Sunyforreal Posted July 28, 2022 Share #1 Posted July 28, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) I saw some pictures of a beautiful M10 Reporter recently and it had me wondering: Ive seen a lot of Safari repaints of M cameras, but has anyone ever made a Reporter style repaint of an M? Doesn’t even have to have the Kevlar, but just olive paint on brass, black grip and black dials, etc. If it hasn’t been done yet it should be, it’d be beautiful. Surprised Leica hasn’t done this themselves as a special edition with an MP or M-A! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 28, 2022 Posted July 28, 2022 Hi Sunyforreal, Take a look here Has anyone ever made a “Reporter” style repaint of an analog M?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
logan2z Posted July 28, 2022 Share #2 Posted July 28, 2022 (edited) It looks like Kanto Camera has done at least one M2 (without black dials), and likely others as well... 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! Edited July 28, 2022 by logan2z 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334977-has-anyone-ever-made-a-%E2%80%9Creporter%E2%80%9D-style-repaint-of-an-analog-m/?do=findComment&comment=4478740'>More sharing options...
nicci78 Posted July 28, 2022 Share #3 Posted July 28, 2022 looks more like safari than reporter 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! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334977-has-anyone-ever-made-a-%E2%80%9Creporter%E2%80%9D-style-repaint-of-an-analog-m/?do=findComment&comment=4478744'>More sharing options...
Sunyforreal Posted July 28, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted July 28, 2022 (edited) 50 minutes ago, logan2z said: It looks like Kanto Camera has done at least one M2 (without black dials), and likely others as well... 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! Yeah this one is Safari style, not Reporter. After hunting and hunting on Google (because I’m bored) these were the only two pictures I could find that were close to what I had pictured in my head: I think they’re beautiful. Id love to see an M4 or newer where there’s no break between the leatherette and the lens mount. If anyone has any pictures of a Leica that meets that description throw it in the thread! Edited July 28, 2022 by Sunyforreal 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan2z Posted July 28, 2022 Share #5 Posted July 28, 2022 22 minutes ago, Sunyforreal said: Yeah this one is Safari style, not Reporter. Closest thing I found in my brief search. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted July 28, 2022 Share #6 Posted July 28, 2022 They long pre-date the Reporter, and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a photo of a complete camera in this finish, but Peter Grisaffi of CRR Luton used to offer repaints in British Ministry of Defence specification enamel paints, including olive green. https://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page3.html 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunyforreal Posted July 28, 2022 Author Share #7 Posted July 28, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) 29 minutes ago, Anbaric said: They long pre-date the Reporter, and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a photo of a complete camera in this finish, but Peter Grisaffi of CRR Luton used to offer repaints in British Ministry of Defence specification enamel paints, including olive green. https://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page3.html Wow, pretty cool. That desert tan M4-2 is interesting. And the Navy Blue color they’ve used is absolutely gorgeous Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunyforreal Posted July 28, 2022 Author Share #8 Posted July 28, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, logan2z said: Closest thing I found in my brief search. I understand. I think it makes sense that Safari repaints are more common. Putting heritage aside for a moment, if you have a worse for wear chrome Leica it’s a lot less work (and money) to repaint in olive drab and keep the chrome bits than it is to exchange all of that for black bits. Edited July 28, 2022 by Sunyforreal Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frame-it Posted July 28, 2022 Share #9 Posted July 28, 2022 Kanto also does custom colors, so if they have a reference, they can match it Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 29, 2022 Share #10 Posted July 29, 2022 (edited) 11 hours ago, Sunyforreal said: Yeah this one is Safari style, not Reporter. After hunting and hunting on Google (because I’m bored) these were the only two pictures I could find that were close to what I had pictured in my head: 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! I think they’re beautiful. Id love to see an M4 or newer where there’s no break between the leatherette and the lens mount. If anyone has any pictures of a Leica that meets that description throw it in the thread! Interesting, an early (?) M3 with an M2 frame counter. Edited July 29, 2022 by 250swb 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunyforreal Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share #11 Posted July 30, 2022 On 7/28/2022 at 5:00 PM, frame-it said: Kanto also does custom colors, so if they have a reference, they can match it If I had the money and a spare camera I’d definitely do it. I think I prefer the Reporter look even over black paint. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted July 30, 2022 Share #12 Posted July 30, 2022 Nice thought, I have the 10P Reporter and really like the colour scheme. The green also seems to me to be a little lighter and more matte finished than the classic safari green. The matte green looks really nice with the black matte buttons and dials of the digital M. I don’t think glossy black dials would work as nice because the appeal of the reporter is that it looks very under stated. @Sunyforreal ... Assuming that whoever repaints would leave the dials and repaint top and bottom plate, this might add a complication. Because leaves only M6 classic in black chrome and M-A black chrome to choose from ? M6 is out because it’s not brass top plates (other than some variants that are too expensive to buy to repaint). M-A would surely look beautiful this way ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunyforreal Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share #13 Posted July 30, 2022 7 minutes ago, grahamc said: Nice thought, I have the 10P Reporter and really like the colour scheme. The green also seems to me to be a little lighter and more matte finished than the classic safari green. The matte green looks really nice with the black matte buttons and dials of the digital M. I don’t think glossy black dials would work as nice because the appeal of the reporter is that it looks very under stated. @Sunyforreal ... Assuming that whoever repaints would leave the dials and repaint top and bottom plate, this might add a complication. Because leaves only M6 classic in black chrome and M-A black chrome to choose from ? M6 is out because it’s not brass top plates (other than some variants that are too expensive to buy to repaint). M-A would surely look beautiful this way ! You could also use an M7! It’d probably look great on the M7 as well since it is closest in design language (and ethos) to a digital M as you’re going to get with an analog M. Anyone have a spare M7 or M-A they could throw my way? