mediumformula Posted June 5, 2020 Share #41 Posted June 5, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, logan2z said: Camera West is an authorized Leica dealer in Southern California. They must have taken this camera in on trade. The brassing definitely doesn't look like it occurred naturally, so I'd guess the prior owner falls into your second category 😉 I feel like Camera West should mention something in the description that this camera has likely been artificially brassed. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 5, 2020 Posted June 5, 2020 Hi mediumformula, Take a look here MP Brassing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Stealth3kpl Posted June 5, 2020 Share #42 Posted June 5, 2020 6 minutes ago, mediumformula said: I feel like Camera West should mention something in the description that this camera has likely been artificially brassed. "Distressed" 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan2z Posted June 5, 2020 Share #43 Posted June 5, 2020 49 minutes ago, mediumformula said: I feel like Camera West should mention something in the description that this camera has likely been artificially brassed. I feel like their description, which included the phrases 'fair condition', 'heavy handling wear' and 'visible brassing throughout', is sufficient, without the need to speculate on how the brassing occurred. The ad includes clear photos of the camera from every angle as well so potential buyers can make their own assessment. That said, I don't think I'd personally buy a heavily worn, used MP for $4499 when I could buy a brand new one with a full warranty for not that much more. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topsy Posted June 5, 2020 Share #44 Posted June 5, 2020 Looks like the brassing was done to make the camera look like it was well used when it wasn't. Might be a good buy. I bought an M9 similarly but the seller admitted he'd done the brassing for effect and I got the camera at a steal with recently replaced sensor validated. Sometimes if you don't care about the looks it can be a bargain. Not sure what would be a bargain in USD though, looks a bit expensive at over 4k. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted June 5, 2020 Share #45 Posted June 5, 2020 No digital Leica is old enough to have traditional “brassing”, unless modern paint or chrome finishing is inferior to earlier finishes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted June 6, 2020 Share #46 Posted June 6, 2020 You do see digital Leica M cameras all the time, which have been sandpapered. Analogue ones as well, for that matter. I don't entirely get it. You can always spot fake brassing. None of us is covering the Vietnam war. But I have to say, I bought a black Leica M9-P in, I think, September 2011. By summer 2012, brassing had started on the back of the camera, top right hand corner. It seemed to happen suddenly - I just noticed one day that there was a line of brass showing through on the edge. I traded the camera in for a new mk1 Monochrom in August that year, and the brassing knocked a lot off the trade-in price. The mk1 Monochrom, I've used for nearly eight years now. It doesn't brass because it's black chrome, but it has silvered a lot on all the edges. The top plate is also quite shiny. All of the white paint on the back engravings has come off. Red Dot cameras, for a while, had a used M9M for sale. It was much cheaper than all the others. The owner had heavily polished it, but had been unable to get the brass to show.The shop admitted what had happened to the camera, but were advertising it as a 'polished gunmetal finish'. It was on the site for months before someone must have bought it. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediumformula Posted June 6, 2020 Share #47 Posted June 6, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) I messaged Camera West on Ebay and ask if the camera had been artificially brassed and they responded, "Yes, it has." I wrote back and said that I thought that should be indicated in the listing. They didn't respond. If they know that it was done artificially they should say so. Simply calling it "heavy handling wear" or "brassing" is deceptive in my opinion. Both of those descriptions insinuate honest wear that occurred naturally. Whatever, there are more pressing matters to worry about in the world today. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan2z Posted June 6, 2020 Share #48 Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) If anyone is interested in this camera (despite the artificial brassing), you can buy it directly from Camera West's web site for $3995. Considerably cheaper, I assume, because they don't have to pay the eBay seller fees if they sell it directly from their own site. https://www.camerawest.com/used/leica-mp-0-72-black-3003132 FWIW, I've purchased used gear from Camera West before and they stand behind it. The owner of Camera West also owns the Leica Store in San Francisco, so they are legit. Edited June 6, 2020 by logan2z 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_sparkie_ Posted June 6, 2020 Share #49 Posted June 6, 2020 21 minutes ago, logan2z said: If anyone is interested in this camera (despite the artificial brassing), you can buy it directly from Camera West's web site for $3995. Considerably cheaper, I assume, because they don't have to pay the eBay seller fees if they sell it directly from their own site. https://www.camerawest.com/used/leica-mp-0-72-black-3003132 FWIW, I've purchased used gear from Camera West before and they stand behind it. The owner of Camera West also owns the Leica Store in San Francisco, so they are legit. I'd be all over it in a second if he didn't go at it with sandpaper! I'm struggling to find a used black MP anywhere at the moment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianman Posted June 6, 2020 Share #50 Posted June 6, 2020 5 hours ago, mediumformula said: I messaged Camera West on Ebay and ask if the camera had been artificially brassed and they responded, "Yes, it has." I wrote back and said that I thought that should be indicated in the listing. They didn't respond. If they know that it was done artificially they should say so. Simply calling it "heavy handling wear" or "brassing" is deceptive in my opinion. Both of those descriptions insinuate honest wear that occurred naturally. I don't know why it's deceptive, certainly if by your own logic that would mean that the camera has seen less use than suggested. Any buyer can see right away that this is not "natural" brassing as seen on cameras of old. Anyway, however it occurred the camera is brassed and if that is what is in the description they are not deceiving anybody. