Re: [Leica] Help Needed for Leica IIIf purchase!!!

["Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com>]

The IIIf is indeed a wonderful camera.  Its even better now that Cosina and
occasionally Leica makes new, modern-design, thread mount lenses.  That
price seems high to me but since I bought mine in 1973 I don't know for
sure.  The Summitar is a nice lens stopped down a little, but a bit soft
wide open.

A good starting point for information on this camera is
http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmcam.htm

Good Luck!
Mike D

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "ioannis mylonakos" <i_mylonakos@hotmail.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 6:59 PM
Subject: [Leica] Help Needed for Leica IIIf purchase!!!


> Dear friends hi,
>
> I have recently joined the LUG as the result of my search on the net for
> information about the Leica IIIf, a camera which I intend to buy in the
near
> future.
>
> I am an amateur photographer myself and my main photographic interests are
> in B&W photography. My photographic experience involves mainly SLR cameras
> and at the moment I own a MINOLTA T-101 (inherited by my father) and a
NIKON
> F-70 (N-70 in the US) which I bought some years ago. I have a quite good
> knowledge of the SLR cameras and accessories' market since I have been a
lot
> of times around looking for new or used pieces of equipment for myself or
> friends. However, I never had the opportunity, nor the money, to consider
> buying or even looking to buy a Leica camera, up to now. The increased
cost
> of a Leica SLR along with the cost of a decent range of 2-3 lenses that
> would be required to complete my photographic needs did not allow me to
> "taste" a Leica before.
>
> About one and a half week ago I visited the local Autorised Leica dealer
as
> part of my montly visit to the various second hand photographic
dealerships
> in the city where I leave. There I saw and I fall in love almost
> immediatelly with a second hand Leica IIIf. Not knowing too much about the
> camera itself I stayed at the window staring at it trying to figure out
its
> condition and its technical characteristics from what was written on the
> body and the lens. The camera looked realy clean and after a word I had
with
> the dealer has been on the self directly from its original owner. The
dealer
> showed me also the original receipt of purchase which dated back in 1950s,
> somewhere in Germany. I checked the camera and the condition of it seems
> really good. It is a Black Dial Model and comes along with a Summitar
50mm,
> f2 (I hope to describe it correctly)lense, which is in the same condition
> with the camera. The price the dealer asks for the set (body and lense)is
> 795 British Pounds ($1,150).
>
> After my first encounter with the camera, I tried to find information
about
> it on the internet and have managed to read some things about it on
several
> sites. However, I have not the experience to understand whether the amount
> of money the dealer is asking for this camera is within a reasonable
range.
> On the same window (of the shop) there were displayed two more IIIf's, one
> with Red Dial and Timer mechanism and the same exact Summitar lense, whose
> body and lense were showing evidencce of extensive use, priced at 450
> British Pounds ($650) ; and another one almost brand new, with a Summicron
> lense 50mm, f2 (hope to display this info right too!!).The price for the
> latter was 1,000 British Pounds ($1,440). Searching through the internet
in
> sites like eBay, Jessops and other on-line shops I found the same camera
at
> prices around 300-450 British Pounds ($430-650), some of which showed
> evidences of bad use, but some of them were pretty ok.
>
> I am really keen on buying the camera I found, even if this means that I
> have to live in a tighter budget for the rest 3-4 months. I just wanted to
> know from anyone that has bought such a camera in the past or is aware of
> the market (US or UK preferably) for these, whether the price of 795
British
> Pounds (about $1,150) is reasonable or not for the body/lense set of the
> Leica IIIf described above. I would also appreciate any comments on what
to
> take into consideration before the purchase, or any information about the
> technical cahracteristics of the camera ( or even relevant internet
sites).
>
> I am sorry if I have been too long.
>
> Regargs,
>
> Yannis.
> _________________________________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
>