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Hi Everyone, I am a new guy into this family I like black Leica so much, I just sell my "black paint" M9 and now looking for a M8.2... because I find some reasons to use M8.2 better than M9... but I am a bit confuse with the M8.2 "black paint", is the M8.2 have two difference "Black paint" style? why I saw some M8.2 are in "Glossy" painting (usually brassing) ? but most of them are "Matte" black (usually newer and the feeling seems the M9 Black paint)? are they two versions? or they are in two used condition? or one is the original and the other is updated from M8? Thanks Max.

A polarizing question, but a fair one. If one wanted to replace the screw above the lens (on, say, M-P or M10R black paint) with the red (or black) dot logo sticker, is the hole as big as the original logo sticker? Is the screw flat so one could just put the sticker over it? I found no topic of this sort but if it has been answered please do link to the thread. Thank you for your civilized answers, please no dumb discussions of "why would anyone want to do that?" kind, it is an academic question.

so i saw these today, the badly worn one is $9000, and the other is $11,000...but the standard silver one is $1700..all have perfect glass..but essentially they all have the same Elements right ?

ATTN: M10R Black Paint Owners We should try to find out if this issue is common in the forum. Responses are all over the place so here we can have one place we can see Yes and No. Take a second to respond and thanks in advance TAKE THE SURVEY

Some days I just can’t help myself, went to a camera fair today to hopefully purchase some M42 mount Takumar lenses and walked back out with a black paint Leica III in my hand. I honestly tried to resist but all that black paint with brassing and nickel hardware was too much of a temptation. Need to explain to my good lady now how come there’s another camera in the collection. ( it is nice though )

Hello there. I have been entertaining the idea of buying a half case for my Leica MP. I have mixed views about the half cases for these fine cameras. On one hand I want to protect this valuable piece of delicate machinery from harm as much as I can but on the other hand I don't want an extra layer of thickness while holding the camera which has already perfect dimensions. While I think of the Leicas and the cameras in general which have survived to this day I see a lot of them have some sort of leather case that protected them for all those years. But when I see the cameras of pros that have been brassed beautifully I admire them even more because of those marks. What are your thoughts on this subject? Does a Leica need a protection from harm? Should a black paint Leica brass over time? Will a Leica brass no matter what the intentions of its user? Does a half case make the camera thicker in a way that it affects its usability? Or do half cases make the camera easier to hold? If used with a half case, does black paint Leicas gather an uneven patina?

Searched online but couldn’t find a definite answer on this. Can anyone help me? I am trying to find out if the lux 50mm E46 pre asph (pic below) weights 275g (same as the regular black model) or if it’s heavier? If anyone who has the lens can let me know the exact weight I’d really appreciate it

Liebe Spezialisten hier im Forum, bin seit gestern stolzer Besitzer einer schwarzen Leica M2. Laut Seriennummer handelt es sich um eine verchromte Version, auch sind meines Erachtens nicht alle Teile original (Schnellspannhebel, Selbstauslöser und Bildfeldwahl). Laut Vorbesitzer wurde die Kamera vor ein paar Jahrzehnten bei Leica von chrom auf schwarz umgerüstet und restauriert. Meine Frage ist, ob Leica früher wirklich solche Umbauten vorgenommen hat, oder ob der schwarz glänzende Anstrich aus anderen Händen kommt, bzw wie das Ganze einzuordnen ist (Vitrinenstück oder unbedarft benutzbar). Hübsch anzuschauen ist sie auf jeden Fall, die Lackierung ist gut gemacht und technisch/optisch ist alles einwandfrei. 😐

In the first 8 years of the Leica camera, aside from a few Gold plated cameras, black paint was the only finish available. Camera "hardware" such as knobs, dials, shutter button and lenses were nickle plated. Leitz had been using nickle plating for microscopes and other products for many years. The match of the black lacquer paint and the bright nickle was quite beautiful. Chrome plating became commercially available in the mid to late 1920. A detailed history is easily found on the internet. The perception that chrome was high quality and the definite improvement in wear properties convinced Leitz to offer chrome plating in 1933. Begining with the Model II at serial 99132,the Model III at 111501, and the Standard at 105201 cameras were produced in "all" chrome. Often chrome cameras with lower serial numbers are found, but in most cases these are chrome replated versions of original black cameras. Chrome plating was also used on many accessories. At a slightly lower cost, the black paint cameras with nickle hardware continued until 1936. Then Leitz started using the chrome hardware on the black cameras The customer demand for all chrome cameras had a dramatic effect. The new Models IIIa and IIIb were nearly exclusively all chrome. Factory data suggests that 800 black IIIa's were made, but only a few have been noted making this unlikely. Reportedly 5 Model IIIb cameras were finished in black for test purposes. By 1935, only 34% of all camera production was black paint, the following years: 1936---20%, 1937--6.9%, 1938--4.4%, and finally 1939--3.9%. By 1936, Leitz began replacing the nickle hardware with chrome, and the so-called Black and Chrome cameras were made until the war. Then, only all chrome (IIIc) and some gray paint cameras were made. The Black and Chrome Leicas have become somewhat collectible. This chart shows the number of black paint cameras produced in the four years before the war. The black/cjhrome Standard maintained sales a little better than the delux ( II and III) cameras as the market for the Standard was primarily scientific/microscope applications and the extra cost of all chrome was a factor. The transition from paint facalities to chrom plating must have been quite a factory undertaking. From 1939 onward, black paint models were limited. The black MP, M3 M2 , M4 and Leicaflexes' were a relatively small percentage of production. A new finish of Black Chrome anodize was introduced on some lenses and the M5 in 1971. I have always sought to collect the pre-war black and chrome Leica's, and have more than 40. Here is a poor photo of some of them in the display case. The lowest Black/Chrome camera I have recorded is 193358 and the highest is 330247.

Hi. Finally I got the summilux 50mm black paint (pre-ASPH) lens but I couldn’t get any information about my lens. it’s not millennium limited version because the serial number doesn’t match I think. So if you know about my lens could you share me any information?? Let me attach the box image. Thanks.

Hello. I was offered a Leica M3 black paint. The seller refused to give a price buy said he was open to offers. Since I'm not, by any means, an expert, I'm not sure about a good price for it. What would you think would be a fair price for it? I have attached some pictures.

Hi, i see this Leica in an auction, the actual bid is around 400$, i think it is fake or a bad repaint, what do you think about it? Thanks in advance

Hi guys, Was wondering if any of you could advise me on how the black ZM lenses look on the black paint M bodies (i.e. MP, M6 Millennium, M9 etc). How close is the finish of the two? Pictures welcome! Thanks

A question for all of you aficionados: if I was offered a black paint Leica lens how would I know it was really black paint and not black chrome or anodised just by looking at it and handling it? Pete.

Just 20 worldwide. What a timeless beauty. Thoughts?