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mediumformula Posted June 6, 2020 Share #51 Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) 33 minutes ago, ianman said: I don't know why it's deceptive, certainly if by your own logic that would mean that the camera has seen less use than suggested. Any buyer can see right away that this is not "natural" brassing as seen on cameras of old. Anyway, however it occurred the camera is brassed and if that is what is in the description they are not deceiving anybody. "Brassing" is a term of art used in the camera industry and other antique trades that is defined as natural wear due to handling and use, not intentional sandpapering. "Heavy handling wear" also indicates the wear occurred through normal camera handling and use, not intentional alteration. The buyer has confirmed that they know that the paint was removed intentionally and thus they should state that. It would take one sentence. Calling it brassing is misleading. Edited June 6, 2020 by mediumformula 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianman Posted June 6, 2020 Share #52 Posted June 6, 2020 It's not only the camera that's distressed. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 7, 2020 Share #53 Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) On 6/5/2020 at 7:23 PM, Pyrogallol said: No digital Leica is old enough to have traditional “brassing”, unless modern paint or chrome finishing is inferior to earlier finishes. I'm not sure all "modern paint" is the same for all cameras in all years. I had an M8.2 which, when bought (used), was essentially at the 'mint-but-glossy' stage. After three years use pretty much every one of the edges where camera and hands come into contact had brassed very clearly. The base-plate edges had brassed considerably more and showed a great deal of paint-loss. I had put perhaps as few as 20,000 clicks on it in that time. No sandpaper required. OTOH not long after I bought the 8.2 I bought an M-9P. After five or six years and 75,000 frames use it still looked practically brand-new. Top-edge corner of viewfinder and the toothed part of the on/off switch were the only areas - apart from the edge of the base-plate - where there was any brass showing. I look after my kit but had I not bought the 9 and had the 8.2 remained as my #1 body there is no doubt whatsoever that it would have been very brassy indeed in the same timeframe. Philip. Edited June 7, 2020 by pippy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted June 7, 2020 Share #54 Posted June 7, 2020 8 hours ago, mediumformula said: I messaged Camera West on Ebay and ask if the camera had been artificially brassed and they responded, "Yes, it has." I wrote back and said that I thought that should be indicated in the listing. They didn't respond. If they know that it was done artificially they should say so. Simply calling it "heavy handling wear" or "brassing" is deceptive in my opinion. Both of those descriptions insinuate honest wear that occurred naturally. Whatever, there are more pressing matters to worry about in the world today. If memory serves me, back in 2015 there were precious few complaints about this artificially brassed M camera/lens set: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2015/02/leica-announces-leica-m-p-correspondent-by-lenny-kravitz/ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan2z Posted June 7, 2020 Share #55 Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Herr Barnack said: If memory serves me, back in 2015 there were precious few complaints about this artificially brassed M camera/lens set: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2015/02/leica-announces-leica-m-p-correspondent-by-lenny-kravitz/ But that used factory sand paper 😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted June 7, 2020 Share #56 Posted June 7, 2020 3 minutes ago, logan2z said: But that used factory sand paper 😉 It was limited edition Leica M emery cloth, which cost $1000 USD per sheet. 😎 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianman Posted June 7, 2020 Share #57 Posted June 7, 2020 7 hours ago, Herr Barnack said: It was limited edition Leica M emery cloth, which cost $1000 USD per sheet. 😎 GRIT 3200 with a nice grain pattern. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a5m Posted June 8, 2020 Share #58 Posted June 8, 2020 On 6/6/2020 at 7:03 PM, pippy said: I'm not sure all "modern paint" is the same for all cameras in all years. I had an M8.2 which, when bought (used), was essentially at the 'mint-but-glossy' stage. After three years use pretty much every one of the edges where camera and hands come into contact had brassed very clearly. The base-plate edges had brassed considerably more and showed a great deal of paint-loss. I had put perhaps as few as 20,000 clicks on it in that time. No sandpaper required. OTOH not long after I bought the 8.2 I bought an M-9P. After five or six years and 75,000 frames use it still looked practically brand-new. Top-edge corner of viewfinder and the toothed part of the on/off switch were the only areas - apart from the edge of the base-plate - where there was any brass showing. I look after my kit but had I not bought the 9 and had the 8.2 remained as my #1 body there is no doubt whatsoever that it would have been very brassy indeed in the same timeframe. Philip. Aside from the baseplate that’s exactly how my M9-P is brassed. I bought it sight unseen from The Classic Camera in London. Relieved seeing the condition I expected a low shutter count but it was 11,000+. I assumed the previous owner babied it or had it in a half-case or something. Nice to have some reassurance that it’ll stay this way if looked after. As cool as brassing looks I don’t want it on my cameras 😂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david strachan Posted June 8, 2020 Share #59 Posted June 8, 2020 I haven't seen a black chrome Leica intentionally brassed, and still look authentic. Even the Lenny K edition looks woefully fake. Personally I like the brassing if it's natural. Even after 27,000 pics my black chrome M8 just shows edge silvering, letter deterioration and brass from a tiny ding in the baseplate. Don't see how using sandpaper will add to street cred...a fraud. Just need to take more pics really...😉 ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow_78 Posted June 8, 2020 Share #60 Posted June 8, 2020 On 4/18/2020 at 4:22 PM, wattsy said: That looks a bit rough and not like any brassing I've experienced. On the edges, it usually wears through to a smooth line and takes many months to years. My 4 year old camera below (which, other than my iPhone, is the camera I use most often) has brassed only quite subtly but that might be because I tend to keep it in a neoprene case when it isn't hanging round my neck or being held in my hand. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! My friend this is beautiful! How did you get a black paint M-A? They only usually come in black chrome right? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.