Straten said:
Would be great if you make some pictures.

Erik.
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Erik,
my red curtain is 377368. Main body diecast has yet a different shape around rewind knob than my other 389301, which I was showing few days ago. And yes, it has as well rounded lightshields, however no shims under the front plate.
I am posting now 3 fotos, for an unknown reason RFF is cutting down my source jpg down to 18-20kB. This is a reason for thumbnail fotos. Please PM me with your email address, I will mail you more, in higher resolution
 

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Jerzyw said:
Erik,
my red curtain is 377368. Main body diecast has yet a different shape around rewind knob than my other 389301, which I was showing few days ago. And yes, it has as well rounded lightshields, however no shims under the front plate.
I am posting now 3 fotos, for an unknown reason RFF is cutting down my source jpg down to 18-20kB. This is a reason for thumbnail fotos. Please PM me with your email address, I will mail you more, in higher resolution
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Thank you very much for this information, Jerzyw.

To load up pictures in RFf, you best load them up first in Flickr, copy them in the desired format and finally paste them into your text in RFf. Then everyone can enjoy them.

Is the red curtain still working properly? I've always thought they were of an inferior quality, but when I see yours, I think I can get mine - 374820 - back to service too!

Erik.

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My camera has typical disease - speeds are to slow, second image hardly visible, Vulkanit peeling off and broken and someone installed flash sync with socket in the shell. This is the reason why I opened it. Curtains are however in very good condition, without any black marks. I will remove flash sync, replace half mirror and will try to restore Vulkanit as much as possible.
 
My camera is exactly the opposite: it is like new - only some bright marks on the chrome - but the curtains have black marks and are sticky. When I install new curtains, it will be no longer a "red curtain IIIc", so I have to leave it as it is.

Erik.

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This is bad, I do not know anything what could stop derubberizing process. Temporarily you could help yourself with talk (children powder) to apply it on the black side of curtains and maybe as well on red side, on places when black rubber penetrated through. This shall prevent stickiness, but will not stop the process.
Some years ago MicroTools was selling red curtain fabric, unfortunately I did not bought it then. I was not able to locate any source for red curtain fabric now. Shall any RFF member know the source, pleaseeeee
 
Bar8barian said:
Hi,
Not seen any threads or posts from LeicaTom for nearly 12 months has he left RFF?.
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Yes. IIRC he's into VW Beetle restoring now. Not so much LeicaTom but BeetleTom:angel:

This used to be his thread but when he left it got deleted and Stephen brought it back from the dead after many requests from members.

Meanwhile, here's something nice to read about when it comes to red-curtain Leicas: http://johanniels.com/index.php/camera-gear-articles/72-red-curtain-leica-iiic

Now why did I ever sell that camera, it would have been worth thousands by now:bang::bang::bang:
 
My new IIIc stepper. No idea if it's a 'K' or not underneath. The shutter curtains look like they've been replaced.
 
Hello, new to the forum. Looking for info on a iiic k chrome, no. 388 968. It might be fake but does look real. Thank you. Bob
 
Gabreta1 said:
Hello, new to the forum. Looking for info on a iiic k chrome, no. 388 968. It might be fake but does look real. Thank you. Bob
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Please post some photos of the camera (details shots top plate, shutter etc) so that we can help you verify what you have...
 
Gabreta1 said:
Hello, new to the forum. Looking for info on a iiic k chrome, no. 388 968. It might be fake but does look real. Thank you. Bob
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Judging by the serial number and comparing it to the Luftwaffe-issued IIIcK cameras listed in Jim Lager’s “Wehrmacht Leica” book, it looks like yours falls into late 1942 - early 1943. I’m not saying that yours is Luftwaffe-issued (as your serial number is not among the ones listed), but it falls into the general serial number range of other IIIcK bodies that were made during that time period.
 
Thank you very much for your reply. How do you figure out if it is a fake? It has all the attributes of a wartime Leica, it is chrome, which makes it rare...whom do you contact for authenticity? Thank you. Hello
 
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