Am selling somewhat reluctantly a Leica rangefinder Camera & lenses which have been in my family for the last 7 decades. My father bought this camera in the late 1940s. It was the first camera I ever photographed with, in the early 1960s. The camera is a black-bodied Leica Model III - serial number 209585. It comes with the original classic 50cm f/3.5 Elmar lens - the retractable lens which pops out - as well as an optically superb Canon f/2.8 35mm lens. The Canon lens has a nice leather carrying case, and also comes with the original Canon 35mm viewfinder, which functions very well but is in need of repair/TLC (some of the interior viewfinder glass is smudged or damaged). There are no lens caps (neither front nor rear) for either lens; and no lens hoods. Camera also comes with the original brown leather Leica camera case that my father bought with the camera.
Camera body and lens recently received a fairly thorough CLA/cleaning, lube & adjustment, from Manfred Mueller at ICT Camera in San Jose, Calif., a superb Leica technician. Mr. Mueller repaired the cloth shutter, verified & adjusted shutter speeds, and did a thorough cleaning of the original Elmar lens.
Am selling because although the camera is nearly 80 years old, it is still in excellent working condition and deserves to be used on a regular basis, and not just sit on my mantelpiece where it looks beautiful but gathers dust. As you can see from the attached photos, the camera has been well-used - but never abused - during its lifetime. This is not a pristine untouched showroom model; its taken hundreds of rolls of film.
A minor note: the camera is still superb for black & white photography, which its been used for more than anything else. The Canon lens, though not possibly as well known as the Elmar, is actually a truly fine lens (and the smaller sibling of the Canon 28mm which Garry Winogrand used years ago).
I will not consider trades, money orders from Outer Mongolia, or anywhere else. Due to the prohibitively expensive nature of international shipping costs, and also the lack of shipping security, I am reluctant to sell to buyers outside of either the United States or Canada. Shipping in the U.S. will be a flat $25 (via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail); slightly higher for Canada. PayPal is the preferred form of payment.
Bottom line: this camera is a classic, and the real deal. Its been used, cared for and appreciated by 3 photographers in my family; now it needs the right new home.
NOTE: There are multiple detailed photos of the camera, lenses, viewfinder, case, etc, available on serious request
Camera body and lens recently received a fairly thorough CLA/cleaning, lube & adjustment, from Manfred Mueller at ICT Camera in San Jose, Calif., a superb Leica technician. Mr. Mueller repaired the cloth shutter, verified & adjusted shutter speeds, and did a thorough cleaning of the original Elmar lens.
Am selling because although the camera is nearly 80 years old, it is still in excellent working condition and deserves to be used on a regular basis, and not just sit on my mantelpiece where it looks beautiful but gathers dust. As you can see from the attached photos, the camera has been well-used - but never abused - during its lifetime. This is not a pristine untouched showroom model; its taken hundreds of rolls of film.
A minor note: the camera is still superb for black & white photography, which its been used for more than anything else. The Canon lens, though not possibly as well known as the Elmar, is actually a truly fine lens (and the smaller sibling of the Canon 28mm which Garry Winogrand used years ago).
I will not consider trades, money orders from Outer Mongolia, or anywhere else. Due to the prohibitively expensive nature of international shipping costs, and also the lack of shipping security, I am reluctant to sell to buyers outside of either the United States or Canada. Shipping in the U.S. will be a flat $25 (via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail); slightly higher for Canada. PayPal is the preferred form of payment.
Bottom line: this camera is a classic, and the real deal. Its been used, cared for and appreciated by 3 photographers in my family; now it needs the right new home.
NOTE: There are multiple detailed photos of the camera, lenses, viewfinder, case, etc, available on serious request