Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Stephen From your comments it looks like you haven't read my post. I linked to his sample html showing a chrome top painted black, not a brass top painted black. I also read the faq and it doesn't ryme with his sample. Furtermore, the wear patterns are not indicative of heavy use. Now you tell me that he does that intentionally. I just heard from someone else that he takes it everywhere. If everything I say is incorrect then his sample pic is also incorrect. Perhaps yopu should contact him and tell him to change it because it creates the wrong impression. I have also owned black nikons and can tell you that the paint wears much faster than it does on Leicas, At least on my old black SL. The reason you may have confused yourself into thinking that Leicas wear faster is the enormous amount of paint area on an M compared to an F2. Also, the Plates on the Nikons are made of a softer brass than the Ms or SLs which makes them more forgiving with impact induced paint removal given a semi flexible finish, required for a softer surface or a more deflection prone surface. There are also fewer sharp edges with greater bend radii on the F2 and fewer inches linear edge on both the F and F2. Then of course there is the issue of resistence to chemical degradation both through ageing and external attack. I honestly don't know how well they resist acids, and solvents, with respect to each other but both do well and have stood the test of time sort of. Can the same be said for the repaints??? Who knows unless you have intentionally scratched one or spilled toulene based thinner on it or perhaps? Has anyone tried digging their nail into one of these tops and sliding it? Javier - --- Stephen Gandy <leicanikon@earthlink.net> wrote: > Javier, > > have you even seen one of Shintaro's paint jobs? > > from your comments, it doesn't sound like it, since > just about everything > you say is incorrect. he removes the chrome before > painting, the quality > of the paint job is superb, usually better than > original Leica factory > paint jobs. Shintaro has spent years learning his > craft, takes great > pride in it, and does a wonderful job. His > personal M3 was sanded down > to give a worn appearance -- a style popular in > Japan. > > The quality of Shintaro's paint jobs is generally > as good, and usually > better, than all of the original Leica factory > black paint M3, M2, and M4 > examples I have owned. Shintaro often has a > smoother paint finish, and > he uses a much tougher quality paint finish which > resists wear better. > Leica has never in my opinion turned out the best > black paint jobs. I say > this after comparing original black paint Leica M's > to original black paint > Nikon SP's and Canon L-1's. Sometimes original > black paint M3's and M2's > who up with a great deal (sometimes even most) of > the black paint worn off. > It's not because the photog used the camera heavily, > it's because Leica did > a poor paint job on the classic M's. You will > never see wear patterns > like that on classic Nikons or Canons because they > used better quality > paint. Leica's paint problems continued on the > black paint M6 > Milleniums, whose paint is often thin and uneven > because Leica had not > produced a black paint camera in decades. As Solms > gained more paint > experience, M6 paint quality improved considerably. > The Green M6 version > of the Millenium is a beauty, far better than the > black Millenium. > > bottom line, Solms will be doing quite well if they > can consistently > produce black paint cameras as good as Shintaro. > > Stephen Gandy > > > Javier Perez wrote: > > > Hi > > The camera he shows as a sample which on it's > second > > paint job seems to show chroming rather than > brassing. > > That it's on it's second paint job sez something > about > > the paint. Note that on a factory painted top the > > proportion of black scratches with respect to > metal > > scratches is high but his scratches all seem to go > to > > metal indicating that the base coat is soft or > perhaps > > non existent. I'm not sure how factories do it but > > apparently they use several light heterogenous > coats > > and the first ones are dull and extremely hard so > that > > if a scratch does penetrate the semi gloss top > coat(s) > > it still doesn't brass. That's what I heard > annyway. > > But whatever the case, there's a lot more to > producing > > a top quality top plate than painting and baking. > > > > Javier > > > > --- "Greg J. Lorenzo" <gregj.lorenzo@shaw.ca> > wrote: > > > Hi Javier, > > > > > > I see he removes the chrome when I look at his > web > > > site. See the "About > > > Painting" URL. > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Greg > > > > > > Javier Perez wrote: > > > > > > >Howdy > > > >Thanks for the info. > > > >I have to tell you > > > >I don't like what I saw. This fellow apparantly > > > just > > > >paints over the chrome and seems to use easy to > > > remove > > > >Krylon type paint; the kind you can remove with > a > > > >fingernail and determination. He must have > started > > > by > > > >painting the other kids bikes! A proper paint > job > > > >requires compleat removal of the chrome using > acid > > > >followed by a coat or two of > > > >industrial grade epoxy or perhaps acrylic based > > > paint > > > >and several hours worth of baking. I can do > what > > > he's > > > >doing myself. In fact I have but the results > are > > > >dreadful in terms of durability, and it can > take > > > >several attempts to get a flawless surface. But > I > > > have > > > >gotten some beautiful satin black parts with it > > > after > > > >a quick bake. > > > > > > > >There is a guy out there somewhere who can do a > > > >professional factory finish so good that if you > > > send > > > >it back to Jersey with a dent they will > probably > > > >assume it was an early convesion and sell you a > new > > > >one. But I can't seem to find out who he is. > But at > > > >least I now know where those black IIICs and Fs > are > > > >coming from. > > > >See Ya > > > >Javier > > > > > > > >--- Bryan Caldwell <bcaldwell51@earthlink.net> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > >>Javier, > > > >> > > > >>Shintaro finally has a new web site up: > > > >> > > > >>http://homepage2.nifty.com/Shintaro/top1.html > > > >> > > > >>And includes prices. > > > >> > > > >>Bryan > > > >> > > > >>- > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html