Where to find leicas under 300 bucks?

[Andrey]

I'm just curious.

On the ebay the m3 and m4 seem to go for 600-700. Craigslist wants around the same.

Thanks

 

[IloveTLRs]

I don't think you can find an M body for under $300. If you do, it'll probably be beat to hell.

How about a III (Barnack) series? They're cheaper it seems.

 

[phaedrus]

Maybe a used Voigtlaender rangefinder would serve you as well? I can recommend the R3M.

 

[Ian Grant]

If you find an M series Leica for under $300 as has already been said it will be well worn and tatty, and you won't get a lens with it.

You'd be lucky to find even an old screw mount Leica & lens that's worth using for $300. These are cameras built to last and they hold their value.

Ian

 

[Andrey]

So, what would be a reasonable price for them?

 

[Ian Grant]

Price really depends on where you buy them from. I bought my M3 about 20 years ago from Leica dealers, body at one, Summicron at another, meter at a third. But for that I knew the camera body had been serviced and fully tested.

Now I guess I'd buy from ebay, or the classifieds here on APUG, can't help with prices, but there have been some excellently priced Leica's sold here recently.

Ian

 

[Mark Reever]

lowest cost leica

Audrey,
Probably an M2 used body for 600-700 dollars US & 600-700 for a used
Elmar 2.8 50mm lens. Its worth it, as they will last you at least 30 years &
the print quality will be amazing...
Mark

 

[David H. Bebbington]

So, what would be a reasonable price for them?

I've been buying back into Leica in the last year or so - best price I got was an M2 in Exc++ condition for £220 with a seized shutter release, perfect after a CLA for £110. Cheapest Leica I ever sold was a wartime IIIc, awful chrome, half of it hanging off, mechanicals worn out (poor materials), which I sold for £100 as a shelf ornament.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Perhaps you can find a M3 out there, some assembly required and you will have to find the missing parts. The minimum price out there seems to be around the $700 mark.

 

[Jersey Vic]

Perhaps you can find a M3 out there, some assembly required and you will have to find the missing parts. The minimum price out there seems to be around the $700 mark.

..and it will always be worth just about the same. Basically you're just borrowing it for some time.

 

[thuggins]

You can pick up Reica for a darn sight less. A working 35RC will run under $100, a 35SP between $100-$200. The picture quality will make you wonder why anyone would spend more!

 

[David H. Bebbington]

You can pick up Reica for a darn sight less. A working 35RC will run under $100, a 35SP between $100-$200. The picture quality will make you wonder why anyone would spend more!

Are we talking Olympus here?

 

[skahde]

There are lots of Leicas for under 300 $US out there. They may be labeled Canon, FED, Zorki, Bessa or whatever, but if you care that much about price you should care less about brands and ultimate mechanical quality. A cheap Leica may get *very* expensive in the end if it needs work to be done.

JM2C

Stefan

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Not possible.

A good source for cheap RELIABLE M2s and M3s is www.keh.com. I bought an M2 last month from KEH in "bargain" condition for $660. KEH rates its equipment conservatively -- the M2 I bought works fine and is in good cosmetic condition. Recent eBay prices seem to be running higher for the same quality. With KEH you have the assurance of a reputable dealer in the transaction.

RFXB

 

[Venchka]

LTM is good

There are lots of Leicas for under 300 $US out there. They may be labeled Canon, FED, Zorki, Bessa or whatever, but if you care that much about price you should care less about brands and ultimate mechanical quality. A cheap Leica may get *very* expensive in the end if it needs work to be done.

JM2C

Stefan

I use a Canon VI-T alongside my M bodies. The film doesn't know the difference. Really nice Canon LTM bodies rarely sell for more than $300. There are enough GREAT LTM lenses around to keep a person going forever. 3 of my favorite lenses are LTM: 35mm UC-Hexanon, 50mm & 85mm Nikkors.

The bad news: My other 3 favorite lenses, 28mm M-Hexanon, 50mm DR Summicron and 90mm Elmarit are M mount. That's why I use 3 bodies.

Good luck!

 

[Andrey]

You can pick up Reica for a darn sight less. A working 35RC will run under $100, a 35SP between $100-$200. The picture quality will make you wonder why anyone would spend more!

I have the 35 RC leica already. 25 bucks shipped. But the problem is that I can't mount a 28 on it.

 

[thuggins]

"Are we talking Olympus here?"

Yep! In case anyone is not familiar with the term, Olympus' rangefinders are endearingly referred to as "Reicas". The origin of the term is self-explanatory

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Where to find leicas under 300 bucks?

