Another new member of the darkside.

Mohan · 03-12-2006

Hello,
I don’t want to appear immodest but I simple can’t hold back my excitement.
I’m a fairly young camera-nut who’s been playing around with some pretty nice vintage gear for the last year or so (fixed up a wrecked Contax II and Nikon F) and a few months ago I mentioned this to an old family friend. So the other day he came round for lunch clutching a bag. He told me he had a little present for me and pulled out an old leica lens hood and a box of unopened 1983 expiry Kodachrome. I was touched at this nice gesture and thought nothing more, then a few moments later he said “oh I also brought you this” and pulled out bashed up brown Ever-ready case, I at this point had a rather puzzled look on my face. I noticed the Leica embossing on the case, I popped of the top of the case to reveal his beautiful old 1957 IIIG with Collapsible Summicron. As I’m sure you can imagine I was pretty blown away and still am. Needless to say I will look after this camera like child but more importantly shoot as much film as I can and hopefully be able to pass it on to someone else in another 50 year time.

dcsang · 03-12-2006

HOLY COW !!!!
IIIG !!!

Mohan.. you are ONE lucky individual - that cam is the last screw mount model made by Leica !!!

Congratulations !! Let's see some pictures of your new baby!!

Cheers
Dave

Brian Sweeney · 03-12-2006

That is a first-rate camera, to be used and cherished.

Look forward to seeing pictures with it.

This dark-side stuff. Never understood it. Leica is a great camera, nothing dark about it.

Mohan · 03-12-2006

Tomorrow I’ll post some pictures of it, then hopefully within a week or two I’ll post some pictures taken with it, the funny thing is I was planning to sell almost all my camera gear to pay for an M2 but then I wouldn’t have even been able to afford a lens for it. I’ve played with leicas on a few occasions before but its astounding how a camera that has been sitting in a cupboard for 20 years+ is still as smooth as silk. I think I’ll be grinning ear to ear for the next few weeks.

Fedzilla_Bob · 03-12-2006

Don't mind any "Dark Side", "Lieca Jewelry" crap. You are the proud owner of something I would't mind having.

You won't need to think about that M2 for a long while. You are holding a chunk of photographic history.

rover · 03-12-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcsang

HOLY COW !!!!
IIIG !!!
....
Cheers
Dave

That pretty much says it all. Take care of that gift and send a very nice thank you card.

kmack · 03-12-2006

The IIIG was the last and the best of the III series, and that is saying a lot. There are some folks who think the IIIG is the best Leica made. Use it, run lots of film thru it and if you ever feel that rangefinder photography is not for you, I'll take that thing off your hands.

Ken Ford · 03-12-2006

Mohan, that's great!

I try and gift a few cameras each year to deserving souls, usually youngsters that love photography that can't afford better cameras. Most recently I gave a Yashica TLR to a young lady that had been shooting 35mm, and before that a Pentax H3a to a fourteen year old that had been using an APS camera. I regularly find inexpensive manual SLRs at ham radio shows, and grab them for this purpose. It's a great feeling to hear from these people later and find that they're still active in the hobby.

You have a true friend in that person - it sounds like you will do him proud and use it regularly!

SteveM(PA) · 03-12-2006

Oh man, this thread is what this forum is all about. Reading Mohan's post, I was thinking "he's gonna say IIIG he's gonna say IIIG" then I took a quick peak and saw "1957" and then I just charged through the rest of the post and let it wash over me.
I think I need a cigarette. (Sorry, it's the painkillers.

) Mohan that is so, so nice...and so well played by your friend. Congratulations!

Doug · 03-12-2006

Welcome to RFF, Mohan! Someone as lucky is always good to have around, but such gifts seem to happen when the giver thinks the recipient is worthy... and for that, congratulations!

reagan · 03-12-2006

G ... he said G, right? G? As in "Gee, I've got a great wife." or "Gee, I've got a good job. Gee, I've got the right gear." and "Gee, I'm definately at the right forum.......... and as in "Golly GEE fish-hooks!! Have I got the WRONG STINKIN' FRIENDS!!"

Congrats, good Mohan! ... an instant hero in RFFdom. Welcome and enjoy!

Jerevan · 03-12-2006

Mohan,

that was a very nice gift, I mean getting a IIIG - I am really glad I had the possibility to buy a IIIf. Now go get a pocketful of film and hit the road... erm... I mean start making photographs! Let us know how it works out.

Mohan · 03-13-2006

Thank you all so much for the great responses, I wasn't sure if I should post this thread thinking it might seem arrogant and I might get some nasty responses but I’ve been touched by all the comments and words of encouragement, I’ll be sure to hang around here, Thank you!!

Here's my baby, that Uva filter has been on the lens since 57, it was owned by the guy who gave it to me since 59 when he bought it off his friend to take to Kenya with him. Its amazing to hold it in your hands and think of what its seen and what its yet to see..……... now where’s that Tri-X.

Brian Sweeney · 03-13-2006

That has got to be one of the Nicest Leica IIIg's around. Proper case, and one of the last collapsible LTM Summicron's made.

Congratulations, welcome to the forum.

Fitz · 03-13-2006

Hi,

That is a great gift.

I also received a similar gift for my 20th anniversary with my company. The company gave me a Leica IIIf and 50mm lens in original boxes, an ever ready case and folding flash, all manufactured the year I was born.

I had the same feelings of excitement and have loved pressing the shutter and winding the film for every frame. There is a beauty and quality to these cameras far beyond the megapixel, auto focus, 10x zoom hype.

I hope you enjoy it.

rover · 03-13-2006

Get out there and shoot with that beauty.

kmack · 03-13-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mohan

Here's my baby, that Uva filter has been on the lens since 57, it was owned by the guy who gave it to me since 59 when he bought it off his friend to take to Kenya with him. Its amazing to hold it in your hands and think of what its seen and what its yet to see..……... now where’s that Tri-X.

Sa' Beaut. You need to pose it with some coffee and post that to the "Camera and Coffee" thread for good luck.

Mohan · 03-29-2006

Hi again, Sorry I haven’t posted again sooner, my dads been very ill so I haven’t had much time for photography. I developed my first roll a few days ago and there seems to be a problem, all the shots taken at high shutter speeds (most of them) are very underexposed, The weird thing is that on some negatives a small band on one side is correctly exposed. Shots taken at slow speeds seem fine. I’m guessing these problems are caused by congealed lubricants as the cameras been sitting around unused for at least 20 years. Seems like a CLA is in order.

Ken Ford · 03-29-2006

Mohan, sorry to hear about your father. I suspect a CLA will make the camera ready for another 50 years of service.

SteveM(PA) · 03-29-2006

Yes, best to your father for a speedy recovery, and welcome back. Indeed, I'd like to be a Leica tech just so I could handle and nurture that wonderful jewel. After the CLA, I'm betting it will never leave your hands.