Anyone received a painted camera from Japan recently?

I sent off my IIIf for black painting more than a year ago to Shintaro in Japan. I understand he is busy with his commercial photography,

but I have not heard from him and wonder if anyone has received back their camera, in the second half of 2007 or in 2008?

 

If you have, please indicate when you sent your camera and when you received it back. It would be good to hear from anyone in a parralel

situation to mine.

 

I am a patient person but I really would like to use this small camera for fairly unobstrusive street photography, coupled with a fast (also

black) lens.

I have heard too many horror stories about the length of time he takes to return cameras to ever consider using him. There was someone on the LUF who waited years for his M3 to be returned, and then - from memory - it was only after Tom Abrhamson got himself involved on his behalf.

 

Personally I'd write the camera off and see its return as a bonus.

http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00AlgI

<p><b>Besides Shintaro, who does superior Leica refinishing?</b>

<p>Eliot Rosen , Jan 14, 2005; 01:50 a.m.: "GB Metzcar in the USA is an expert refinisher. Jim Lager shows some of his

work in his volume on Leica cameras. But I don't know where he is currently located.

<p>sandy , Jan 14, 2005; 02:20 a.m.: "Mr. M received TWO of my very collectable base plates and never heard from him

again... Mr. S received one of my base plate and again, never heard from him. Oh well, such is life. Grant's idea is not bad

afterall because you still have in your possession the item(s) you wanted to restore. Send at your own risk.

<p><p>grant . , Jan 14, 2005; 01:49 a.m.: <b>"i hear sears carries spray paint..."</b>

Here's the thread I was thinking of. Almost 2 years before the camera was returned, and only after Tom got involved...

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/39466-return-m3.html

Very sad. The guy is a jerk if he won't send your camera back. Where I'm from that is called stealing. Why don't you try a Bessa R w/ a newer Jupiter-8 50mm 2.0 lens. Cheap, small, black. Don't send anymore cameras to strangers. If you want a black camera, find someone local or paint it yourself. Paint is inexpensive.

This guy reminds me of the shenanigans Ron Wisner has pulled with his customers, except for the fact that every once in awhile Shintaro actually returns a camera.

 

I think what y'all should do is either: a) find someone reliable to send your cameras to, or b) just don't bother with the refinishing. Just keep shooting.

 

But in all instances, any time you're going to send one off to have it refinished, email the guy and let him know he is NOT getting your business, and then post the fact as well.

 

Really, I've got no personal interest in this sort of thing -- I don't have and/or use Leica and I would definitely never want to take one apart because I know for sure I'd NEVER get it back together! But they're beautiful cameras, they ain't cheap, and anybody who sends off something that beautiful and valuable to get worked on, in good faith, should be treated well, and should get their gear back in a timely manner. And besides, you're paying good money for this, aren't you?

 

Anyway, I'm chiming in here because I've read other posts about this guy. Why not just spread the word: DON'T hire his services anymore! Don't even think about it. Why get yourself ripped off?

 

Meanwhile, please DO post info on good vendors who actually do the work and send your gear back to you!

That is really shocking. He shouldn't be in business at all with those turnaround times. Disgrace of the highest order!

Thanks to all for your feedback to date. Any other experiences would also be welcome news. I had contacted Tom Abrahamson earlier

with my query. He visited Shintaro while in Japan this summer and hopefully he will have passed on some business lessons or manners

to his friend. It would be nice to at least receive some reply from Shintaro (I've heard nothing since March 2007) concerning when (and if),

my camera painting and my pre-payment will be respected. He may be basically an honest person (I am prepatred to accept that he may

be a bit eccentric), but he is not giving very good signals in not replying to polite e-mails.

 

I hope that he will continue to do the good work that others like Tom had previously described, and will improve his turn-

around and (at least) his communications.

If it's any consolation, I've seen cameras that he's repainted and the finish is superb. Just a pity he can't be relied on.

I bought a black painted Canon P from Japan recently. It was definitely not painted by Shintaro, but then again,I did not pay that much either for the camera.

As long as it works... Shoot with your Leica... The more ugly, the more pleasure ;-)

If you do not know how to paint your camera, just forget about it. the original black paint is poor quality and easy to wear off. The new paint is difficult to stick on the brass. I had several repaited camera, so far the best is hammered tone and lacquer, any primer will make the caera looks silly. SO do not bother repaint just shott it, repaint will make it worse in appearance.

I will use my user's condition black repainted Canon P.If I don't manage a good paint touch-up, I will the camera as is.

Greg Metzcar appears to have suffered a Shintaro-like syndrome many years ago, and I have not heard anything about him for perhaps 8 years. He repainted an early 50 Summicron for me about a year after he had done an M2. It took the better part of a year to get the lens back -- he wouldn't answer phone calls -- and only when I learned that he was having Don Goldberg (DAG) reassemble his lenses, did I get results, through Don's intervention. There must be a real burn-out factor in repainting, or perhaps the fumes involved in the process affect their brains.

>>>>There must be a real burn-out factor in repainting, or perhaps the fumes involved in the process affect their brains.<<<

 

No kindding, It will affect your brain if you breath too much fumes, memory lost, demention can occure depend on equipment used, for the guy he only own a small home shop, I guess his brain is burned.

The communication has been restored and I hope in a month or so to be able to witness a high quality repainting by

Shintaro.

I keep thinking that I should learn to powdercoat cameras. I can powdercoat most anything else, so why not M/LTM bodies?

 

Then I think to myself, "I have so many other things I need to do in life before I waste time learning to take apart Leicas and put them together again."

 

So that pink fed/zorki that I coated will probably be the only one I ever do.

There is a new painter - in Texas

 

http://www.rangefinderrestorations.com/Welcome.html

 

It may not help rescue your camera from Shintaro, but this provides a new option for others.

 

 

Vick

Josh

 

Disassembling a Leica isn't very hard, with the correct tools.

 

Removing all the plating to get good adhesion is a pain in the rear. Or does powder-coating stick well on chrome?

 

Doing a CLA on a Leica, while it is disassembled, does take a bit of skill.

 

But you are right - is this something you want to learn?

 

Vick

Art,

Have you got your camera back by now. If so, can you share your though about his paint job, does the black paint he used

closely match the color of Leica original black enamel paint? How does the engraving white infill look like?

 

Sze-Han

<p>I have dechromed a Leica M3 myself. It is a very simple process. It requires a (motorcycle)battery charger, a glass bowl, a Hypochloric Acid solution (10%), a VERY well ventilated room (in my case, the back yard picnic bench) and some patience.</p>

<p>Hook the chrome part up to the positive lead and submerge in acid. Take a smaller piece of brass and hook up to the negative lead, submerge as well. Turn the current on, I used 6V. The lower the voltage, the more time, but the smoother results.</p>

<p>If unsure about the process, have a go at an old spoon for starters.</p>

<p>The M3 I used was a disassembled beater, the top and bottom were without dents but covered with scratches.</p>

<p>On RangefinderForum you can find several DIY threads on repainting a Leica MD. I followed this procedure, but was too hasty when baking the paint. A later job on an old Zorki turned out much better after leaving the parts in the oven for 8 hours on 100 degrees celcius, then cooling down in the oven. Leave paint cure for a month, then rub with a cloth with some wax on it to smoothen the paint.</p>

<p>Proper tools for (dis)assembling I bought on evilbay, set me back approx. 90 euros. If the paint starts to flake too much, the fun continues, I will remove paint and have a second run at a better job. For now, I shoot a 1955 Leica M3 DS black paint, that looks like it's been in the field for thirty years straight :)</p>