Canon LTM Nice Little Bargain

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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mattg

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Picked this one up here in Korea for $30. It was tucked away in a pokey little corner where it would probably have remained for years if I hadn't seen it.
 
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I've shot a roll of Ektachrome with it and i'm really surprised by how sharp the lens is, best I've seen from any 35mm camera I've owned. Shutter, light meter and diaphragm all appear to be accurate.

It does have a lot of faults though and I'll be sending it to a tech to have the following looked at:

1. Viewfinder frame not mating with lens
2. CLA to free up gunked up aperture, shutter and focus controls
3. Front lens element has coating damage, replace with one from parts camera.
4. Diode so I can use alkaline cells.
5. Try to straighten the top plate sightly, it looks like someone's sat on it.
6. Replace existing leatherette with something a little more snazzy.

So watch this space, hopefully in a month or two I'll be able to post a picture of the revitalised version.
 
Good! Keep us updated!

How long ago was this purchase done? You know very well this camera is still a nice, little bargain, right? :)
 
I'll save you the time and expense of fixing it up and even give you a small profit. Say, $35 and I'll pay for shipping. :)

Wayne
 
Wayne,
you know two days ago I might have accepted that finder's fee but now I've committed to fixing it up and gone and bought a parts camera. That $35 would have been the biggest profit I'd turn from it. I'm expecting to spend about $US200 to have it fixed up so as you can see it's love not money.


Francisco, I bought it about a week ago, just long enough to put a roll of Ektachrome through it and decide it was worth fixing.

I'm going with the Spring Green Kid Skin fromCamera Leather.

Does anyone here know what the chances are of straightening out the top plate?
I'm fixing this one as a user not a collector but it would still be nice to have it straightened out a little.
 
those Canonets look great in black.. just like this little number that I got in my Big Box 'O' Cameras a month ago.. I finally got some batteries to fire up this Vivitar 35ES and it should turn out some great results
 
Wow, that Vivitar is a great copy of the Canon, or Vice Versa.

I'm keeping my ear to the ground for camera fairs here in Korea, I'd love a big box o these sorts of unloved cameras.
 
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mattg said:
Wow, that Vivitar is a great copy of the Canon, or Vice Versa.
Click to expand...

Actually, it is more like a clone of the Minolta HiMatic 7SII (without the manual option, IIRC; the Revue 400 SE is another 'sibling' of that family...)

Roman
 
Wow!! What a beauty! A very nice little black bargain!! Congratulations!!
Sure it´s love, not money, otherwise why should we pay that much to get it properly fixed?
That´s why, IMHO, we´re here.
 
Ernesto, We each have our own motivations, but I'm "here" because I USE rangefinder cameras to make photographs and I enjoy the chat.

I do appreciate that some are "here" as collectors and tinkerers. Using rangefinders actively, one may develop a bit of the collector urge, or have to become a tinkerer, or may wind up with a collection by accident...I've done the latter two:

I use two Canon Ps, two F1s, an L1 for which I paid too much, a Leica IIIC, and I have a $10 Canon GIII QL 1.7 that I hope personally to fix to 100%. And I have lenses. And I have a beautiful Century Graphic with many backs and three modern lenses, including a telephoto.

I don't want a collection. I intend to sell the Graphic for a fair price, the F1s for pennies. After a shutter adjustment I will offer the L1 as a genuine bargain.
 
Yes if you think about it rationally $200 is a lot to spend on this camera. If I'd run across a Canon P for $235 I would have dismissed it as too expensive for a bit of fun, but that's what I'll end up spending here.

The reason I'd bother to do this is not to sit it on a shelf but to use it to make photographs and I hope to get a lot of satisfaction from doing that. It certainly won't be made part of any collection (I only have one other camera and two lenses) and probably won't be sold for many years.

Given that if I wanted to buy one of these the latest Ebay prices are around $US350 I'd still think this is a bargain, especially as all the essential things are working as they should.
 
I paid Essex $80 to CLA a crap old Canonet QL-17 and it came back looking (and working) like new! I recommend their service. This is the second black (and inexpensive) QL-17 to turn up on RFF tonight!

 
backalley photo said:
a cla on a fixed lens rangefinder should run about 100 bucks.
that's what i paid, canadian.
Click to expand...

you shoulda just used a Get Out Of Jail card.. I assume they accept those as currency
in Canada, just like the money ;)
 
oh yeah.. you're scilian.. as opposed to the people from Sicily.. I think they're sicilians, aren't they? :D
 
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