Leica LTM Seeking a III

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
D

dont45

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Off and on over the past several years I've tried to find a WWII or pre-war leica and have always stopped short of buying, mostly due to confusion and lack of knowledge. I want a nice one of this era which I can use a little.

My only experience is with a pre-war (??) which I borrowed on occasion from my German roommate during college. I wound up with several M's but never owned an LTM.

I've read lots of the posts here and have learned a lot but still have a ways to go.

What about this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350087059965

Any advice greatly appreciated.😕
 
She's a beauty,
The only problem is that the price will climb because of collectible value.
I think the best III's around for using are the IIIc or IIIf. also some 20 years younger.
But I have a III like this one (not in that condition though) and the black paint is gorgeous.
Youxin have CLA'd it and replaced the curtains, and I enjoy shooting it from time to time,
A 75 years old camera mind you...
 
If you are interested in a pre-war Leica I'd find a IIIa. The older ones such as in your link will bring high collector price.

A post war IIIc is an even better camera..The IIIf would be good if you'll need flash sync..
 
Wearing my repairers hat I would recommend a postwar IIIc (400,000 to 525,000) unless you were really wanting flash synch. This series of Leicas are the simplest and strongest for everyday use, and if serviced by a competent repairer should give twenty years of reliable service. Unfortunately the curtains are often shot because I have been told they used an inferior Swiss material well into IIIf production, but with new curtains you would have a virtually new camera. The wartime production are almost as good as postwar, but Leitz were still refining the design.
 
I've owned a couple of straight III's and loved them both (these days I own and use a IIIc).

They are precisely-made, compact, beautifully engineered Leica's and I highly recommend them if you want the LTM classic experience. The main thing to be sure of is that the shutter curtains are clean and light tight in all respects, otherwise you'll need to spend $200 or thereabouts to replace them (which is good to do if you think the camera is worth it). If you can't trust the seller to validate the shutter curatins look at them or a photo of them. If the curtains have wrinkles, or are 'dry', a shutter curtain replacement is almost certainly necessary. If they are smooth, clean, and supple, there may still be some pin holes, but they most likely are usable or at least patchable. Many Leica III's have had their curtains replaced sometime in their life and these are the desirable ones.
 
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I love mine. Steampunk with the scnoo on the right is in my bag everyday. At lunch time I turn it into a point and shoot- scale focus, with a 50 brightline finder. They are sweet little cameras. When I need to focus more accurately or in low light, I'll bring an M. Or when I want to use the 75 summilux. Great value when you can find one with some paint rubbed off.

From the huge thread on them:
attachment.php
 
Mike - nice set! I remember seeing one of these when you picked up the Summarit (how did that lens work out for you, BTW?).

I have a couple of IIIf's - a black-dial and a red-dial, the latter touched up by Youxin - and I really like them. Lately I have been shooting them more than my M-mount bodies (except for the R-D1). A nice IIIf won't cost you much (they made a whole lot of them) and will last you until your eyesigth fails.
 
I have a black Leica Standard that is the basic Leica with its Elmar. It is great for "unwinding" with the minimum technical complexity.
 
I have a black paint 75 year old Leica II that I had Youxin remove a flash sync from that some fool had mounted on the front of the camera next to the lens mount and got him to recover it and CLA it. What a lovely little camera and I actually prefer the separate round rangefinder and viewfinder windows ... they look much nicer and are no more trouble to use than the later design.

I've used it a few times with my 15mm Heliar and appropriate finder on it and it's a very small super wide shooter in that guise! It's an amazing looking little rig with this setup on it! 😛

IMG_3199.jpg
 
That is a beautiful looking II,Keith,and good to hear it's being used.About the only early screwmount R/F Leica I use regularly is a rebuilt III that sits on a MOOLY.
If I had the computer skills I would post a picture of it.
 
Charles Woodhouse said:
That is a beautiful looking II,Keith,and good to hear it's being used.About the only early screwmount R/F Leica I use regularly is a rebuilt III that sits on a MOOLY.
If I had the computer skills I would post a picture of it.
Click to expand...


Hi Charles,

I find it amazing that a current generation CV lens and finder can be used on a camera three quarters of a century old ... rangefinde camera design is evolutionary to say the least! 😛
 
Hi Keith, I think it's absolutely bloody marvellous that these cameras are not only still being used, but that Cosina has had the wit to realise there is still a market for a new generation of lenses and finders for them.
Also in a post in reply to Raid I put in a typo! Rather than a Mickey Mouse
Leica III, the camera I was writing about was a black 1936 Standard. Hence a
fixed aperture and scale focusing.
 
Charles Woodhouse said:
Hi Keith, I think it's absolutely bloody marvellous that these cameras are not only still being used, but that Cosina has had the wit to realise there is still a market for a new generation of lenses and finders for them.
Also in a post in reply to Raid I put in a typo! Rather than a Mickey Mouse
Leica III, the camera I was writing about was a black 1936 Standard. Hence a
fixed aperture and scale focusing.
Click to expand...

Hi Charles,

Now I know why you mentioned a Mickey Mouse camera! You did not mean to.

My Leica Standard has the external 50mm finder removed and replaced by a second accessory shoe. While a collector may frown upon this adjustment, but I find it to be more useful since now I can use an external viewfinder and if needed, an external rangefinder with longer lenses.
 
Hi Raid, about four days ago I mentioned a black Leica III with an Elmar. I meant a Standard.
What a drag it is getting older! I've never used any of my blsck III's. Mickey Mouse is an Aussie term meaning extremely good - hell knows why.
 
I have twin 1st / 2nd batch , '32 / ' 33 black , nickel , Leica II with Elmars.
They were not inexpensive though , in good condition with some marks , but no dints .
I recently used a CV 35 / f 2.5 on one of 'em [ chrome looks a little odd ] with results indestinguishable from a CLA Leica IIIc of 1949 / 50 .

I would not part with them for anything .
 
Thanks for all the input. I wound up winning the III on ebay from my original post. It's being delivered today so lets keep our fingers crossed. So far, all my ebay experiences have been great, and from the photos of this one I hope that continues.

Keith, I love yours with the heliar. I have that lens for my M8 so it will be my first setup.

Now I'm looking for a Nickel Elmar 50 from the same period (1935 or so). It never ends!

thanks again
 
Hi Don

Congratulations, that's what I call a start into the LTM scene! If I see right yours is a nickel version, just like my 1933 black III, so you now need a nickel lens...and those require extra $ to be spent in comparison to the chrome ones. A professional Leica dealer on E-Bay currently has a nickel Summar that was overhauled after the war , coated lenses and condition 1! Not cheap but it would fit your camera like no other...
http://cgi.ebay.de/Leica-scremount-Lens-2-5cm-Summar-Nickel-with-coated-gl_W0QQitemZ350089983953QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350089983953&_trkparms=72%3A823%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Have a look!

cheers
Uwe

PS: I am not the seller!!!
 
Hi Uwe,
Yes, I finally did it after a couple of years. I received the III today, along with a Summitar from Adorama. They are both just spectacular. It's just hard to imagine that they are more than 75 years old. Even the leather case looks like it's from the 70's (it may be much newer than the camera). Everything seems to work, so tomorrow I'll shoot a roll of TriX to check it all out.
I do want to get a nickel lens but have been looking for an Elmar. I don't know the age of the Summitar but I'm sure it's much newer.
The Nickel Summar is very costly. Is this price reasonable? As you all say, this is real Gas!

thanks again,
 
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