For the Leica fans.

Alan Gales · Oct 7, 2019

Check this out. One expensive M3.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/leica-m3-camera-estimated-fetch-over-40-000-154700995.html

Ko.Fe. · Oct 7, 2019

Meh, here is one dude in Toronto who is constantly pushing Leica gear for hundreds of thousands dollars on eBay .

Vincent Peri · Oct 7, 2019

Hmm... just goes to show,
humans are crazy people...

GregY · Oct 7, 2019

You mean Setadel Ko.Fe. ? https://www.setadelstudios.com/coll...er-chrome-aspherical-prototype-11873-lens-1-1

Wallendo · Oct 7, 2019

With its rechargeable bayonet lens mount

This is a feature well in advance of it's time - I guess this justifies the price.

GRHazelton · Oct 7, 2019

I remember lusting over the M 3 when it was quite new; I was perhaps 14. Stanley Balderson, who ran the camera department at Thalhimer's Department Store in Richmond VA let me (with my Father at my side) handle that lovely camera. Needless to say Mr B earned my loyalty, I bought my first "real" camera from him, a Retina 1 with the uncoated Ektar f3.5. It needed shutter work, Mr B fixed it at no additional cost! A true Gentleman!
While I'd love to have a single stroke M 3 there is no way I can justify even today the cost of a good example, let alone the example listed in the London auction. And $650K for a lens! I collect cameras on a small sense, but I want gear I can use! Who would ever mount that lens on that body? And who would dare to actually load film and shoot pictures in the real world? Are Leica aficionados a special breed untethered from the mundane realities we "little people" struggle with?

AgX · Oct 8, 2019

40,000 Pounds for a not-nice sample just for its low serial number?? Or am I overlooking something?

benjiboy · Oct 8, 2019

You wouldn't get £40,000 out of me for that camera, I'm a photographer not a Museum curator.

Ko.Fe. · Oct 8, 2019

GregY said:
You mean Setadel Ko.Fe. ? https://www.setadelstudios.com/coll...er-chrome-aspherical-prototype-11873-lens-1-1

yep. I see Alex pushing his retirement goals all the time with listings like this.
He never bothered to call me back then I had question about his regular listing.
Too busy with answering about listings you quote, I guess.

darkosaric · Oct 8, 2019

GRHazelton said:
While I'd love to have a single stroke M 3 there is no way I can justify even today the cost of a good example

Here in Meister Leica shop you can buy one in good working order for 700-1000€, I would say that is not so high, for something that one wants for years.

Alan Gales · Oct 8, 2019

AgX said:
40,000 Pounds for a not-nice sample just for its low serial number?? Or am I overlooking something?

I could see someone paying crazy money for #1 even if it were in lousy condition. At #15 I just can's see it myself. Of course I'm like all of you. I like to shoot my cameras, not set them on a shelf to look at.

benjiboy · Oct 8, 2019

Ko.Fe. said:
yep. I see Alex pushing his retirement goals all the time with listings like this.
He never bothered to call me back then I had question about his regular listing.
Too busy with answering about listings you quote, I guess.

I wouldn't pay $ 650,000 if Oscar Barnack had had handcrafted it out of the holy grail.

BradS · Oct 8, 2019

Somehow I just cannot make an association between "Leica Fans" and a beat up Leica M3 expected to fetch 40,000 GBP at some auction.
Leica fanboys are ridiculous, vomit inducing romantics but...40K for a Leica?
That's way beyond even the most zombie brained Leica-Kool-Aide chugging fanboy.
That's bat-shit crazy territory.

mshchem · Oct 8, 2019

I hope some ultra wealthy genius buys it, then repaints it.

It's a tool not a jewel!!!

Ko.Fe. · Oct 9, 2019

BradS said:
Somehow I just cannot make an association between "Leica Fans" and a beat up Leica M3 expected to fetch 40,000 GBP at some auction.
Leica fanboys are ridiculous, vomit inducing romantics but...40K for a Leica?
That's way beyond even the most zombie brained Leica-Kool-Aide chugging fanboy.
That's bat-shit crazy territory.

Nah, nikoniacs are the same.

Ray Morgenweck · Oct 9, 2019

The Patina is awesomely beautiful, a credit to its heritage. It’s appealing, something I’d own if it were priced less than nice cameras ;-)

BradS · Oct 9, 2019

Ko.Fe. said:
Nah, nikoniacs are the same.

__Brian · Oct 9, 2019

I would rather have DDD's Leica and Nikkor lenses. As it is, at least I got the Nikkor 13.5cm F4 and Nikkor 5cm F1.5 from the same batch as his, along with a Leica IIIc.

Anyone can price an item as high as they want, it only matters what someone is willing to pay. I spent $2K on the two lenses and IIIc- worth it to me.

For the Leica fans.

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