Leica LTM The IIIf that shot Che Guevara...

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
A lot of money for a bread and butter red dial IIIf, but then again it was used by Korda for his famous Che photo.
 
The famous portrait of Che Guevara was shot with an M2 and a 90mm lens.

This IIIf only belonged to the photographer Korda (if true), but did not make the famous picture. So what is so special about it?

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
The famous portrait of Che Guevara was shot with an M2 and a 90mm lens.

This IIIf only belonged to the photographer Korda (if true), but did not make the famous picture. So what is so special about it?

Erik.
Click to expand...

You and presspass are very possibly right.

Now that you mention it, I do have a dim memory of reading about Korda and that it was a Leica lll or llla with a beat-up 9cm Elmar lens that he used for that famous photo.

Either way, what is then so special about that RD lllf?
 
It was shot with a 111c. I have that camera, but I'm willing to sell it if the price is right.
The provenance is watertight. I bought it from a bloke called Korda in a pub in London. Right after the famous shot became famous :D .
 
to quote the listing

"My father actively used this camera in the fifties and sixties and kept it the rest of his life. That's why it's likely that my father took with this camera "

so it might be the camera............. and maybe not
 
Che's personal disdain for Korda is common knowledge. He believed Korda did not pull his weight in supporting the Revolution and was too focused on his photography.

The incident of Korda's attempt to photograph Che cutting sugar cane was one such. Che who tried to lead by example always spent the first day of sugar cane season out in the field with a machete. Korda, appeared with his camera sensing a great photo. Che asked Korda if he had ever cut sugar cane. Upon hearing no, Che handed Korda a machete and told him that after he had spent a week cutting cane, he could photograph Che doing the same. Korda never got his photo of Che with a machete. Fidel was more tolerant as Korda did make a photo of Fidel cutting cane.
 
"I remember his staring over the crowd on 23rd street," Korda says. Staring up, he was struck by Guevara's expression which he says showed, "absolute implacability," as well as anger and pain. Korda was shooting a Leica M2 loaded with Plus-X film and had a 90mm Leica telephoto lens mounted on it. He managed to take just two frames -- one vertical and one horizontal -- before Che stepped away."

http://www.imaging-resource.com/new...-story-behind-the-iconic-image-of-che-guevara

There are many testimonials that it was an M2.

Erik.
 
Hi,

I'm not sure what the famous photo is but on the front of one of Leica's famous catalogues is a greatly enlarged half tone of Che. The catalogue is entitled "LEICA M How revolutionary should your camera be?" and was published in 1999.

Inside it say it (Che's portrait) was taken with a 90mm lens and Korda's M2 on the 6th March 1960.

Th catalogue is about the M6 and "glass, brass and steel" lots of pretty pictures in it and about 60 pages.

Regards, David
 
scigeek said:
It was shot with a 111c. I have that camera, but I'm willing to sell it if the price is right.
The provenance is watertight. I bought it from a bloke called Korda in a pub in London. Right after the famous shot became famous :D .
Click to expand...

...and you paid a good price mate. I spent the money on wine and women and wasted the rest.
 
One thing for certain someone will want it and pay a huge sum for the privilege, even if it is just a 'normal' IIIf
 
Dralowid said:
...and you paid a good price mate. I spent the money on wine and women and wasted the rest.
Click to expand...

George Best:

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
 
Auction ends in four days and it's at EUR 2700 currently. The reserve is off, in case anyone wants to join in :D

It'll be interesting to see how much it fetches.
 
ChrisLivsey said:
George Best:

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
Click to expand...

Well perhaps I should apologise for a misquote of homeric proportions...didn't realise it was uttered by Mr Best but happy that it was.

For those who are interested I shall be bringing to the market George's own personal Instamatic 200 (with flash) in the next week or two. This is the legendary camera that took the famous series of pictures inside Annabel's the night before some northern derby. I could go on....and on...
 
Weeelp, It finally went for 18K Euro. Some poor sap got shafted.

People contacted Catawiki telling them the error in the description.
Catawiki stated they would contact Dante Korda and possibly remove the auction...
as that didn't happen, my assumptions about catawiki are confirmed.
They're crooks.
 
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