traditional black or colour?

[laptoprob]

So I finally dressed my 'new' IIf. I ordered the Wine Red embossed leather from Aki, just like my (now Jano's) M2 has.
When the leather arrived I was surprised how light coloured it looked but I dressed the IIf anyway.
Do I like it? Will I grow to love her like this? Or shall I change her robe to more traditional black?
The black beautyspot (slow speed cover) is something of special importance.

What do you think?

[back alley]

i like it!

now i'm glad i still have the m3 and can't wait for the purple snake to arrive.

[FrankS]

I like the dark brown leather look. It's somehow vintage and fits.

[35mmdelux]

looks nice. do you ever use it?

[jano]

If it's the same color as my M2 :D, then the color on these photos is a bit off.. the red is more subdued and darker and looks very good on the M2 (I've grown very attached to it), but I don't like it on this version of the leica here.

By the way.. I left the M2 in my backpack on the floor. Our water boiler/heater exploded and flooded the room, which soaked the backpack and got to the M2. It's working flawlessly.. and the water slightly stained the covering and it looks pretty good now :)

What's important about that black spot?

[VictorM.]

Looks like a Rooskie ho'. Too flashy and cheap. All it needs now is a tasteful layer of faux 'gold' plating.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Looks like a Rooskie ho'. Too flashy and cheap. All it needs now is a tasteful layer of faux 'gold' plating.
Hey, some people like hanging fuzzy dice from their cameras; all in the FSU style, anything goes, I say.

[VictorM.]

But I didn't mean it's ugly or anything...just jarring. Maybe I'm too Canadian. Maybe it would look good in a festive shade of gray.

[laptoprob]

Well, looks like my first hunch will be backed up by you. Not that it influences me, but this shows how one can hope for some effect but miss it completely. The colour is definetly different than Jano's M2 was when I dressed her in Wine Red. Don't know how she looks now, show us, Jano!
35mmdelux (do you also have a name), No not been used yet. Fitst I was awaiting lugs and skin, since I got my FED to another RFF'er in need and now I am awaiting a take-up spool.
This red is definetly brighter than the red I had before.
By now I have cleaned the chrome bits of the camera some more, staining the red, cleaning that rather violently thus ageing it and adding dark shoe-polish. Now it doesn't look shiny and cheap anymore, but old and used. Better.
The black spot is of importance because it is almost the only black on the camera and uselessly very present in looks.

Still, I think the black embossed pseudo-vulcanite will eventually bo on the camera.
Losing the smell of leather, sadly.

Thank you all so far.

[Kim Coxon]

Rob,
I have had several skins from Aki. I have had a wine red skin for a Zorki 1 which was a pleasant maroon colour.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zorki-1-Custom-Covering-Cowhide-Wine-Red-Snake-emboss_W0QQitemZ3845946482QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZVi ewItem

I also had a set of red Zorki 4 skins which are much more like yours. http://cgi.ebay.com/Zorki-4-4K-Custom-covering-kit-Cowhide-Red-Snake-Emboss_W0QQitemZ7534859832QQcategoryZ15234QQcmdZVi ewItem

I got those by mistake when I ordered some red croc ones. I contacted Aki and he send the proper ones and told me to keep the others. This "bright colour is OK for a Z4 but I would get a darker one for a Barnack.

Kim

[back alley]

like purple snake?

[harry01562]

I like the dark brown leather look. It's somehow vintage and fits.

Nice looking pair. I'll have to keep that color in mind when comes time to recover my M3.

Harry

[doubs43]

While my personal taste runs more traditional and I'd be happy with black leather, I must say that all of the re-skinned Leicas in this thread are very nice looking indeed. Differences in our tastes are what makes the world interesting.

Walker

[Stephanie Brim]

My goal is a very deep, dark red...don't know if I'm going to be able to find exactly what I want. :(

[Tom Harrell]

Dark brown or black for me.

[Gid]

Dark brown or black for me.

Same here - looks cool and expensive without attracting too much attention.

[scigeek]

Vulcanite for me.

[c.poulton]

Original vulcanite - understated and shows off the camera's history, like lines on a person's face..... :)

[Uncle Bill]

My M3 has the original Vulcanite and I am starting to get a bit of seperation on the back door. Since was my dad's I want to keep it sort of original, I would rather replace it with something that has the look and feel of vulcanite while at the same time being more durable. Yeah basic black. However, if I were to come into another M3 single stroke, M2, or M4 , the camera mechanically is in great shape and ready to go but the vulcanite is half gone. I will then get really funky. I am thinking brown leather with a mock croc pattern.

Bill

[doubs43]

FYI - I emailed Aki late last night asking about coverings for the Leica III, IIIa & IIIb. Within TWO MINUTES I had an answer! (Amazing!) He plans to offer coverings for the III & IIIa "soon". Of course, any covering that fits the III & IIIa will also fit the IIIb.

