Leica LTM Noobie question No. 2: Why so many bodies without lenses on ebay?

[David.Boettcher]

I'll offer some advice: beware of Summars.

In your shoes, if you must have a 30's Leica then look for a model II (simple version without slow speeds to go wrong) and an Elmar. And study the websites about forgeries as though your life depended on them. (Your sanity will.)

Whatever you decide you will probably ruin a film or two before you stop screaming at it; loading it can be a PITA and still not quite right but you won't realise until it's too late. Plus you'll have no problem finding instructions for it (focal press is where I'd start). And lastly, check the thing has a take up spool in very good condition and buy a pack of those self adhesive felt pads sold in furniture shops for the cassettes: you'll need a decent hole punch too, to modify them.

Whatever else you do, don't believe it's easy to repair them on the kitchen table. This is not a popular opinion, btw...

The learning curve with 30's Leicas is best described as an uphill and expensive struggle.

Regards, David

David,

Thank you for your advice, which has had the opposite effect to what I think you intended. You have reinforced my eagerness to plunge into the world of pre-war Leicas. I like something quirky which presents a challenge and so the last thing I want is something "nice and safe".

I am going to go out later and rummage through some old boxes in the stable to see if I can find my dev tank, bought from Jessops in the 1970s when they only had one shop in the centre of Leicester. I used to use Ilford FP4 which seems to be still available, any opinions on that? And I am racking my brains to remember what developer I used with it.

This is going to be more interesting than I thought at first blush . . .

Regards - David

 

[David Hughes]

Welcome to the club.

Welcome to the club.

Hi,

Well, there's safe and safe with 30's Leicas... I have the bill's to prove it. But, as I've said elsewhere, the Model II will be the last to go from the collection or perhaps the M2 - I just can't decide.

As for FP4 Plus I've some in the CL at present and have been using it for the last couple of days in Wales. If you buy a roll, search around for prices and then, when you've got it, open the box out and there's a list of D&P stuff inside, where they used to put the exposure tables.

www.ilfordlab.com is a good place to look and www.silverprint.co.uk plus, perhaps, 7dayshop.com for mailers if you don't want to do your own D&P. I know 7dayshop sold FP4 Plus but don't know if they do at present. You'll probably find data sheets on FP4 Plus at ilfordphoto.com

Welcome to the club.

Regards, David