Black Paint Leicas

[NB23]

Wjlapier wanted to see this very particular M7. So please ask him why would he want to see a M7.

Fabberyman, wash your eyes with these beautiful Leica objects because there are more coming. Bragging rights and all.

Well, it certainly looks like a Leica.

What's with Leica owners always wanting to show pictures of their Leicas? There is a thread over on rangefinderforum.com where Leica owners post pictures of their Leicas. It had around 7800 posts the last time I looked. It may even be the thread with the most posts. Maybe it is the same on the Nikon forum. I'd ask the same question of them. I don't think I have photos of any of my cameras.

 

[wjlapier]

Not just any M7. Black paint. MP style levers. Black frame counter. .58 rangefinder. A few others. All custom made through the ala carte program.

 

[Pioneer]

As for why a Black Paint Leica is much better than an Adjacent one is because obviously it ages much more gracefuly, but an even more important aspect is because Black Paint Leica sticks to fingers; I can lift my Leica with two fingers in a secure fashion. A Black Chrome adjacent Leica is SLIPPY; I cannot reliably lift an Adjacent Black or Silver Leica with my thumb and index fingers.

LOL! I think I have heard a lot of mythical Leica nonsense before but this one might be at the top of the list!

I must be special because I have been packing a black chrome MA since it was first introduced, and thru hundreds and hundreds of rolls of film in all sorts of conditions. I have never had it "slip" through my fingers picking it up. That being said I do use Leica's really nice black strap because it is so comfortable and so durable.

 

[NB23]

LOL! I think I have heard a lot of mythical Leica nonsense before but this one might be at the top of the list!

I must be special because I have been packing a black chrome MA since it was first introduced, and thru hundreds and hundreds of rolls of film in all sorts of conditions. I have never had it "slip" through my fingers picking it up. That being said I do use Leica's really nice black strap because it is so comfortable and so durable.

Totally expected.
A non-owner talking like an owner. I believe this is what we call “ignorance”... please don’t be offended. Holding, even a black paint Yashica, will confirm how sticky it is versus any chromed camera. Just how things are.

 

[Pioneer]

I talk of what I know. I have owned a black paint Leica III and a black paint Leica M6 0.85. At the same time that I owned my MA. Both were nice cameras. I have even owned a couple of very nice chrome M3s. That doesn't include the various black paint Pentax LX cameras, of which I currently own 3.

In my humble experience, none of these were any more "slippy" than any of the others.

But, since I have never seen any objective evidence to support either my side or yours, you can continue to claim whatever physical property you wish for your black paint Leica. It is certainly a pretty camera by the way and you should be happy with it.

But, for myself, I have already logged this as yet another Leica myth.

 

[NB23]

“Objective evidence”? Who are you kidding.

Same kind of bs talk from the salesman at the furniture store trying to sell a Bicast/fauxleather sofa.

“until there is a true objective evidence, I guarantee you that Fauxleather is even better than leather... blabla... blabla...”

 

[NB23]

Look, I don’t want to be too pedantic, but then again, if someone says that chrome is as sticky as a painted surface, then this is an insult to any nomal intelligence.

The obvious, extra short and obvious proof that chrome is slippery is that it cannot be painted. This is the “objective” answer.
Can you paint over chrome? No.
Can you paint over teflon? No.

End of story.

Oh, you want to continue the debate? Sure let’s go. Can you pait over brass? Yes. Brass is sticky.
Can you paint over paint? Sure, paint is sticky.

In vulgarized terms: It boils down to this.

Oh, you have extra soft baby skin fingers? Good for you. Still, your fingers should definitely stick more to pinted surfaces anyhow.

 

[Huss]

Ok, right now I am holding my black paint MP, and my black chrome MA.

And the black chrome is smoother/less grippy! I never would have even thought about this until NB brought it up. But... it makes zero difference to me as I am not lobster man and have more than two fingers to hold a camera with.

 

[wjlapier]

The direction threads go…

Maybe get grippy leather(ette) for your chrome camera?

