LTM users, its time to stand up and be counted!

[jc_braconi]

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I bought a Leica III off ebay. I was afraid it would be a fake, despite the presence of the slow speed dial. ?

This is part of III model

Will all LTM Leicas have the 28.8mm registration?

 

Yes, some cameras have paper shims under the front flange to adjust this depth

 

but surely a 50mm Jupiter or that Industar 61 L/D is going to be better optically than a un-coated pre-war Elmar that would be appropriate?

 

I surely not bet on this !

Enjoy your Leica III !

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[octo]

Interesting, thanks John.

 

How do you find the Canon 135? It may be an option for me in my quest for a 135, since it has a speed advantage over the Tele-Elmar M

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Bill,

I have been quite surprised by that lens; I don't remember offhand whether I used it for the Faith Challenge, but I have tried it both on LTM and LBM and it works beautifully. It did need a good cleaning when I got it as it had not been used for many years and the focussing ring was very hard, gummy, but when after it came back, it has now that smooth, firm feeling of precision made instruments.

[Neil Purling]

Fellow Leica owners I have just looked at a serial number list for LTM Leica's at: Leica Screw Mount Serial #'s Sorted by Number

Apparently mine is a III. The s/n of 275199 is the second-last of that bunch of III's made in 1938.

How the hell did I get the idea it was Circa 1936? That is my mother's birth year. Apologies for any confusion.

[Neil Purling]

I have just got a genuine Leitz 50mm Elmar for my III and have gone after a VALOO lens shade for it.

I figure I might also find a ABLON cutting template useful. Are they a especially common or current accessory?

I have been loading film by locking the shutter open on 'B' with a cable release to protect the shutter curtains.

I will see if my III still needs the range-finder adjusting when it has a genuine lens on it.

[bill]

I have been loading film by locking the shutter open on 'B' with a cable release to protect the shutter curtains.

I will see if my III still needs the range-finder adjusting when it has a genuine lens on it.

 

Neil, DON'T! It's not just the shutter curtains that you can damage, it's the backplate and film carriage mechanics.

 

You don't need an ABLON, either. I keep a small Swiss Army knife on my keyring and cut by hand, in a steady sweeping motion, taking off about 15-20 sprocket holes. The knack is to avoid jagged edges or film chips - other than that, nobody cares what it looks like. I hold the film in my right hand, using my little finger and the heel of my hand to hold the canister, and my index finger and thumb to hold the end of the leader, emulsion side down. I then trim with my left hand in one smooth motion.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[bill]

Bill,

I have been quite surprised by that lens; I don't remember offhand whether I used it for the Faith Challenge, but I have tried it both on LTM and LBM and it works beautifully. It did need a good cleaning when I got it as it had not been used for many years and the focussing ring was very hard, gummy, but when after it came back, it has now that smooth, firm feeling of precision made instruments.

 

I'm just waiting for the post...

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[wlaidlaw]

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I have just got a genuine Leitz 50mm Elmar for my III and have gone after a VALOO lens shade for it.

I figure I might also find a ABLON cutting template useful. Are they a especially common or current accessory?

I have been loading film by locking the shutter open on 'B' with a cable release to protect the shutter curtains.

I will see if my III still needs the range-finder adjusting when it has a genuine lens on it.

 

There is another way to load uncut film. Ideally you should use one of those floppy shiny membership cards, with rounded corners that comes stuck to a letter like the National Trust ones. Otherwise a shiny visiting card with the corners cut off will do. You then slide it all the way down behind the sprocket furthest away from the take up spool and then load the film on the outside of the card i.e. next to the camera back Finally you slide the card out and the film sprocket holes then drop onto the sprockets. I was shown this years ago by the Jessops Leica man at their classic camera outlet (recently shut) in London, when I went to buy another cutting template. I assume they must evaporate in the bag as they always seem to disappear.

 

Wilson

[Neil Purling]

Normally I cut film with a long leader if I am loading casettes from bulk

If it's a roll of colour neg I don't always remember to re-cut the leader.

The Leica has the sprocket on the top row of the film and is thus deep inside the camera while on my Fed the drive is on the other side of the film.

I have not tried the method with the plastic card. The card would also protect the shutter curtains. I really ought to try this method of loading film. Perhaps it will assist in getting the film perfectly parallel in the camera?

How do you load your LTM Leica?

 

What was the original thirties reccomended procedure from Leitz for the proud owner of a Leica to load their first film safely?

[wlaidlaw]

 

What was the original thirties reccomended procedure from Leitz for the proud owner of a Leica to load their first film safely?

 

Well in the 1930's 135 ready made cassettes were generally not available until Kodak popularized them for their Retina models. You would generally therefore, load your own Leica cassette (s) from tins of bulk film. I recall my father still had a daylight loader in the 1950's to do this (? made by Leitz but it was certainly in a red box), where you preloaded the loader in the darkroom but then could load cassettes in daylight. As you would have needed to cut some form of leader, it would have been natural to use the Leica template to cut the correct longer leader than is usual on modern 135 film.

