Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/12/17

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] LTM camera bodies
From: marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)
Date: Sun Dec 17 15:28:01 2006
References: <887EE0AC-3D2A-453D-A7F7-4F45B5A28D17@comcast.net>

At 05:36 PM 12/17/2006, Leonard Taupier wrote:
 >I'm looking for a little advise on a replacement LTM body. I
 >currently have a "user" IIIc body with a yellowing rangefinder. I
 >know the shutter needs cleaning but I don't think the body is nice
 >enough to invest in a CLA. I have 4 very nice Leica LTM lenses which
 >I use with a clear VIOOH viewfinder. I was thinking about investing
 >in a nice IIIg. Since I don't expect to use flash with this rig and I
 >like my VIOOH, is a IIIG overkill? I have a very complete M system
 >plus a bunch of Nikon bodies and lenses including digital. But when I
 >just want to go out and have some fun I grab the IIIc.

There are very few LTM bodies which are not worth 
a CLA, and shame on you for suggesting 
this!  Bring that baby back to life or, if you 
don't want it, give it to some deserving soul who 
WILL invest in the CLA!  LTM bodies are true 
works of art which have not been produced for the 
past four decades, so treating one as so much 
junk is, well, not really a sound position, is it?

I own a IIIc, a IIIf RDST, and a IIIg and have 
owned several other LTM bodies (III, IIIb, IIIf 
BD, IIIf RDST) over the years.  Of these, the 
IIIc remains my favorite, though the other two 
also have their place and are quite capable of 
producing excellent photographs.  As Jeffery 
noted, the IIIg has a certain collector cachet 
which keeps the price up, though eBay has chiseled this down quite a bit.

If I were going to restrict myself to a single 
LTM body, I'd go for a IIIc and pick up an APDOO 
self-timer and a Geiss Kontakt for those rare 
occasions when flash is in order (I shot a 
wedding professionally once with a IIIc and 
Kontakt and Vivitar 283 when my M3 broke -- the 
pictures were great).  The IIIf RDST provides an 
inbuilt self-timer and flash synch, and the price 
of a good IIIf RDST is often not much higher than 
that of a clean IIIc.  The IIIg only adds the VF 
marks for the 90mm lens but, again, it is a wonderful tool to use.

If I were in your shoes, I'd just have the IIIc 
overhauled and the RF cleaned.

Marc


msmall@aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!



Replies: Reply from h_arche at yahoo.com (H. Ball Arche) ([Leica] LTM camera bodies)
Reply from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] LTM camera bodies)
In reply to: Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] LTM camera bodies)