 

[NB23]

Ok, right now I am holding my black paint MP, and my black chrome MA.

And the black chrome is smoother/less grippy! I never would have even thought about this until NB brought it up. But... it makes zero difference to me as I am not lobster man and have more than two fingers to hold a camera with.

oh, you should see how poledancers make a big deal out of their poles, prefering brass and brushed chrome to the super slippery chrome. They also powdercoat their chrome poles for a better experience. Haha.

We absolutely need two fingers to be functional; the thumb and any other, but preferably the index. The Leica M’s top plate got taller versus the barnacks and where the tumb rests is a strategic point. On a chrome camera, the thumb slip even though there is the advance lever. Sometimes the thumb needs to release it to take a photograph, or when using a leicavit.
A chrome camera is fully acceptable of course, but in my part if the world there are 6 months a year where it’s cold and rainy. Using a chrome camera under 15 celsius starts to become unstable. Under 10c it’s very slippery. Around zero and below I start missing many shots, the camera slips, my thumb can’t hold it.

The little things make the big things. And the above is no joke. Not everyone is lucky to be living in California and Florida... where 30 year old cars still look brand new! Up here in canada, a brand new car starts looking like shit after the 3rd year.

 

[NB23]

As we speak I took my M5 out of my car’s trunk and it almost fell, slipped. There is a lot of chrome on that camera as opposed to other Ms, making it even more problematic. In cold weather it becomes like a big chunk of ice.

Another interesting fact: the colder it gets, the grippier the original vulcanite gets. Insane but true. Try it!

Here is an interesting test for you. Put both your MP and M-A in your fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you can handle them but by keeping them inside the fridge, the door open. The MP will stick to your fingers and the M-A will tend to slip a lot.

Ok, right now I am holding my black paint MP, and my black chrome MA.

And the black chrome is smoother/less grippy! I never would have even thought about this until NB brought it up. But... it makes zero difference to me as I am not lobster man and have more than two fingers to hold a camera with.

 

[Huss]

oh, you should see how poledancers make a big deal out of their poles..

I really should.

 

[NB23]

I really should.

http://femtasticdance.blogspot.com/2013/05/pole-materials-differences.html?m=1

 

[NB23]

https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/my_pole_is_ALWAYS_too_slippery_20140421104802

 

[faberryman]

Does Leica make poles? If not, maybe they could set up a sideline to black paint poles for just the right amount of grip.

 

[Huss]

As we speak I took my M5 out of my car’s trunk and it almost fell, slipped. There is a lot of chrome on that camera as opposed to other Ms, making it even more problematic. In cold weather it becomes like a big chunk of ice.

Another interesting fact: the colder it gets, the grippier the original vulcanite gets. Insane but true. Try it!

Here is an interesting test for you. Put both your MP and M-A in your fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you can handle them but by keeping them inside the fridge, the door open. The MP will stick to your fingers and the M-A will tend to slip a lot.

It's ok, I bow to your experiences! I have to give it to you, you REALLY know every detail! From M7s not firing as fast as possible in auto setting, to BP grippiness!

 

[Saganich]

Well, it certainly looks like a Leica.

What's with Leica owners always wanting to show pictures of their Leicas? There is a thread over on rangefinderforum.com where Leica owners post pictures of their Leicas. It had around 7800 posts the last time I looked. It may even be the thread with the most posts. Maybe it is the same on the Nikon forum. I'd ask the same question of them. I don't think I have photos of any of my cameras.

Safer than posting pictures of your children...and just as satisfying.

 

[Saganich]

Look, I don’t want to be too pedantic, but then again, if someone says that chrome is as sticky as a painted surface, then this is an insult to any nomal intelligence.

Oh, you have extra soft baby skin fingers? Good for you. Still, your fingers should definitely stick more to pinted surfaces anyhow.

Ahem, I take offense sir! Being half amphibian I find no difference with regard to the stickiness of my painted versus non-painted cameras. Maybe this is a problem particular to humans.

 

[NB23]

Does Leica make poles? If not, maybe they could set up a sideline to black paint poles for just the right amount of grip.

