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Leica IIIg


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I have a nice one and like it very much. It is obviously good with a 50mm lens as the viewfinder is bigger. It's not my favourite for using though (or collecting). That remains the iiif, mainly because it has most of the latest developments of the screw Leicas but remains very small and pocketable. The iiig is just that slightly bit bigger.

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As a user Barnack IIIG is regarding the viewfinder (50 & 90mm frame) of course the best choice.

http://www.lausch.com/leica3g.htm

Selftimer was availiable in trance in IIIF, IIIG's include self timer all.

flash sync in all IIIF & IIIG

film type indicator only on IIIG

Price is significant higher than User IIIF, but if You can afford, IIIG ist better choice.

 

perhaps a look into manual or data book?:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_iiig/leica_iiig.htm

 

Thomas

Edited by duckrider
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I have a IIIg in addition to IIIf and older models. As an eyeglasses wearer I find the viewfinder much better, and the frame lines are parallax corrected also. It also has 90mm "corner marks" and the shutter speeds are the modern sequence. You can feel the difference in size however, but I also notice the size difference between the IIIa and IIIc-f. 

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Size of IIIg seems almost the same as an M4 (in this case).

In use, it's way lighter but much heavier thand a say Standard and it's minimalist Elmar 5cm.

 

:wub: Pleasure of using a IIIg is another planet that is not easy to explain.

 

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Standard + Elmar 5cm, IIIg + "yellow" Summicron 5cm , M4 + Summicron DR

 

 

Standard is the most pocketable, not so with IIIg :ph34r: with Summicron

:( not so if one happens to mount a Summicron 5cm on Standard.

 

Have fun with each.

 

Regards,

 

Arnaud

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Do users of this camera, as being the latest made, find it to be better than all its LTM predecessors and if so in what sense?

Camera is intended to be used, not for collection.

Tanks vmuch.

Honestly I would go for a M for using instead of a IIIg. The two time dials, knob film winding and probably no real difference in size to the M.

For collecting and using (sometimes) I would choose a IIIf of its smaller size and the look. The IIIg with the huge finder looks like a bit "mixed up", in my opinion.

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The IIIg came out of the Wetzlar factory at the height of its reputation and creativity.  Its designer Adam Wagner saw it as carrying on most closely with Barnack's ideas, at the same time attempting to incorporate some of the best of the new M line, the parallax corrected brilliant-frame viewfinder. Even if not for collecting for its historical value it is an interesting camera to use.  I am very fond of mine.

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I have a IIIg but I find it hard to be very fond of it. It is bit too much of a 'blown up with steroids' version of an LTM Leica. There is a parallel here with the M5 and the classic M3, M2 and M4 cameras. My favourite LTMs as users are the II Model D and the Standard. I prefer these as users to all of the many different III models that I have. The main reason for this is that there is nothing on the right front plate to prevent me from gripping the camera properly. I particularly dislike the self timer lever in this regard. The slow speed dial is less of a nuisance but I rarely use the slow speeds. If you want an LTM with 1/1000th top speed and nothing on the right side except a round flat pad covered in vulcanite, then a IIf Red Dial with 1,000th top speed is an excellent choice. For an excellent 50 mm viewfinder, just add an SBOOI.

 

I like all LTM and M Leicas, including the IIIg and the M5, but, for handling, I find the ones mentioned above to work well for me. My preference is for small size and good grip for my right hand. Others will have different preferences. We are lucky that Leica has provided us with so many choices over the years.

 

William

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I have the 1957 issue of Leica Fotografie with the simple one page announcement of the IIIg and 2.8 Elmar 50. It is followed by 3 pages about the Barnack model history, summarized by photos of "all" the different models with descriptions.

Possibly to drum up interest in the new IIIg after so much about the M3 the previous few years.

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I absolutely adore my iiig and shoot with it regularly, combined with a 50 Elmar f3.5 and also a Leicavit from time to time (and a CV 28mm f3.5 and very occasionally a 90 Elmar f4). Others are right; there is the slight size difference between its height and that of the iiif (which I also now have), but with the Elmar it's pretty compact still. The iiig vs. iiif kind of reminds me of the M6 vs. M6TTL height difference...

 

I use a MP, M9, MP(240) in M cameras and I'd always wanted a Barnack...when I finally got the iiig I found it so delightful that I was shooting more - and often better - so that the Barnacks are now my regular choice a lot of the time, except when I need the 'convenience' of digital or the brighter VF.  If you get a iiig you won't regret it. Wonderful camera. 

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It is a combination of tactility, ergonomics and sheer 'fondlability' that makes my 1957 IIIg one of my favourite film cameras.  It is a joy to use and the results with a 1951 5cm Summicron Collapsible rarely fail to please (and if they do, it is down to me!).  

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The IIIg came out of the Wetzlar factory at the height of its reputation and creativity.  Its designer Adam Wagner saw it as carrying on most closely with Barnack's ideas, at the same time attempting to incorporate some of the best of the new M line, the parallax corrected brilliant-frame viewfinder. Even if not for collecting for its historical value it is an interesting camera to use.  I am very fond of mine.

 

Yes, and I think that's why a lot of us love the camera. As long as you accept the fact that it was outdated technologically even when it was introduced as the last of the barnack line, it's a wonderful camera to use. All those knurled knobs and finely machined parts make it a real tactile joy. Now stick a Zeiss Jena ltm Sonnar on it and load it with some Tri-X and its about the most pleasant experience you can possibly have

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