Leica LTM What would be a fair offer?

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Greyscale

Greyscale

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I have recently come into a moderate inheritance, and have been offered the opportunity to purchase a Leica IIIc and several lenses that belonged to the father of a friend, but have no idea what to offer. All the equipment is in excellent (non-CLA) condition.

Carl Zeiss Jena Biogon f:2,8 f=3.5cm
Leitz Elmar f=5cm 1:3,5
Leitz Wetzlar Elmar f=9cm 1:4
Nikkor-P.C 1:2 f=85cm

The IIIc and 5cm Elmar seems to be a pretty common combo, and eBay "sold" prices indicate that $350 should be a good offer for just those. But info seems more scarce on the others, especially the CZJ and Nikkor examples, in M39 mount, at least. I don't want to take advantage of my friend, but I do not want to be taken advantage of either. And would it be redundant to purchase both the Nikkor 8.5cm and the Elmar 9cm lenses?

All of this equipment was purchased by his dad around 1946.
 
On the other hand, if that is a real 1945 ltm biogon, then $1000 would be a fair offer for the kit.
 
When I googled it I found an eBay auction

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WWII-Carl...379&pid=100039&prg=1011&rk=1&sd=271115398571&

with this description:

Listed is 1x *EXTREMELY RARE* Carl Zeiss Jena 3.5cm f/2.8 lens (#2713699) manufactured in 1943 and modified in 1945 to the imperial system measurement system of feet (instead of the standard metric system). This is an extremely rare lens and less than 50 of these were converted in 1945. The sale includes the original leather and felt Carl Zeiss Jena lens cap but the lens does not feature its original rear lens cap. The lens has been verified by Tom Eitnier and inspected by Marc James Small and Peter Coeln of LeicaShop and WestLicht Photographica Auction.

The lens, a 2.8/3.5cm Carl Zeiss Jena Biogon with serial number #2713699, is from a batch of 2,000 such lenses originally intended for Contax RF bayonet-mount; the #271xxxx serial number Biogon is the ONLY series that was ever used during WW2 for Leica Screw Mount lenses; on the innermost rear element ring, the number #699 is engraved. 400 of these lenses were converted to Leica LTM thread mount in production and completed on 18th March, 1943. At the end of the war, many senior U.S. military officers were able to obtain imperial-converted lenses direct from the Carl Zeiss and Leica factories. This lens was converted to imperial measurement (feet) sometime between July and August 1945. It is an extremely rare lens and Peter Coeln himself said he had never seen this lens before but had only read about it.
 
Does the lens have a serial number beginning with 271 ?

I have to step back because I have no clue about such rare gear, and let more knowledgeable people step in.
 
Unfortunately, the serial number begins with 311.


Or maybe fortunately for me, as I likely won't have to pay collectors price for a rarity?
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carl-Zeis...matoriale_e_professionale&hash=item4d08fd707f

In Contax mount.



"Exc++ condition for this Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm F:2.8 Biogon T (rare heavy war time version), it can't be used with the Contax IIA and IIIA).
It's in working order, some little oil on the blades. The serial number is very very nice, 2672984.
There are some cleaning marks, some dust inside and a little "fog"."

EURO 299 for lens

The LTM version should be worth more money. Maybe $600?
 
You should offer the fair price suggested above then you won't lose anything if the Zeiss turns out to be a Russian copy. If your friend were to want a "collector's price" like the ebay seller he'd have to hawk it around the experts mentioned in the auction for verification and then try to find a buyer prepared to take his word for it. For the extra your friend is likely to get it is unlikely to be worth the hassle, so I suspect they'd rather take your offer and everyone will be happy. Good luck!
 
Yes, this is very important. The green light from the She-who-must-be-obeyed will save you lots of headache later on.
 
The biogon is a real Jena postwar lens. A few thousands (2000 I think) were made, less rare than the wartime one (400 made in ltm). Still an uncommon lens.

FYI I myself have recently paid 450 usd for a good wartime LTM biogon.
 
gb hill said:
Perhaps it's time to sell off some of the shelf queens. Camera's, not the wife.:D
Don't forget you have a nice canon Rf kit that needs a CLA.;)
Click to expand...

I already have approval from the higher power for the Canon CLA :)

Shelf queens? I use them all ...eventually. You've SEEN my photostream ;-)
 
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