RE: [Leica] Leica IIIc - First RF?

["Chandos Michael Brown" <cmbrow@wm.edu>]

Nathan,

Wouldn't it be more correct to say that SM Leicas are, by modern
standards, "inconvenient" to use, rather than that they are "not really
useful."  I quite happily used two IIIfs for over twenty years as my
sole 35mm cameras, until, actually, a few years ago, when I succumbed to
the siren allure of the Contax G1 and G2.  I used a full kit of these
for a year or so, and then moved to M series Leicas (I'd owned an M3 and
an M4 back in the late 60s and early 70s).

The larger point is that in 1995-96 I taught at Leiden in the
Netherlands and lived in that country for nearly 18 months.  I made many
thousands of negatives and slides, some of which are among what I
consider to be my best images, period.  My entire kit was two IIIfs, a
50/1.5 Summarit (which I never used), a 50/2 Summitar (which I used a
lot), a Canon 35/1.8 (always on one body), a 90/4 Elmar (seldom used),
and a Canon 135/3.5 (or something like that--I'm not sure that I took it
out of its case), and a Russar 20/5.6 (which I bought for song at the
Swartemarkt in Alkmaar, and which soon became, with the 35/1.8, my
favorite lens).

All of this is to say that if Justin is intrigued by and willing to
learn to use a IIIc (though I'd suggest a IIIf), and given the
extraordinary availability of comparatively low-cost, high quality LTM
lenses today (which weren't available five years ago), he *will* get use
from it.

A IIIf or IIIc with an appropriate external finder and a lens suited for
practical hyper-focal use (ie: wide angle) is still a formidable tool
for making images on the street.  I confess that I don't use mine much
anymore, though this has more to do with my migration toward modern
glass than it does with any inherent obsolescence in the LTM body.

I encourage Justin to try out a Barnack Leica.  They are truly
jewel-like in their construction (I had Rheinhold Mueller rebuild one of
my IIIfs a few years ago, and I was astonished at how clear and bright
the viewfinder actually is and utterly precise and quiet is the
shutter), and, if this sort of thing appeals to one, then there's a
simple pleasure in using such a tool that no CV body is likely to
afford.  I don't view Leicas as an investment, and they are certainly
far from liquid assets, but he ought to be able to recover much of what
he spends for one, and any LTM lens he buys will migrate easily to the M
system should he choose to go that route.

My only caution is this: eBay is a crapshoot in some respects.  I'd be
willing to pay a premium to purchase a body from a reputable seller with
return privileges.  I'd suggest as well that Justin seek out, if
possible, some other examples of the model he wishes to acquire.  As I
said, I used those IIIfs for a *long* time, and I was astonished by the
difference in viewfinder brightness/contrast that a good CLA made.  I am
now persuaded that much of the criticism directed toward the
"squintness" of IIIc/IIIf viewfinders is based on the fact that most are
50+ years old and have never been cleaned and that those who have tried
to use them and been disappointed simply didn't know how they were
*designed* to look.

All this said, it is a mistake, I think, to view the IIIc or IIIf as a
"bargain" entry into the RF world.  The CV bodies amply fulfill this
niche; rather, they are, simply, perfectly adapted for what they were
and are: simple, elegantly designed and manufactured, beautifully
finished, mechanical devices that one may use to capture an image on
film now as in 1949.

Chandos








I agree with Steve. The screw-mount Leicas may have been good user tools

in their day but that was 60-70 years ago. Today there are a mere 
curiosity--fun to try but not really useful. And before I get flamed by 
LTM afficionados, let me add that I did own a IIIf for a year or so and 
decided to get rid of it for that very reason.

If I am asked today by someone who is curious about rangefinder 
photography about the least expensive way to try it, I recommend the 
Voigtlander Bessa R2 and the 35 or 50mm lens of the person's choice. 
Depending on the budget, that lens may be one of the excellent 
Voigtlander offerings or the real thing from Leica.

I just converted one of my fellow Viewfinder (Brussels photo club) 
members to the joys of Leica. She got an M6 and a couple of lenses. 
However, I did warn her of the financial consequences longer term, so I 
do not feel too guilty ;-)

Nathan



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