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted July 30, 2022 Share #14 Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) 23 hours ago, 250swb said: Interesting, an early (?) M3 with an M2 frame counter. Look up the history of the original MP cameras from 1956-7 - they were M3s with M2 counters installed right from the factory (and also Leicavit trigger-wind capability). First made as a batch of seven - three M3Es for Alfred Eisenstadt and four M3Ds for David Douglas Duncan (both at LIFE magazine). And then, while Leica was at it, a few hundred more marked as MP-xxx, that were sold only to accredited photojournalists at magazines, newspapers, or agencies like Magnum/AP/UPI. (None of those were green, however). https://petapixel.com/2021/11/24/1957-leica-mp-camera-sells-for-a-staggering-1-34-million-at-auction/ https://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2018/08/david-douglas-duncans-leica-m3d-2.html Now, that specific sample above has a self-timer lever (also deleted in the official MPs), so it is probably a "Frankencamera" converted by someone to MP specs otherwise (and perhaps adding the green and black paint at the same time). But it does have a split S/N (207 401). Edited July 30, 2022 by adan 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted July 30, 2022 Share #15 Posted July 30, 2022 4 hours ago, adan said: Look up the history of the original MP cameras from 1956-7 - they were M3s with M2 counters installed right from the factory (and also Leicavit trigger-wind capability). I wonder why? Was the simpler counter mechanism seen as more robust, similar to what their select customers were used to from their LTM cameras? Was there some perceived advantage in setting it manually? - e.g., by setting a different start value when loading (depending on the length of the film) you could always have it finish at 36 so there would be no doubt how many shots you had left. Or was it simply the most straightforward way to make a counter compatible with the Leicavit at that stage of development, with the M2 just around the corner? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted July 30, 2022 Share #16 Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) 8 hours ago, Anbaric said: Or was it simply the most straightforward way to make a counter compatible with the Leicavit at that stage of development, with the M2 just around the corner? Probably this. I would guess the M2 (formally introduced 1957) already actually existed in pre-production form by the time of the MPs based on the M3. It's quite probable DDD and Eisenstadt had seen M2 prototypes (or even tried them out as what we'd now call "beta-testers") and asked Leica "can you do this with the M3 viewfinder option?" Overall, the M2/MP film counter was simply cheaper - the M2 was intended as a "discount model" to sell for about 16% less than an M3). No need for a window in the camera (cut a hole, make glass lens, make and install bezel), no need for a "film-spool-removed" or "bottom removed" feeler/lever reset mechanism, no need for a reset spring. Leave out enough parts, and machining labor, and you save some bucks (or €s or DMs). The basic M was/is pretty modular, so it's easy to swap many parts around. https://leica-camera.blog/2011/10/10/repair-of-a-legend/ I have a Frankencamera M2.4 (as I call it) - M2 upgraded to M4 framelines (possibly an entire M4 RF/VF module) and forked auto-load mechanism. (Not a legitimate M2R/S, just something someone had some service tech do, sometime since 1962. Maybe Leica, maybe DAG, maybe someone else.) Edited July 30, 2022 by adan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fresno Posted July 31, 2022 Share #17 Posted July 31, 2022 R3 commission for the Israel Defense in the 70s. 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! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334977-has-anyone-ever-made-a-%E2%80%9Creporter%E2%80%9D-style-repaint-of-an-analog-m/?do=findComment&comment=4479910'>More sharing options...
Fresno Posted July 31, 2022 Share #18 Posted July 31, 2022 My personal Reporter kit: Q2 Reporter M11 Reporter / Summicron M 50mm F/2 Safari Edition Summicron M 28mm ASPH F/2 Safari Edition Summicron M 90mm F2 f/2 ASPH Safari Edition Binoculars Noctivid 8x42 Leica Case (1980s) 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! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334977-has-anyone-ever-made-a-%E2%80%9Creporter%E2%80%9D-style-repaint-of-an-analog-m/?do=findComment&comment=4480349'>More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 31, 2022 Share #19 Posted July 31, 2022 19 hours ago, Fresno said: R3 commission for the Israel Defense in the 70s. 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! So the Egyptian's can see a black camera but they can't see a green camera? I think in regular use anybody in the world would notice a green camera far more than a black or silver camera and think 'that's unusual'... I will have to report it to the high command 😄 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamc Posted August 1, 2022 Share #20 Posted August 1, 2022 (edited) 16 hours ago, Fresno said: My personal Reporter kit: Q2 Reporter M11 Reporter / Summicron M 50mm F/2 Safari Edition Summicron M 28mm ASPH F/2 Safari Edition Summicron M 90mm F2 f/2 ASPH Safari Edition Binoculars Noctivid 8x42 Leica Case (1980s) 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! Sounds lovely but where are the cameras ? bad jokes aside, looks lovely too ! Is this a typo or are you fortunate to have a unique M11 ? Thanks for sharing Edited August 1, 2022 by grahamc 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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