Where to buy Leica II/III in UK?

mcgrattan · Apr 29, 2008

HI,

I'm thinking of making the plunge and switching my FSU bodies for a Leica screwmount.

Where would be a good place to look secondhand? Ebay, obviously.

Any other good venues?

thanks

Matt

Ian Grant · Apr 29, 2008

You need to decide which model. There's a huge difference in value, F's and G's are the best, and Reid's are even better.

Try posting a wanted ad here, that may work, otherwise ebay. They can still be serviced but not by Leica themselves.

Ian

Mark Antony · Apr 29, 2008

Try Ffordes.
They have a III chrome with F2 for £295 but the one I'd go for is the IIIF RD in Ex+ £299
I've bought loads of stuff from them they are pretty good to deal with.
Mark

pquser · Apr 29, 2008

ffordes for me too

Hi...I'm not a Leica man but if I was there is only one place I would try

FFordes are very good, I bought a lovely contax G outfit and am delighted with it.They are not however the greatest on trade in values, I did much better selling privately and on Ebay.

One place not to try is the real camera shop in Manchester.

This used to be very good, but recently their prices are not competetive

come back Nobby !

pquser.

Brian Jeffery · Apr 29, 2008

Matt,

I suppose it depends on what you want to spend; dealers like Peter Loy and Aperture tend to deal only with equipment in good condition and consequently is slightly more expensive than other dealers or Ebay. However, this extra cost is often offset as you don't have to pay out for a CLA.

Another Idea is to go to Photographica where you will be able to play with a number of Barnacks. (there was a url link here which no longer exists) I know that Peter Loy intends to be there because I asked him.

Brian

Ian Grant · Apr 29, 2008

Looking at the Peter Loy and Aperture websites I'm surprised at the very high prices they are selling Leica's for. It's rather like the £300+ Speed & Crown Graphics.

There have been some very nice screw thread Leica and also early Canon bodies sold here on APUG for a fraction of those prices. David H Bebbington would be able to point you to far better sources in the UK.

Ian

David H. Bebbington · Apr 29, 2008

mcgrattan said:
HI,

I'm thinking of making the plunge and switching my FSU bodies for a Leica screwmount.

Where would be a good place to look secondhand? Ebay, obviously.

Any other good venues?

thanks

Matt

There's a good selection here:
http://www.reddotcameras.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=47_50&products_id=306
Prices at normal dealer levels.
As a rough guide, assume any cosmetically good Leica on e-bay will not be worn out or have broken parts but WILL need a CLA. Forget Reid, these were British-made replicas of Leicas, they are expensive by virtue of rarity and historical curiosity, shutters are fragile, TTH lenses are blisteringly sharp in the center, hopeless at the edges (they were an unmodified cine lens design).

John Lawrence · Apr 29, 2008

Having purchased many Leica screwmount bodies over the past ten years from different vendors in the UK, I would contact Malcolm Taylor on 01568 770542. Prices are a bit higher, but you do get a Leica that has no faults and has usually been serviced by Malcolm.

Of all the Leica bodies I've purchased, only two have not had to be sent to Malcolm for repair / servicing or to put into correct working condition. I've had to return Leicas to other vendors for repair (under their guarantee) and in all cases they have not been able to repair the camera, and have either offered a refund or suggested Malcolm Taylor!!

Sorry if this sounds a bit negative, but this is my experience and I post it in the sincere hope that it saves you wasted time and money.

Brian Jeffery · Apr 29, 2008

John Lawrence said:
Having purchased many Leica screwmount bodies over the past ten years from different vendors in the UK, I would contact Malcolm Taylor on 01568 770542. Prices are a bit higher, but you do get a Leica that has no faults and has usually been serviced by Malcolm.

Of all the Leica bodies I've purchased, only two have not had to be sent to Malcolm for repair / servicing or to put into correct working condition. I've had to return Leicas to other vendors for repair (under their guarantee) and in all cases they have not been able to repair the camera, and have either offered a refund or suggested Malcolm Taylor!!

Sorry if this sounds a bit negative, but this is my experience and I post it in the sincere hope that it saves you wasted time and money.

The trouble with Leica's is that there seems to be a higher than average number of people trying to pull a fast one. I know of an M3 that was sold on Ebay as being serviced, but on inspection the service was nothing more than the application of a bit of oil. So, in this case the purchaser ended up paying too much for the camera (in the belief it had been fully serviced) and then paying Malcolm Taylor for a proper service.

That's why I recommended Peter Loy. I bought an M3 from him which he had got serviced by Newton Ellis (another good repairer). So, although I paid slightly over the top for this camera I knew everything was working correctly. So, if you buy one off Ebay, or a slightly less reputable dealer it's a good idea to have enough money left for a CLA as there's a good chance that it's going to need one.

You pays your money and takes your choice,

Brian

Ian Grant · Apr 29, 2008

If your going to pay high prices then I would buy from a Leica appointed dealer, which is what I did for my own Leica M equipment. When I accidentally damaged the viewfinder glass Leica UK included a service in the repair cost, but then indicated the camera had actually been serviced a year or two before and was in excellent mechanical condition so reduced the costs. That's an honest company for you.

In posts here on APUG David Bebbington has discussed buying screw thread Leica's and even allowing for the cost of a full service saving very significant amounts compared to many dealers shelf prices.

Ian

mcgrattan · Apr 29, 2008

Thanks very much for all the information above. Very helpful, thanks.

martin diedrich · Apr 29, 2008

Malcolm Taylor

John Lawrence said:
Having purchased many Leica screwmount bodies over the past ten years from different vendors in the UK, I would contact Malcolm Taylor on 01568 770542. Prices are a bit higher, but you do get a Leica that has no faults and has usually been serviced by Malcolm.

Another vote for checking with Malcolm Taylor. I bought a
lovely "user" IIIg with 2.8 Elmar from him at a good price, he knew
the history of the camera, had serviced the camera for the previous
owner earlier, and had given camera and lens another service before
selling it to me. Very helpful on the phone, and you get a nice
camera that can be used right away, without the need to send it
off for service elsewhere. I've had only this one dealing with him,
but I'll be very happy to use him again if the bug bites.

Martin (UK)

mcgrattan · May 6, 2008

I ended up buying one from MW Classics. Excellent price, and it's in really lovely condition. I've run one film through it, with no problems. Shutter speeds all seem good.

thanks for all the advice, though.

Where to buy Leica II/III in UK?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency