Black Leica iii's with Chrome

[172Photo]

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Beautiful.

I’ll be watching to see if anyone has the answers you seek. Great questions. 

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[nf3996]

9 hours ago, romualdo said:

 

Back in the day ('30s) did you buy a camera/lens unit as one piece or were they purchased separately (referring to standard 5cm lenses)

Is there any way of ascertaining whether the lens was purchased with the camera (matched pair) - contacting Leica?

 

Ii also have a 1933 black and nickel Leica III body that I purchased with a nickel 50mm Elmar, also from 1933. I wondered if the pair had spent all their lives together, so I contacted Leica for any information in their records. Although Leica could not tell me where or to which retailer the body and lens had originally been delivered, the records did confirm that both body and lens had been delivered on the same date - 1 August 1933. From that, I'm happy to assume that the pair have been together for nearly 90 years.

Alan

[Rjp]

On 12/29/2017 at 1:51 PM, alan mcfall said:

Earliest Bl/Cr I have recorded is a STD, 193358.  The earliest 1936 Bl /Cr lot for the model 3 is 194301-650, I have camera 194524. In 1936 I estamate that 1800 Bl/Cr model III cameras were made.   1000 in 1937, 700 in 1938 and 300 in 1939l.   Black paint was falling out in favor of all chrome. I have never recorded a 1935 black and chrome camera. A few Black and nickle cameras were made in 1936, but almost none in 37, 38 and 39. Approximately 3800-4000 model III Black and Chrome cameras were made. About the same for the E or STD, and only 2500 for the model II.  As chrome cameras were available from 1933, I think Leitz waited until late 1935 or early 1936 to produce Bl and chrome cameras, as at that time so much production of chrome hardware was taking place, it just didn't make sense to continue to produce nickle.  Having both plating systems would have been somewhat expensive. Many lament the loss of Black and Nickle as they regard it as better looking.

If anyone has an original Black and Chrome camera under serial 193201, it would be interesting.I have 25+ B/Cr cameras and a database of about 200 listings.  Always looking for new and better information.

I have a iii chrome Leica camera series number138110.  This is 1934 as per Leica serial number look up page.

[Erik van Straten]

On 7/1/2024 at 1:49 AM, Rjp said:

I have a iii chrome Leica camera series number138110.  This is 1934 as per Leica serial number look up page.

Yes, but it can be a renovated camera. Shortly after WW2 many Leicas from the 1930's were renovated at Wetzlar. Usually the nickel knobs were replaced by chrome ones - to make them look more "modern", I guess. O, I see that the same is said above - I'm sorry.

Edited July 19, 2024 by Erik van Straten

[wlaidlaw]

7 hours ago, Erik van Straten said:

Yes, but it can be a renovated camera. Shortly after WW2 many Leicas from the 1930's were renovated at Wetzlar. Usually the nickel knobs were replaced by chrome ones - to make them look more "modern", I guess. O, I see that the same is said above - I'm sorry.

Chrome was around quite early. I have a 1932 Chrome finish Hektor, that my Great Uncle bought new in 1934 on his Model III (F), with nickel furniture on the body. It has not been re-chromed from nickel. I also have a 1933 Nickel Summar on my 1934 Nickel furniture 250 FF Reporter, so it would seem that both processes were being used simultaneously at Wetzlar of the early 1930's. I would assume that Leica would apply the chrome plating on top of nickel, as chrome plating does not adhere well to either steel or brass but does to nickel. 

Chrome would have been more expensive as it had to be imported, at that time, mainly from South Africa and Canada. Nickel could come from Czechoslovakia, although there was some limited (200-300 tonnes annually) domestic production in 1930s Germany. 

Wilson