Body colour is meaningless really, although I am a sucker for brassing and nickel fittings. :)

Here`s a shot of my very late production 1946 Leica IIIC "Half Race" bearing wartime stepped rewind platform bodied camera (from my avatar) with a same year date (coated) Elmar f3.5 50mm in a really nice Black case with that FISON hood......takes wonderful photos and also doubles as a great Retro prop for my models :)
*thats the beautiful Giana Bella* who`s one of my Florida Muses - stay tuned for more pix with her in the future (artistic nudes with the Canon f1.5)- and in about two weeks I`ll be paring this Leica up with a Canon f1.5 50mm I just bought complete with caps, UV filter and hood - photos coming soon!

One more, thanks to seeing some scrawlings in a book I've bought off Ebay...
Attachment 47269

Sadly, I had to chop some stuff off about something called "Rodinal". :(

Still waiting for my IIf to return from Olig's Spa. Then my father's 1936 Leica III will go to daughter with the 2 duplicate lenses, now that she's decided she does want it.

*sigh*

Why did I have to come from an Instamatic family?

Don't feel bad when I turned 16 my dad gave me his 1956 Stutabaker Champion flat six that ran on 4 cylinders on a good day.

Edit: OK, it's Studebaker not Stutabaker. Maybe he thought anyone who spelled as badly as I should not have any grandiose expectations about their future.

Custom black paint IIIc with 21mm f/4 CV Color-Skopar lens and finder

Attachment 47657

Nice, colyn. Very nice.

That looks faintly menacing, Colyn. Possibly the chrome R/F windows.

Here`s an up to date photo of my 1946 "Half Race" Leica IIIC Chrome
in a aftermarket halfcase with my "Mistress" of a lens that wonderful f1.5 Canon 50mm
with UV and original hood - Enjoy!

Tom

I bought a 1945 Half Race no.394455,from a bloke in England in January.The number I quoted is the frame number.The camera was such a mess that I decided to skeletonise it to show the internal workings (Schnitt or cut,the Germans call it), and fit it with red curtains like the earlier IIIc's. I had no regrets about cutting out the top of the mismatched top plate to show the workings of the rangefinder.
Anyway my point is that when I dismantled the camera I found it was one of those scarce unmarked 1945 Full Race cameras,and the only way of telling is to remove the top plate.

Well, I just got some info`s from Germany on my"Half Race" camera.

I was just told my camera was from a special order for the US Army
delivered on February 13th 1946 cameras #397208-397519
(mine is in the beginning of the 200 series numbers)
another one #397278 was sold like 2 days ago in the UK for $500

The latest number I`ve ever seen is #397494 is was a modified camera with black paint

My camera will NEED a CLA very soon, I want to get some detailed photos of the camera once it`s been taken apart, it`s nearly mint - (but) the rewind knob is very tight and I`m sure there`s some film chips in the bottom of the camera etc.

I was always after a LATE rewind stepper camera, not really knowing that they too have an interesting history and a strange build story, now mine`s a little bit more special to me, it`s a beauty but I STILL love to use it, it`s not going to gather dust at all and after the CLA it will get used even more:)

Tom

my IIIc
 

Here is my newest member of the family, a gorgeous IIIc converted to IIIf with a
W. A. Astra 35mm 3.5 lens. Still testing her out.

My Leica IIIa (1936/1937) with 5cm Elmar f/16 lens (1946)

Pardon the quick snapshot...my aging digital nearing the end of its lifecycle

This is my first original Leica after having owned and broken 3 escaped-from-tractor-factory ones.

I have had it for about 2 weeks now and in the process of running my first film through it (Adox CHS 100)

There's 9cm Elmar f/4 on the way for it, as well as a Vidom Viewfinder.



Body no. 229633
Lens no. 632526

Both are a little worse for wear, with the chrome getting thin here and there. But I wanted a camera to use, and not a collector's piece to store and cherish in a display case.

A camera which looks used is always more to be trusted than one which appears to have spent its life sitting.

This is my newly deserved Barnack Leica, the oldest of my 60+ camera collection... I loooove her!

It was 265 USD with the coated Summar lens, not including the SBOOI viewfinder. Why bother with fakes at this low price levels? Actually it was cheaper than most of my Canon RF's. It works nicely at all speeds (1-1/500s) - as opposed to my Contax-II of the same era. I loaded a 400ASA Ilford B&W film. Now I understand the fascination of the small Barnack Leica at least a bit..

This is probably the camera where the 1.4/50 Canon looks best on as well...

Will see how bad the pictures with the Summar will come out; keep an eye for a coated Summitar for a perfect user Barnack Leica...

Sonnar2,

Particularly nice to see the 'black rim' Summar.

Don't see them too often. I have one also that is coated and first four digits of serial number are the same as yours.

