Should I buy this IIF

[benkaf]

An office mate of mine has had this Leica IIF with a Summitar 5cm f2.0 sitting in a drawer for over 40 years. He got it from an elderly neighbor, with a really interesting back-story. That aside, I've never owned a Leica and would be interested in purchasing this from my colleague. We both want to agree on a fair price. I've looked on ebay and found these going for around 200-250 for the body and about the same for the lens, but wanted to solicit some feedback about this specific camera.

It looks very clean, except someone tried to scratch the Leica name on top for some reason.

I can not figure out how to adjust the shutter speed past 1/40. It rotates easily from B to 1/40, but just won't go past that.

I removed the lens and looked through. The material on the cloth seems crackled, but intact.

Pictures attached here.

My colleague is letting me take it home to see if I can shoot with it. There's a roll of film in there (40 years!) which I hope will develop. I'll try to shoot a new roll this weekend, but never shot a Leica before!

Thanks in advance for advice and input.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lkafka/sets/72157649208025517/

 

[Erik van Straten]

The lens looks OK, but I wouldn't buy the camera because of the damage on top. No one in the whole wide world can repair this damage. The shutter can be repaired, but it is not worth it because of the damage on top.

Erik.

 

[Blind_spark]

The curtains are definitely dried out - they will more likely than not leak light and the photos will be affected.

I've seen damage/defacing to top plates like that before - it was usually inflicted at a border crossing by the camera's owner to prevent having to pay customs officials to bring the camera across such lines. Interesting stories aside, if you plan to use it you'll have to be willing to shell out a couple hundred on top of your agreed price to get it into working order, so keep that in mind.

As far as changing the speeds (if you are unfamiliar), you may only do so with the shutter advanced and by lifting the dial up to turn it to another setting. Trying to change them before cocking the shutter, besides being inaccurate for setting, may do damage the mechanisms.

All that aside, that's a nice looking lens - the Summitar is a fantastic performer! If you can get the lens (with or without the body) for a good price, you can probably find a better condition camera body!


Lastly, I wouldn't hold my breath for a 40yo roll of film! =)


There are good tutorial videos on YouTube for thread-mount Leicas. Best of luck!

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

What a shame that someone defaced the top of that fine looking camera. I can understand people scribing their names in the bottom plate if they intend to keep the camera forever, but eventually they all get passed on sooner or later.

 

[Robert Lai]

Do not buy. This camera will be an endless money pit.
It is possible to purchase replacement tops / bottom plates and other items. However, they usually come from salvaging cameras such as this.


Last year I sold a beautifully restored (by Don Goldberg) IIF red dial which was unmarked, and it had a new beamsplitter. It was the most contrasty RF that I've seen short of my M7. I sold that for about $250 on ebay. So, far better deals are out there.

 

[Vics]

I bought a beautiful IIF body from KEH in BGN condition last year for $300. It looked brand new to me. I don't have any idea about that lens though.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

FYI: collectiblend.com for camera and lens prices. Ebay is not the best source for prices. Much on ebay depends on the reputation of the seller and how well he/she photographs the item. I agree: The lens looks good. But, does it stick when focusing or changing the f/stops? Personally, I would not buy the body.

 

[bucs]

If there are no problems with the lens then offer a price for it. Shine a light through it to make sure everything is marginally ok. Slight haze may be presernt but is normal for a lens like that especially when it was stored for decades.

Ask for the body for free. Yes It no longer holds any collector value but if you want to try the experience of shooting an old barnack then have it repaired. Will set you back a couple of hundred. A good candidate for a user camera you can bring anywhere. If that's too expensive for you then keep it as a parts camera.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

If you don't know - RTFM! IIf-IIIf manual is availible on-line.
It is IIf Red Dial 1/500, simple and easy to use. Not so popular among Leica snobs and due to this one of the cheapest Leicas you could find to take pictures with. I purchaised one year ago like this, but working perfectly.
I paid 195 for it. Installed new skin and sold it after using it for 165. Nobody wanted it here, or on e-bay for 200.
Your buddy IIf RD cost is next to nothing. It is trashed on exterior and it has curtain(s) for replacement. You are looking at $250 at least and we don't know if RF is OK or it is dead.

Summitar is nice lens, check for scratches and fungus, if none it is $200 +.
I have it before, sold it because it was too heavy for my taste.

Sorry, it doesn't looks like treasure in the chest, but something to bring back to be alive.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Shame about the defacing on the top plate.

It looks like it will need curtains.

That probably knocks the value of the body down to around $100 or so.

The lens is probably in the $200-$300 range, IF there are no scratches / heavy cleaning marks.

While the camera may have little or no collector value due to the defacing of the Leica name ( which could be made to look better with some careful polishing ), it could be repaired to be a fine shooting camera.

You could spend $200 on a cosmetically decent body and STILL have to invest in a CLA and new curtains....

 

[goamules]

Leica barnack bodies are extremely cheap now. I passed up a couple at the antique show this weekend, people still think they're a $500 camera. Sorry, with millions made, yet almost no one shooting film, they are $100 or $150 dollar cameras now. I'd pay more for a Nicca anyway. All of those I've handled have needed no CLA.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Well, this fall I bought a very nice Nicca III, that unfortunately needs curtains.

But it was worth it to get the Nikkor 50 mm lens in LTM...

( I will eventually get the curtains done, probably by Youxin Ye. )


Wonder how many of us would actually let our Barnacks go for $100-$150... 🙄

 

[ray*j*gun]

I would pass on the body. A Summitar is a nice lens and if it is in need of service factor in that cost.

 

[Particular]

My IIIc has similar top plate scratches. I really don't mind, because it makes me not feel so precious about it.
Other than the scratches this IIf looks really clean. It will need work done, especially on the shutter, so calculate that into the cost. Once it is repaired it will be a really fun camera to shoot, and if as you say it has a good story attached to it, all the better.
I would judge the value, not in terms of resale, but in terms of pleasure it gives.

 

[benkaf]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all your good advice (especially RTFM) 🙂 There's a lot of Leica wisdom here.

I decided to buy the camera with the lens and my colleague accepted $275 for it. I know that it will cost north of $200 for a CLA and curtain work, but after that I can shoot a Leica and see if it's something I enjoy. My colleague gets to know that the camera has a good home, I get a shooting Leica for the price of the lens and a CLA, and I didn't have to pay any shipping costs. So it's good all around.