Leica LTM Question about Barnacks and film compatability!

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Cool! I guess everybody has their own methods, but I guess I'll have to play with it once/if I get a barnack!

Thanks for all the links and resources!

A few more questions...

I found a IIIc for $150CAD on kijiji/craigslist and a IIIf red dial for $450CAD from the same seller. Are those prices about right? The IIIc seems too good to be true. I've bought a few cameras through craigslist/kijiji and they were all in good, working order. One lady even offered me a return period if I found any problems with the rolleicord I bought off her!
 
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At least with the IIIc, especially if it comes with a lens in good shape, even if you have to cla it or replace shutter curtains you have some room to do so, not so much with the IIIF RD. If the IIIc is in excellent shape cosmetically with no missing vulcanite, dents or scratches and all speeds sound good it maybe alright. You won't know if the shutter curtains have holes till run a roll through it. Some IIIc Leicas may show some chrome blistering and that is due to the factory making due with what was available after the war.

Bob
 
fuji645 said:
I've used modern Kodak canisters as well my own bulk load cassettes on my IIIc since I purchased it quite a few years ago. Loading is an acquired skill and a bit tricky at first but you can get the hang of it. Never had a problem with alignment or exposure on the sprockets. That would appear to be a result of poor loading technique--not cassettes.
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+1 for me using modern cannisters
 
I have the later IIIg but never had any problems with skewed frames through ill fitted canisters.

Pre cutting the leader though its makes life alot easier. Load with a pre-cut leader as many others have recommended and you will find it is quite a quick and easy process. Just tension the rewind knob to pull the film taught, wind the camera half to one turn and check the sprocket has engaged with the film. Put the bottom on wind on 2 frames and set the counter to zero.

I pre-cut my film before it goes in the camera bag so theres less messing about in the field

Chris
 
Hopefully the curtains wont have holes in them! Humm I'm wondering if I should order of KEH. they have a iiif with a curtain patch for $150 in BGN condition! How does that sound?
 
A curtain patch certainly does not have to be a problem. And KEH has a no-questions-asked return policy if it does turn out to be a dud.
I'd say go for it. ;)
 
If you go with KEH be sure and ask if the finder focusing patch is bright and clearly visible. They have a tendency to fade over time to near uselessness. I had to have the half silvered mirror replaced in 2 out of my 3 Barnacks. As mentioned KEH seems to have a good return policy though.

Bob
 
Cool! At least I have a few options open now...

Currently I'm dealing with someone locally... does $270 for a CLA'd iiic sound a little too much? how about $325 for a CLA'd iiif?
 
You know, with CLAs it would be nice to know when they were done, by whom and any paper work to confirm it. Local is always nice to be able to check it out in person. Can't comment on the prices as it has been a long time since I bought a Barnack.

Bob
 
Yeah, I asked the man, he said he got it done two years ago from a friend who works at nikon. He said he would be able to get records of the repair, but never got a receipt. I guess i'll ask for a return period, incase the camera DOESNT work as he said it would... or a partial refund that would cover the cost of the CLA.

Anyway... turns out this camera is a leica iic (i never knew there was such a thing!) and the other is a iif... how do the ii's compare to the iii's? :O I'm wondering if I could do without the 1/1000th shutter speed. I usually keep my canon 7 at 1/1000th to use wider apertures... but at the same time, I'm used to shooting my rolleicord which only goes up to 1/500th anyway. I guess I could switch to slower film?
 
I trim the leader as per the instructions for my iiic. The smallest blade of my pocket knife is razor sharp, as trimming the film leader is about all I use it for.

I did have trouble with the first roll I put through the camera, as I wasn't careful to ensure that the sprocket was engaged in the hole. I didn't notice that the rewind knob wasn't moving when I "advanced" the film. If you make that mistake, I'd venture that you only make it once.

I haven't had any trouble with commercial film cannisters being too short or misaligned. Perhaps I've been lucky.
 
Aww, Patrick, what's wrong with the Canon 7? :D

II vs III, I know the II doesn't have slow speeds (under 1/30 or something) either. Those I find rather important!

and you could use ND filters to shoot with larger apertures. though finding ND filters for your vintage lenses will likely be a great adventure...


cheers!
 
Does any one feel the IIc would be less likely to break than a III cause of its lack of slower speeds? Patrick, I may concider the IIc in the future as it doesnt have the flash sync. I wear glasses and I dont like the Flash sync on my IIIg, it gets in the way. The IIIc doesnt have a flash sync either( unless it was modified)
 
XD Mooge, my canon 7's rangefinder/viewfinder is out of allignment... and I don't have the tools, time or money to get it fixed! I'm selling it for money towards a barnack. Gotta try new things right?

:p Ahh... the flash sync is something I doubt I'd use in the near future. I've always wanted to try off-camera flash with film... but I don't have the equipment to do so (if only leicas could emit IR signals to my Nikon strobes...XD)... I'm mostly worried about the 1/1000th speed as I don't often shoot slow speeds... but I think i'll be fine without it! I'm gonna pick up the iic tomrrow... hope it's a nice camera!
 
I always cut the film on my IIIC and IIIb but the labs sometimes complain. I guess it screws up some automated film loading systems.
 
lawnpotter said:
Does any one feel the IIc would be less likely to break than a III cause of its lack of slower speeds?
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In principle, the more parts, the greater the chance of something breaking. That said, my IIIf is 57 years old and isn't broken. The slow speeds went very sluggish when it was 56 - I guess it was overdue for its 50-year service. :)


To those that mention the leader length being a problem for some labs, there is a very simple solution - snip the long bit back to conventional length. Granted, you need to stop the rewind just before the leader disappears into the cassette, but that's easy - another half turn or so when you feel the tension release as the leader comes off the spool should be enough to take it away from the sprockets.
 
lawnpotter said:
Does any one feel the IIc would be less likely to break than a III cause of its lack of slower speeds? Patrick, I may concider the IIc in the future as it doesnt have the flash sync. I wear glasses and I dont like the Flash sync on my IIIg, it gets in the way. The IIIc doesnt have a flash sync either( unless it was modified)
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Not really; the slow speeds are a separate (delay) mechanism and therefore they can get all slow and sticky without affecting the speeds on the main dial. It's very common to have a screwmount which works fine down to 1/20 (or whatever the slowest speed is on the top dial) but has terribly sluggish slow speeds.
 
maddoc said:
Leicas Screw Mount cameras are NOT 100% compatible with modern film canisters since these are shorter than the original Leitz reloadable film canisters. As a workaround, the later cameras have a small ridge mounted in the base plate that presses the film upwards to keep it aligned.

I have a IIIf and IIIb and both work only well with original FILCA film canisters, using modern film canisters either the frames a slightly tilted or partially exposed into the sprocket holes. From memory, at least my IIIf has not such a modification of the base plate.
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My IIIf has the piece on the baseplate that pushes the film upwards, and thus, my films always come out okay. When I had a IIIa and IIIb without the "ridge", my pictures were exposed slightly over the sprocket holes with regular Kodak, Fuji, etc. cartridges. I was told to use reloadable cartridges, which eliminated this problem.
 
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