I had planned to cut my own cover from leather for my late father's IIIa but now I'm going to wait for Aki's offerings.

Walker

[reagan]

I like the dark brown leather look. It's somehow vintage and fits.Ditto, I like the dark brown. Second choice - black. Old school, I guess. When my wife and I lived in Mexico, there were some neighborhoods we really enjoyed occasionally just driving through. Each house was painted a different [rather bright] color, just street after street. We thought they were beautiful... and fun! But when we painted our own house ~ naaa, earth tones for us.

I like seeing what others create on their cameras and often comment my sincere enjoyment at the colors. There are some real originals here done very nicely IMHO. But for the cameras I [get to/have to] look at every day, I guess I'm more conservative.

[laptoprob]

Maybe I will cut my own skin from cowhide. With hairs I mean. Might be difficult to fit but very nice.
Or the black vulca-like I got as second from Aki.

[Ken Ford]

I think you need a nice houndstooth check, like the seat covers on a '72 Dodge Dart Swinger!

[laptoprob]

Huh? Do you mean you let your lovely avatar dog eat at your car seats or your camera? :confused:

[harry01562]

It appears we are mostly a conservative group. I've always liked the feel of the vulcanite, and think that it should be replaced only if damaged or unsightly.

That said, I'd probably go with a nicely textured black, or maybe something in a dark brown. I'm another one of the conservative group, obviously.

Just have to save up for one of those gorgeous cases from Luigi..... that's where to get the color!

Harry

[x-ray]

My wife has taught me to like colors where colors might not be normally used. She talked me into this bright red MP and I love the color. I wouldn't mind other colors now.

[billwheeler]

Black calls least attention to itself--so, for me, it would be black. Bill

[Gordon Coale]

I went with red on my FED 2. It looks great but after awhile I find it a bit much. Maybe it's the retina burns. It's not what you would call a stealth camera. My Zorki 3M and Leica IIIc will probably eventually be recovered and it most likely will be black. They will be close up cameras with a 35mm lens on the IIIc and 50mm lenses on the Zorki. I'm setting up the 85mm J9 on the FED 2 so it needn't be quite so stealthy. That way I don't mind keeping the FED red and everyone with a FED should have a red FED.

[reagan]

"Maybe I will cut my own skin from cowhide. With hairs I mean. Might be difficult to fit..."LOL!! And once you've got it installed lke you want it, you might just go ahead and BRAND your name on it to discourage thieves. ;)

edit: ...and Gordon, I've always liked your RED FED. http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

[MelanieC]

I don't have a screw mount camera but I had to add my vote to the "basic black" contingent. Now that I think about it most of my clothes are black too.

On the other hand, I have a Canonet I'm going to try to fix myself and while the leatherette covering (? is that what it is?) is currently in good shape I imagine after I'm throught it'll be toast. I might go for something a little bit outre if I recover that one. Maybe green -- I'm a sucker for a nice deep dark green. I'd never cover the M3 in anything but black, though, and prefer the original vulcanite to leather.

[back alley]

i have an oly 35rc that has been recovered in real leather and it feels fabulous.

i look forward to the purple snake skin and hope it is dark in hue. i like the idea of the m3 being non black but i don't want too flashy or bright a colour either.

aki is sending a second set as the first one hasn't arrived.

joe

[SteveM(PA)]

i have an oly 35rc that has been recovered in real leather and it feels fabulous.

joe

Joe, have you ever posted a pic of your beleathered 35rc? Sounds cool.

[SteveM(PA)]

i have an oly 35rc that has been recovered in real leather and it feels fabulous.

joe

Joe, have you ever posted a pic of your beleathered 35rc? It was an Aki kit I assume? Sounds cool.

[back alley]

'Joe, have you ever posted a pic of your beleathered 35rc? It was an Aki kit I assume? Sounds cool.'

i have but i'm always pleased to show it off gain.

it was not an aki kit but a complete re-do by hand by one of our own here on the forum, greyhoundman.

joe

[laptoprob]

Oh yes... the feel of leather on a camera is incomparable. My absolute favorite. The IIf will remain reddish for the time being. I aged the leather with a very fine abrasive and added shoe polish, so it is not so bright anymore.
The cowhide plan was serious, but cows are not made for gripping... :D I am too afraid of dropping the camera.
Maybe some other leather comes along. I am not that fond of the vulca-like composite I got from Aki as 2nd. set.

Thanks for all your thoughts and experiences.

[pvdhaar]

This bold red is really a statement камрад.. I'm sure it won't go unnoticed in the streets. That said, I don't think it's bad, though personnaly I'd prefer a darker/deeper red..