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M4 black paint value with MP finder?


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I am still distilling my film bodies down to just a couple, as Ive moved almost entirely to digital.

 

I have a mint 136 serial number chrome M5, just given the full Sherry Krauter treatment, and I had the black levers replaced with chrome ones, and an M7.

 

I have have a really nice, not mint but showing very little wear black paint M4 with box, etc. Im am toying with the idea of keeping the BP M4 as the "keep it forever" user film body, but updating the RF with the MP finder and probably masking out the 135mm frame lines.

 

In terms of value, am I going to utterly ruin this BP M4?

Edited by mdg1371
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"keep it forever" means you haven't the idea to sell it… B) : so the problem of value will impact someone else than you… In my opinion, given that the M4 in black PAINT (to be distinguished from the black CHROME) is a valuable collectible, it would be worth to keep it as is,, so more if it's a complete set with original box etc... 

Anyway, the exchange of the finder with M4-P/M6 type used to be a standard Leitz proposal (probably, one of the last "factory upgrade" regularly listed) and does not disrupt the originality of the camera : I don't know if Leica still makes this kind of work, though (specialized labs can do by sure)

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Yes, I do mean Black PAINT, not black CHROME.

 

It always seems a shame to me to see cameras turned into safe queens, and one of the reasons I picked up a black paint M4, is that the collector market as far as I can tell, doesnt punish the camera too much for visible brassing-- which encourages use.

 

I also considered having DAG or Sherry modify it for the modern leicavit...

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Yes, I do mean Black PAINT, not black CHROME.

 

It always seems a shame to me to see cameras turned into safe queens, and one of the reasons I picked up a black paint M4, is that the collector market as far as I can tell, doesnt punish the camera too much for visible brassing-- which encourages use.

 

I also considered having DAG or Sherry modify it for the modern leicavit...

 

I have a tatty one! I have wondered about having it modified for the winder/motor but it requires quite a lot - steel gears to replace the brass ones and so on. I decided its costly and might affect the smoothness of manual wind-on, so no. To be honest if you change viewfinder and modify it for a winder it might be cheaper to pick up a later model ..... Personally I'd leave it alone and use it as the 'classic' Leica it is, but that's just my view. You'll no doubt find other who will say do everything, because that's the nature of a broad church of opinions on a forum.

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A black enamel M4 with Leicavit or Abrahamsson Rapidwinder would be a treat.  If you do it, please let us know. I have never seen one. Finding a black enamel winder might be another challenge. I think.

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