Re: [Leica] M4 Black Paint

[John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>]

There are several solutions:

- - Find an original black paint base plate (difficult and expensive)

- - Take the silver chrome base plate to a plating shop and have the chrome
removed (or do it yourself, the library should have the how to). Paint it
yourself using semigloss black enamel paint and then brass it to your tastes
using fine sand paper (not too difficult, nor expensive)

- - Find a brassy black chrome one and trade for it (easy I have one and I
could care less what colour my spare base plate is).

- - relax and look through the viewfinder rather than at the camera (easiest
and least expensive).

John Collier



> From: Douglas Cooper <douglas@dysmedia.com>
> 
> 
> Okay, I have a potential offer of a black paint M4 -- a valuable camera
> (although this ones pretty seriously brassed) -- and I'd trade for it,
> except that it's missing the black bottom plate.  A standard chrome plate
> has been substituted.  I said I wasn't particularly concerned about
> cosmetics, but this looks just silly, and significantly lowers the value of
> the body.  So what I'm wondering is this:  is it going to be possible to
> find a vintage black-paint plate?  Will it be a fortune?  I suppose I could
> order a new one, or substitute black chrome... but it would be nice to have
> a beat-up old plate to make the camera whole.
>