One answer is - take a (calculated) chance. I have just bought a Leica IIIf and 50 mm Summicron on e-bay, described as "Used but in very good condition" (no more than that) and accompanied by one somewhat out-of-focus picture (which seemed nonetheless to show a clean camera). This way of presenting the camera no doubt put a few potential buyers off and it sold for US$520 (with a promise of money back if dissatisfied, seller has completed 2398 trades with 99.7% positive feedback). The reason I bought this to join my several other Leicas was the 50 mm screw-thread Summicron, hard to find in any case in good condition, even harder to find at a good price. I naturally await the arrival of this item with interest, I don't think the deal can go too far wrong, but I'm not sure I'd recommend doing this to anyone who doesn't know Leica well.

Regards,

David

 

[Lee Shively]

You may be interested in a Leica/Minolta CL. They won't be cheap but you can use M-series lenses. The 40mm Summicron-C and 90mm Elmar-C lenses that were designed for it are excellent. Otherwise, I would recommend one of the M-mount Bessas--they may be the best bargain around in "Leicalike" cameras.

 

[firecracker]

300 bucks is what you pay for CLA for Leica and often times much more. However, US dollar is getting real weak, so maybe there will be a day to get a Leica for that value with strong Euro or something...

 

[rusty71]

Back in 1987 I paid $275 US for a near mint Leica IIIF with 50mm F/2 collapsible Summicron. A few years later, hard up for cash, I sold to a friend on the promise that when I was able, he would sell it back to me for the same price he bought it. Then he promptly went to NYC and left it in a Taxi cab! Bye bye Leica....
I suppose if you did the math adjusted for inflation, the price I paid back then was about right. At any rate, over the years I have thought about replacing it. However prices seem way too high if you're a camera user, and I have lenses just as good in their own way (Nikon AI and AIS series, Kiev Helios 50mm.) Beware the seductive Leica mystique. It has led many good photographers to buy cameras for too much money that they are afraid to use.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Just for information - this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Leica-IIIc-Ch...ryZ15234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
is about the "cheapest" Leica you will find. In this particular case, the viewfinder and rangefinder might just clean up, without the need for a new rangefinder prism, and the shutter/wind mechanism might work OK without a CLA, although this would be advisable as the camera seems generally dirty. So you might be able to put a lens on it for a total cost of under $300 - on the other hand, a CLA and any repair work which you find needs doing later could make the "cheap" camera expensive.

Regards,

David

 

[JeffGreene]

You might try KEH for screwmount Leicas. I've seen IIIC's there for 300 to 400 at the bargain grade. KEH grades very conservatively, you might be quite surpriesed.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I have strange powers. I can make certain cameras appear for sale by reading about them on the internet.

I read this thread last week and then an auction was posted in our local paper listing an antique portrait camera and about 30 other antique cameras. I called the auction house, but they never called me back. I decided to drive the 60 miles to the city having the auction and look around to see if I wanted to bid on anything. The cameras were mostly old Polaroids, Kodak folding cameras and Argus. But there was one leather case that said Leica on it. It was sitting with a bunch of junk away from all of the other cameras. I opened the case and inside was a IIIc with a 50 mm f2.8 Summitar. I immediately closed it up and set it back down with the other junk. I was the only bidder and it went for less than $100.

So, Yes Veronica, there is a Santa Claus and you can find Leica's for under $300.

Oh, I also read about brass Petzval lenses, Packard shutters and Elwood 5x7 enlargers last week. Guess what was at the auction and who was the only bidder.

Wayne

 

[Venchka]

That ain't right!

Wayne,

You're wrong for that!

Wayne
In Texas

I have strange powers. I can make certain cameras appear for sale by reading about them on the internet.

I read this thread last week and then an auction was posted in our local paper listing an antique portrait camera and about 30 other antique cameras. I called the auction house, but they never called me back. I decided to drive the 60 miles to the city having the auction and look around to see if I wanted to bid on anything. The cameras were mostly old Polaroids, Kodak folding cameras and Argus. But there was one leather case that said Leica on it. It was sitting with a bunch of junk away from all of the other cameras. I opened the case and inside was a IIIc with a 50 mm f2.8 Summitar. I immediately closed it up and set it back down with the other junk. I was the only bidder and it went for less than $100.

So, Yes Veronica, there is a Santa Claus and you can find Leica's for under $300.

Oh, I also read about brass Petzval lenses, Packard shutters and Elwood 5x7 enlargers last week. Guess what was at the auction and who was the only bidder.

Wayne