Recommendations for getting an M2 re-painted

[lukx]

Sounds great and I'm sure it'll look great when it returns!

Question, does Camerakote do black enamel paint as well? I'm aware that he has his own coating he does on cameras.

He uses the same paint system that Cameraworks-UK use on many cameras these days, Cerakote ceramic paint. It's very durable and comes in many colors and finishes. It will not wear quickly. Some like that, some don't. Cameraworks have my M3 for such a repaint so you know which camp I'm in.

I wonder which finish user jrose125 decided to get...

 

[jrose125]

Sounds great and I'm sure it'll look great when it returns!

Question, does Camerakote do black enamel paint as well? I'm aware that he has his own coating he does on cameras.

Yes they do! They are painting mine in black enamel, although it seems that Cerrakote is their "specialty". Before I sent my camera, they assured me that the enamel paint they use is a fantastic approximation of the factory original paint. Cheers!

 

[lukx]

Ah interesting, I thought Camerakote offered Cerakote paints exclusively. Show some pictures when you get it back. What is their turnaround time?

 

[jrose125]

Ah interesting, I thought Camerakote offered Cerakote paints exclusively. Show some pictures when you get it back. What is their turnaround time?

In an email to me Aaron said the following:

"Yes, enamel finishes are available. I use good quality coach enamel that closely matches the original coatings."

Turnaround is presently 4-6 weeks, no waitlist.

Cheers!

 

[Mech-Dragon]

Yes they do! They are painting mine in black enamel, although it seems that Cerrakote is their "specialty". Before I sent my camera, they assured me that the enamel paint they use is a fantastic approximation of the factory original paint. Cheers!

Thank you! I follow him on Instagram and he does some wonderful work. I'm even more tempted to send my own camera out lol.

 

[jrose125]

No worries! If you're in North America like I am, it's quite a bit closer (and quicker) than the more well known Shueido and Kanto Camera as well - in addition to saving you a decent chunk of change.

Cheers!

 

[jrose125]

At last an update post:

Although I initially wanted my camera painted in High Gloss Enamel, I did specify that I wanted to try and get as close to the factory original lacquer as I could - Camerakote ended up persuading me (quite easily) to go for a semi-satin cerakote that according to them, matched the lustre of the original Leica enamel a bit more closely.

Overall I'm incredibly happy with the paintjob - The semi-satin cerakote has the perfect amount of gloss for my taste so I'm honestly pretty glad that I didn't go for a high gloss enamel. Going cerakote of course comes with the benefit of being a much more durable finish than enamel, although this means that I won't have to worry about brassing anytime in the near future (which I'm more than okay with)!

Here are some before and after pictures that I compiled in Flickr album, since I still can't seem to figure out years later how to properly attach images here:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWrxAQH

 

[Coldkennels]

Wow, that's a real improvement. Although, is it just me, or is there some scuffing on the right hand side of the top plate and around the left hand flash socket?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, how much did Camerakote charge? It really bothers me that there's no price guide on his site - not even ballpark numbers.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

That looks like a very nice paint job JR....& a very quick turn around time. The semi-satin finish does look nice. I never really cared for the high gloss MP black paint finish, as compared with the '60s/ early '70s black paint originals.

 

[jrose125]

Wow, that's a real improvement. Although, is it just me, or is there some scuffing on the right hand side of the top plate and around the left hand flash socket?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, how much did Camerakote charge? It really bothers me that there's no price guide on his site - not even ballpark numbers.

Yeah I didn't really notice until after I took the photos, it's really not that noticeable in person. Doesn't really bother me and I'm certainly not going to send it back across the pond.

It's not an absolutely perfect re-finishing but I think it's very very good, especially for the price (£600). This camera is with me forever, some very minor imperfections from the start just makes the next scratches easier to handle 😉

 

[jrose125]

That looks like a very nice paint job JR....& a very quick turn around time. The semi-satin finish does look nice. I never really cared for the high gloss MP black paint finish, as compared with the '60s/ early '70s black paint originals.

It almost took UPS longer to get it there (not happy about it) than it did for Aaron to paint it! Overall very happy with the job he did, wouldn't have an issue recommending him!

 

[bluesun267]

That M2 looks really gorgeous. And it is making me wonder how my IIIg would look...


I'm curious if anyone has heard of powder coating Leicas. It would seem to be an ideal finish in terms of durability, plus there are a lot of options for different finishes. Or is there something about it that makes it unsuitable for cameras?

 

[jrose125]

That M2 looks really gorgeous. And it is making me wonder how my IIIg would look...


I'm curious if anyone has heard of powder coating Leicas. It would seem to be an ideal finish in terms of durability, plus there are a lot of options for different finishes. Or is there something about it that makes it unsuitable for cameras?

Thank you! Also apparently I need to check RFF more often...

Camerakote specializes in Cerakoting which is what I had my M2 painted in - it doesn't have quite the same glossy shine as enamel but it is much more durable. Maybe something to look into? I'm unsure about powder coating personally. Cheers!