You sure sound Jealous.

They made the Focomat. The pole on the IIc is beautiful, thick. And chromed for that extra glide. A wonderful piece of engineering. Yes, even the pole. You should see it in person, no jokes.

And you, spending some quality time in the darkroom these days with your Nikon enlarger? Hasselblad? No, must be Canon enlarger, then? Damn, not even Pentax, at least? What is this world, not even one rolleiflex enlarger on the market? LoL.

 

[faberryman]

You sure sound Jealous.

They made the Focomat. The pole on the IIc is beautiful, thick. And chromed for that extra glide. A wonderful piece of engineering. Yes, even the pole. You should see it in person, no jokes.

And you, spending some quality time in the darkroom these days with your Nikon enlarger? Hasselblad? No, must be Canon enlarger, then? Damn, not even Pentax, at least? What is this world, not even one rolleiflex enlarger on the market? LoL.

I used a Focomat enlarger for a year or so when I was studying photography in the 1970s. I think it had a chrome pole. It was okay. Seemed to do the job pretty well, though I never exactly fell in love with it. I am currently using a Beseler 45MXT. It works pretty well too. I don't carry a picture of it around in my wallet or anything.

 

[Moose22]

Well, it certainly looks like a Leica.

What's with Leica owners always wanting to show pictures of their Leicas? There is a thread over on rangefinderforum.com where Leica owners post pictures of their Leicas. It had around 7800 posts the last time I looked. It may even be the thread with the most posts. Maybe it is the same on the Nikon forum. I'd ask the same question of them. I don't think I have photos of any of my cameras.

I take pictures of cameras when I need something to take a picture of. Like if I'm experimenting with light, or a new lens, or if I want to get a roll developed and there are only 1 or 2 frames left. So now I have a few photos of cameras. Before I stared back on film I never did. Don't think I have a single pic of one or two of the digitals I carried for 18 years.

Anyway, when I have a spare frame to kill, the Leica is a good subject. With the meter on it, and with the 35mm and goggles, it's odd enough looking to be interesting. I was messing with it just two nights ago as a subject when I realized I'd had slide film in a back since the spring and thought I'd shoot the last couple of frames to kill it off. I was experimenting with depth of field on an MF lens, the Leica was nearby, so there ya go. (I also shot one of my C330, which is similarly makes an interesting subject)

But, yeah. 7800 pics of just a camera is a lot. But Leica people can be a lot. No offense to folks here, I think they all know that already.

 

[ced]

If you like BP L's so much here is Elliot Erwitt's bashed about beauty...

He might even think this about"But Leica people can be a lot."

 

[faberryman]

I take pictures of cameras when I need something to take a picture of. Like if I'm experimenting with light, or a new lens, or if I want to get a roll developed and there are only 1 or 2 frames left. So now I have a few photos of cameras.

If I have finished shooting and I have a couple of frames left, I just rewind the film and get along to developing it. Maybe if I had a Leica, I would use those extra frames to take pictures of it. Actually, if I had a Leica, the extra frames would be in the Leica, so I couldn't take pictures of it. So I guess you really need two Leicas. If you only have one Leica, the only option is to take a picture of yourself in the mirror like Andreas Feininger. Of course, you are going to need an accessory viewfinder and a black turtleneck for the full effect.

To be honest, I think most of the 7800 photos of Leicas posted by their owners in that thread I mentioned were taken with a phone, but it's not really something I would want to say out loud. The heresy of it. But they do look pretty sharp in an unglowy sort of way. Bourgeois, in other words.

 

[NB23]

I do not mind being mistaken for a fetishist. I mean, at what point does someone earn the imaginary right to indulge?

 

[faberryman]

I do not mind being mistaken for a fetishist. I mean, at what point does someone earn the imaginary right to indulge?

I like your photos a lot, so if a black paint Leica and a Focomat with a chrome pole are what it takes to make them, keep at it. Your excellent results are what earn you the right to indulge. And you certainly seem to be having a lot of fun too.