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The Leica IIIg marks the end of the Leica screwmount camera development; with it, new features found on the M series were introduced and it is - rightfully so - described elsewhere as one of the finest pieces of precision German engineering. My Leica IIIg purchase on Ebay filled a hole in my collection of Leica's - I use my cameras; after all, that's what they were made for - even 55 years+ hence. As a sideline, testing the lenses of the time (clean ones - no fungus, etc.!) on a modern hi-res digital camera show excellent resolution and colour all across the range! My experience in buying abroad - I live in Switzerland - always respresents a risk. I have had excellent results and less so. The purchase of the Leica IIIg in the US seemed a success, the camera looks good, no dings, no scratches, almost no wear, has new leatherette and is in top shape. Until I tried to put a film inside ... The first two rolls ripped, the transport rollers inside were stuck. The winder knob made strange advances, as if it was stuck somehow. Switching to the slow speeds on the front - as well as 1/500 and 1/1000 made the shutter curtains come to a halt. So, I took it to an official Leica repair shop in Germany. The inside was all rusted, someone has pried the insides out and bent most of the internal cage - the technician told me he had not had one like this in his hands in his 35 years of Leica repairs. The result was a Euro 500 repair bill. Now the camera works as it should and is a joy to play with. This totals $650 purchase price plus Euro 500 - a bit on the hefty side for a Leica IIIg. For the same price, one can buy one from a local dealer with guarantee. Normal service on one of these cameras - cleaning, re-adjusting the rangefinder, greasing, etc. runs about Euro 150. Now the splendid outside is matched with the excellent mechanism working inside - smooth, almost noiseless, discrete! You have to be an aficionado of the rangefinder concept to use the IIIg (or the M3 all the way to the M9 for that matter) - it is small, relatively light and yet firm in your hand. Use the Visoflex mirror system and lens heads and you have a camera system that is a joy to use in all circumstances. A great Leica camera!Read full review
So you're thinking about an old Leica? Despite the freefall of prices in film cameras, Leica M bodies are holding their value phenomenally, and a screwmount Leica seems like a great way to get into the upper-crust of photography without spending huge dollars. The IIIg is a fine body. It represented the culmination of Leica's screwmount experience, and a IIIg rig can serve as a wonderful daily shooter. That said, there's a few things you need to know about these cameras. First off: cameras made 50 or 60 years ago are going to need some TLC. Unless you know that the camera you are buying has been recently serviced and inspected by a knowledgable Leica mechanic, you need to plan on spending some money to make sure your body is in good working order. Leica mechanics are like Mercedes Benz mechanics: they don't come cheap. You also need to make sure that the shutter is in good condition. The old rubberized-cloth shutters in these cameras were easily damaged. They can be replaced (lowering the collectable value of the camera), but the job is not an easy one. The other weak spot in these cameras is the split focus prism. When you look through the rangefinder, you should see two "split" images. As you bring the image into focus, the "split" images will merge together into one crisp image. As these cameras age, the "split" fades. Again, this is not a trivial (or cheap) repair, and is certainly not something you can attempt yourself. That said, a well maintained IIIg is a joy to use. The mechanical action is as crisp and precise as you could ever hope for. The precision that these cameras are made with is exacting, and it's easy for an appreciative owner to lust after anything with the red Leica logo on it. I used a IIIg as my daily shooter for a few years, and was never disappointed. It was a very easy camera to carry with me (because of its compact size), and it didn't make any loud noises that would cause it to stand out. Old screwmount Leicas don't attract nearly as much attention as the newer M bodies, and it's usually easier (and cheaper) to find lenses for them. Buy with caution, but be prepared to fall in love if you get a good one. They are addictive little cameras, and will rarely disappoint.Read full review
I am a photo enthusiast who started my hobby before digital. Recently I bought a nice film scanner and my world of photography changed again. I am using film as much as digital and this fully mechanical leica is generating amazing quality images. Once scanned they are an equivalent of a 25 megapixel files. The leica is a complete joy to use. It is simple and perfect. I could not be happier (may be I could if some of films no longer manufactured were resurrected).
My first true Leica and it is so much fun to puzzle out how to use it! Solid, beautifully restored. Looking forward to using it frequently!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
If have the light on the top side have a lot of scratch. But is in good condition.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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