Pimp my classical Rangefinder

[ISO]

I thought this might be a nice thread for a sunday. Show us photos, how you "pimped" your classical Rangefinder. (Leather Jobs, Paint Jobs, Side Grips or Winders...)

I sent this Minolta 7 into the race. Nothing special on this one, but I like the outside and grip more with this brown leather.... I think it is quiet nice now... Ready to see yours... THX

[erikhaugsby]

The only way I would ever pimp my M2 would be by adding an internal light meter. Matters of external appearance are trivial on a Leica.

[radiocemetery]

Hey ISO,
Very stylish Minolta. I always like to see something other than black and chrome all the time. I have a couple of projects underway involving paint and leather. Will post when done.
Steve

[dovi]

How do you refinish a camera body?
Sounds like an interesting sub-hobby!

[Farace]

I'm seriously considering recovering one of my Konica Auto S2s with something wild from www.cameraleather.com. And although not a rangefinder, I think my black FS-1 would look cool with their red snakeskin.

[radiocemetery]

Dovi,
I wanted to make a black Olympus 35RC. The head bartender here says on his site that Olympus never made one, so I decided to try it since I had a user condition RC on hand. Just to check I first tried painting right over the chrome plating and I found out that everyone was right... paint does not stick to chrome. I stripped the chrome chemically using muriatic acid and got the chrome off and some of the nickel that usually is used as a base for the chrome. Anyway, the body was masked, primed and then color coated, and I cut my own leather from an old pigskin camera bag. I like the results, will have to post some pics. if I can borrow a digital cam.

Steve

[ISO]

black Olympus 35 RC (very nice) and other BP cameras here....

http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~tomys800/sub4.html

...but I want to see your cameras....

[dazedgonebye]

My Moskva 5 got a sort of inadvertant pimping.
I sent it to Certo6 for a new bellows. I asked for red. He got my order mixed up with someone else's and replaced the cover leather with red as well.
I've since sold this one to another member here.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/280877629_4bf1605462_o.jpg

[radiocemetery]

ISO,
Thanks for the link. Now I want to know more about that Topcon rangefinder that I saw on that site. Hope to get some pics up if my daughter will bring her D70s (evil digital SLR) over to help me out.
Steve