Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1995/11/23

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Let's hear it from the old-timers
From: corkflor@iol.ie (Alex Hurst)
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 1995 16:34:27 GMT

Hi from the Emerald Isle - if there are any other Irish-based Leica buffs,
I'd like to hear from them.

I've been following the newsgroup for a number of months now, and I'm
struck by how little has been said about the classic screw Leicas. After
all that's where it all started.

I've a couple of M3s and an M2 which are superb for ease of use and
quality, but I get just as much pleasure using a Leica 1 with separate
long-base horizontal rangefinder. It may be slower, but you can still get
some amazingly good results with the original 3.5 Elmar. The body serial
number, by the way is 171660. Can someone out there with a reference book
give me the year of manufacture please?

The last owner bought it secondhand in 1941 for £17 19s. 0d - that's about
$70 when there were $4 to the £ way back then.

My point is that there's little point in collecting these classics and not
using them - that's the quick route to deterioration and a waste of a fine
camera. But then I can't remember the last time I saw someone using a screw
Leica - are they really all in collectors' showcases?

Slan

Alex Hurst

Alex Hurst
The Brambles
Ballymaw
Waterfall
Nr. Cork
Ireland

Tel: +353 21 543 328
email: corkflor@iol.ie