Looking to buy Leica iiia

[shed_7]

Hi, I have seen one of these for sale complete with Summar 5cm f2. Good price but from the serial number it should be a 1937 iiia, but it has flash delay dial under the shutter dial and red 20 on the shutter dial. Doesn't seem right to me could it be a factory mid or just a fake?

 

[peterm1]

I had one pretty much just like this but with a 1936 Elmar 50mm (the camera was also prewar)
from its serial number but I do not recall the exact date). The Elmar was coated and the 111a had the flash delay dial. Leica offered a service post war to take cameras in and update them with features found on later models. Such as flash sync and the flash delay dial as found on the 111f and coating of lenses. Many 111as had this modification courtesy of E Leitz and Co. You can see it with some other cameras here (but with a 35mm lens) and if you look closely you can see the flash dial sitting below the shutter speed dial just like on the 111f:

 

[ray*j*gun]

I personally have never seen a non-unit body Barnack with a flash delay dial. Does it have a sync terminal? Its true that many Barnacks were upgraded but I don't think the iiia has the room for a flash connection.

 

[peterm1]

I personally have never seen a non-unit body Barnack with a flash delay dial. Does it have a sync terminal? Its true that many Barnacks were upgraded but I don't think the iiia has the room for a flash connection.

Believe me it does have room. My flash port was on the left rear of the camera somewhere near the eyepiece but I cannot recall precisely where as I have sold the camera in question. There is of course no point adding a flash delay dial a la the 111f unless there is also a port to connect a flash.

 

[mdarnton]

I've seen [photos of] quite a few early Leicas with a flash connection added to the front on the slow-speed dial side in a place I think would be just inwards from the space needed for the take-up spool. Here's a iiia with that:
http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/other/leica_iiia.jpg
(the whole page: http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/other/other.html)

I wonder if there's anyone currently doing that--it would solve a problem for me. I like my iiia a lot, but for the lack of sync. I remember in the 60s if you wanted sync added to an old camera or shutter the local camera repair guy wouldn't flinch a bit--he'd find a place to drill a hole, and do it.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I personally have never seen a non-unit body Barnack with a flash delay dial. Does it have a sync terminal? Its true that many Barnacks were upgraded but I don't think the iiia has the room for a flash connection.

Upgrade camera's got a new topplate that gave room for the flash mechanism. My Leica II from 1932 (see serial) has a flash synch installed by Leitz - its a socalled Original Factory Conversion - and also got a shutter upgrade: 1/1000 sec -. The Leica IIIa from Peter M has also this upgrade topplate. Many Leica's even had their nickel knobs replaced with chromium ones like mine:

Leica Factory Conversion by Ron (Netherlands), on Flickr