[Leica] Leica IIIc

[dorysrus at mindspring.com (Don Dory)]

Welcome to the saloon Duchan.

While I love my screwmounts, I would have to question purchasing a fifty
or sixty year camera as my first rangefinder.  Before you buy, try
loading the camera, are you comfortable with clipping each new roll back
7 sprocket holes in the approved pattern:

http://www.nemeng.com/leica/003d.shtml

Second, do you find the separation of the rangefinder window from the
rather small and squinty viewfinder window something you can live with
for your kind of photography?

Third, do you understand the division of shutter speeds on different
dials, how you shift between the slow speed and high speed train.
Related, will the rotating shutter speed dial bother you as you handle
the camera.

Assuming you have worked through the above, then look at the camera.
Unless you have papers proving a recent CLA, assume that the camera will
need to be worked on.  Start with the rangefinder patch, is it bright
and distinct, or is it hard to see on low contrast subjects.  In
relatively dim lighting can you focus?

Next up, set the top shutter speed to 1/30 and the front speed dial to
1.  Trip the shutter, does the gear train sound even, does it hesitate,
or does it not finish the cycle.  If it doesn't finish the cycle, and
you don't really want to spend 150 to 200 euro fixing the camera, then
stop on this model and move on.  Unless of course the camera is less
than 100 Euro and you know a competent repair person.

Assuming the shutter is smooth at one second, proceed through the
shutter speeds making sure that the gears sound smooth and even.

Open the bottom of the camera, does it have the take up spool?  What
does the camera smell like?  Mildew is bad, old lubricant is bad, nice
clean lubricant smell is good.

Take the lens off, look at the shutter curtain.  Does it look cracked
and dry or does it look like clean black silk?  Trip the shutter or wind
it to look at the other curtain, does it look the same?

Last, any purchaser should give you return privilege after you shoot a
roll of film to make sure there are no light leaks or other nasties.

Now, why do I like LTM's?  First, they are small and handy, almost
stealthy in use.  There is a huge store of lenses at relatively cheap
prices out there in the most common focal lengths; 12mm to 180mm if you
go somewhat extreme.  If you know how to expose without a meter, they
are a delight to use in thoughtful photography.  If you are a bit
eccentric, then a PLOOT opens up focal lengths way out there.  Want to
wind faster; learn to wind with your index finger or purchase one of
Tom's Barnack winders.  Two frames a second with a sixty year old camera
is not too bad.

Let us know how this works out.

Don
dorysrus@mindspring.com


-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+dorysrus=mindspring.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf
Of Duchan Caudill
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 4:23 PM
To: lug@leica-users.org
Subject: [Leica] Leica IIIc

Hi,
newbie here, intending to purchase a Leica body soon, have an eye on the
IIIc - who among you uses or has used this model?  
 
Greetings,
Duchan
 
Darmstadt, Germany

                
---------------------------------
Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - Jetzt mit 250MB kostenlosem Speicher
_______________________________________________
Leica Users Group.
See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information