Will post pics in a few days

Michael

Do I see the shutter cocked and set to 1/40 while also having the slow speed dial set at 1/8? I hope not.:(

Beautiful camera by the way.

In the meantime I've got my first B&W film through (400ASA, whichs allows using at f/9 mainly) and they came out quite well!
The shutter sounds very smooth and seems to work precise except for the 1s.

Here is my currently "naked" IIIf RD ST. I'm waiting for a leather cover for it.
I'm still shooting with it though (waste not want not.) I'm using a Canon 1.8 lens and VC II on it.

Is it hard to remove the covering? I'm thinking of replacing the covering of my IIIf as well.

I've removed three over the last couple of years. They were all very hardened, like thick, black, smelly tortilla chips. ;) They came off easily, one in an almost complete single piece; the others in chipped pieces. The old glue must be sanded/rubbed off afterwards. No biggie.

I see. Thanks! I don't have the cash for it now, after splurging on two lenses, but I'm thinking of one in the future. My IIIf deserves it. ;)

If you do the work, alternatve, the covering itself is not expensive.

Here's my IIIf with it's new covering :) Can't wait to take it out tomorrow

I didn't take off the covering myself; Youxin Xe who CLAd it, did. He said something about heating the covering to remove it? not sure myself ...

Working on some lighting stuff, so I thought the old CRR-Luton blackpainted IIIf would be a cool subject.

This must be the legendary White Dial IIIf.

Say hello to my little friend...
 

My new toy, a 1939 III (IIIa conversion), with my old beater 1937 Elmar 90/4.

Menge Meier!

That`s wunderschone :D

How much did that paintjob put you back and how long did you wait for it?

I`d like to have a Postwar IIIC "user" painted black like that someday

Tom

I have a link about my new paint job, post here again just to let more members to say hello to my new toys :

True. In fact I would have bought a black post-war Leica instead of my black II of 1935 if I could get ahold of one!

But here in Germany no "serious" Leica-owner would think about a paint job for the holy legend. It could lose some € in worth, because it has lost it's originality! :)

No I agree on the originality ideals, BUT and here comes the BUT, since I can`t find a Leitz Eigenturm black 1946' IIIC and I`m not a SERIOUS collector , so
I`d want a "beater" camera anyway for a repaint :)

I think a late 45'/46' "Half Race" or a mid 46' post 400000+ camera that`s been converted to IIIF BD is the PERFECT black paint camera.....while that too isn`t really original anymore either, well it`s just for ME anyway , for an expensive and classy looking USER :p
*and every Luton repaint IIIC/IIIF I`ve even seen sold sells for at least $500+ so there`s not too much investment lost*

Tom

PS: I mean I would`nt restore a IIIC K "Grey" either *unless* like 70% or more of the paint`s gone/brassed away and the vulcanite`s totally fallen off.....because that`s just plain ugly condition
(a camera like that is out there someplace and I would put some $$$ into it for a restoration, because I would`nt mind having a freshly painted and restored CLA`d Leica IIIC K to work with.....)

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and came across via Google as I was searching for exactly the term above. I inherited a Leica IIIc and I am currently in search of information about it. Comments and Feedback welcome, regards from Germany :)

Hallo Hallo!

aaahhhh nochmals schone schone!

That`s a very rare Wermacht "Kugellager" Leica IIIC K Grey Paint 1943/44 issue, please go read my thread, I have one of it`s cousins (a 1945 US Army issued one)

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=45057

I`m also sending you a private message

Grusse aus Florida

Tom

Methinks this one will get a few hearts 'a flutter...!

Michael

I just had the chance to get some new photos of the "grey beauty".

@LeicaTom: thanks for the great information you provided to me about the IIIcK's. I learned a lot the last days :)

New to me....
 

Attachment 49485 My first LTM as a user!

My IIf RD

Tolle Kamera. Pass auf damit. Das Ding ist ein Haufen Geld wert.


Alles Gute,

Harry Lime

PS:

Here is the contact information for James L. Lager of the Leica Historical Society of America. He is probabaly the foremost authority on these cameras. Perhaps you can send him the serial number and he will have more information.

James L. Lager
Leica Researcher and Historian
E-mail: jlager@bellatlantic.net
Phone: 201-768-5426

Well, I just found and bought a "project" Leica IIIC

a perfect candidate for a everyday USER

http://cgi.ebay.com/LEICA-IIIC-35MM-...QQcmdZViewItem

A very very late "Half Race" stepper rewind camera #3974xx from the
February 13th, 1946 Leitz factory order
(My other "Half Race" IIIC is also from that same day`s order)

I`m having second thought`s about having this camera painted, it`s still on it`s way in the mail, if the chrome`s really really nice, I`m going to LEAVE it alone and just have it recovered and new curtains and a full CLA.....

I`ll let everyone know what I decide when I receive it from the mail

Tom