[Leica] beater cameras

[dorysrus at mindspring.com (Don Dory)]

Walker,
Well, my F doesn't get out much but it is a black/nickel version in
excellent condition and I continue to be amazed that a camera from 1936
is still as good as the year it was made (I have a 1936 Contax III that
also amazes me as it has been used harder than I can imagine). My other
LTM's go with me on a fairly regular basis.  I think the trick is that I
use a collapsible lens and the whole thing fits in a pocket.  Therefore
the camera doesn't stay in the car, it goes with me.

Another wholesome result of having a camera with me is that the film
only lasts a few days so it never get out of date.

Truly, the old LTM's are very tough cameras and everyday use just does
not hurt them.  Like an old hound, they will stay with you longer if you
take them with you.

As to wanting a M2 or M3, users are getting to be under $600 and
dropping.  I think that a beater M2 will convince me to take it home and
do what Rei did to his M3 and the motor lug.

Don
dorysrus@mindspring.com


Don, I'd love to own an M-2 or M-3 and maybe some day I will. The 
closest I have to either is a Bessa-T. At the moment I own five Leicas; 
Model A. IIIa, IIIb, IIIc & IIIf RD. All work with the exception of the 
IIIa which I inherited from my father and needs a major overhaul. That 
IIIa went everywhere with my father and I do mean everywhere. He was 
never without it and usually had the 35mm Elmar mounted with a 90mm 
Elmar along. If the 90mm was mounted, the 35mm Elmar was in his watch 
pocket. Can't do that with any of the newer lens. For years his 
universal finder was a Vidom but I found a nice Imarect finder and gave 
it to him. I also inherited the Model A from him. He bought it from a 
man in Baltimore in 1959 or 1960 as I recall. Pictures taken with the A 
have been published in "The Sun Magazine" (Baltimore Sun) and also the 
Washington Post.

The IIIb, c & f are all in excellent condition and I'd cringe to carry 
any of them as my "beater" camera. In fact, the last CLA's done on the b

& f were done at the factory in Wetzler when I delivered them there in 
person. The IIIc is a recent purchase and works perfectly. I'm currently

working on some pictures I took with it last Sunday and will be posting 
soon.

My work requires me to take pictures of homes for our real estate 
website and for that I use a Sony F-828 and Vivitar 283 flash. I didn't 
even have that with me last evening because I didn't have a home to 
photograph. The Sony takes a great picture although I'd like to have a 
wider than 28mm lens option. I used to use a Fuji S602Z with aux lens 
that gave me about 24 or 25mm coverage and that was good but the Sony's 
Zeiss lens at 28mm is much sharper.

As soon as I can check the Exakta for exposure, it's going to be my 
"beater" for awhile anyway. Maybe one day I'll find an old Leica that's 
so beat up that I won't be reluctant to throw it around some. Maybe. :^)

Walker


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