 

Wilson

[bill]

What was the original thirties reccomended procedure from Leitz for the proud owner of a Leica to load their first film safely?

 

...trimming the leader! It's not rocket science!

 

I have Leica books and manuals from the 1930s. Nowhere does it say that it is a good idea to stick cards in your Leica.

 

If Leica had intended you to do so you would now be looking for a "CARDA" or something rather than an ABLON...

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Neil Purling]

It is my understanding that you might CAREFULLY put the card over the shutter area. This holds the film away from the sprocket so you can position it properly. When removed the film engages the sprocket.

I have not used this technique. Inserting something stiff into the film path sounds dubious.

 

I cut a long leader and insert the take-up spool & cassette into the camera so there is two sprocket holes length of full width film protruding from the cassette.

When inserted thus the film should then be aligned correctly. As you wind the film should be pulled onto the sprocket (with the Leica anyway). The Fed usually means a good fiddle because the sprocket is on the wrong side of the film. So that's why I locked the shutter open on 'B' and remove the lens too. I thought that doing the same with the Leica would be a sensible precaution.

If I am doing something very bad then a little advice now would be very helpful.

[wlaidlaw]

It is my understanding that you might CAREFULLY put the card over the shutter area. This holds the film away from the sprocket so you can position it properly. When removed the film engages the sprocket.

I have not used this technique. Inserting something stiff into the film path sounds dubious.

 

I cut a long leader and insert the take-up spool & cassette into the camera so there is two sprocket holes length of full width film protruding from the cassette.

When inserted thus the film should then be aligned correctly. As you wind the film should be pulled onto the sprocket (with the Leica anyway). The Fed usually means a good fiddle because the sprocket is on the wrong side of the film. So that's why I locked the shutter open on 'B' and remove the lens too. I thought that doing the same with the Leica would be a sensible precaution.

If I am doing something very bad then a little advice now would be very helpful.

 

Neil,

 

I have been using the card method for about 10 years now with nary a problem on my IIA and IIF. Yes you have to be careful but I think the chances of catching something with this method are less than the chances of catching the shutter with the edge of the cut leader. Proviso - you MUST round off the corners of the card and a shiny one works much better than a matte one.

 

Wilson

[aauckland]

Only 50 years old I'am afraid:

But a mint IIIg with an equally mint 35 cron ASPH, (c1999), still looks beautiful.

...a "user" though, as the magenta RF filter, and A-R lever position indicate.

 

Alan

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[aauckland]

c1935 Leica II:

Don't you just love the warm nickel tone set against the black enamel?

 

Alan

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[earleygallery]

What was the original thirties reccomended procedure from Leitz for the proud owner of a Leica to load their first film safely?

 

LOL

 

35mm film always used to have a longer leader, I think it was late 70's when I noticed most adopted the shorter leader length. Probably down the the LTM's originally then film manufacturers dropped it as it wasn't necessary for the vast majority of cameras on the market.

 

Oh, and it really is very simple to trim the leader with scissors and load it.

[Neil Purling]

If people used to load one of those brass Leitz cassettes from a bulk roll in the dark i'd assume you'd have to use a guide of some sort, like studs hammered into a surface exactly the right distance apart to give a 24 or 36 exposure length of film. Thank heaven for the bulk loader!

Those Leitz casettes are great. I could do with more of them.

I recall that there are two types and there is perhaps a compatibility issue with a LTM Leica.

Which sort is right for my C1938 III? How does one tell the difference between the two? If they are put up on ebay the vendor might not know much about what they're selling.

[mikebidwell]

Hi there

 

Thanks Luigi and everyone else, following your tips I think I've sorted uploads;) .

 

Here is a shot of my Leica IIIg, if you look closely you can see where someone has attacked the small knurled bezel nearest the rewind knob with probably a screwdriver. I awaiting replacement parts from the US so it should look in better condition.

 

 

[ATTACH]73605[/ATTACH]

 

Best wishes

 

Mike

 

Well!! The spares eventually arrived from the US after the first consignment got lost in the post and Don (DAG) kindly replaced them for me. My IIIg was then sent off to Malcolm Taylor for a full service. I've now received it back from him and it seems a different camera. Well worth spending the money to have it done.

[c.poulton]

OK, I'll bite, I have two lllf black dial models with Leitz 50/2 Summicron & Leitz 50/2 Summitar, plus a handful of other CV lenses of varying focal lengths.

 

Chris

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[bill]

OK, I'll bite, I have two lllf black dial models with Leitz 50/2 Summicron & Leitz 50/2 Summitar, plus a handful of other CV lenses of varying focal lengths.

 

Chris

 

Chris, welcome. That's a beautiful IIIf. I like the go-faster mouse too...!

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[azzo]

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IIIf Red Dial / 5cm Elmar Red Scale