"Inoperative" Leica I test roll

<p>For a few months I had been eyeballing this Leica I Standard Model E. in the screwmount section over at KEH and 3 weeks ago I finally snapped and bought it. It was classified as "Inoperative" so I figured I'd need to send it off for a CLA.<br>

<img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/normal_LeicaI02.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Funny enough, the camera arrived within 4 days (with import duties and exorbitant administrative fees for TNT postal services. I call them BAR STEWARDS). And first thing I did when I tore the bubble wrap off the camera was to check the shutter. Which seemed fine....a little too snappy perhaps? Next I checked the take-up spool. A little too loose perhaps? Any obvious light leaks? Nope.<br>

I could not, and still can't, figure out what was wrong with this camera. I figured there was nothing left to do but run some film through it. So I loaded it up with a roll of Kodacolor 200.<br>

I picked up and scanned the negatives yesterday. And the closest thing I can think off that's wrong with this camera is that maybe the shutter is running too fast. Some of the colors came out real muddy. And it looked like the negatives were under exposed, but that could also be because of the uncoated Summitar I used, or the fact that I was using Sunny f/16 for most of the exposures.<br>

I did not like the color scans very much, so I redid most of them in B/W. 1200 DPI, light grain reduction, scanned as Ilford XP2 in Vuescan, levels were adjusted in photoshop:</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Leica1t02.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="400" /><br>

First up, my new Corsa. A 2006 model, 1.3 cDTI engine. Integrated stereo, Air-conditioning...and until today also a foot bath after every rain shower. Took it to the dealer today to seal the leak.Oh, the color is Purplish Blue hehehe.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Leica1t06.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="640" /><br>

The sidewalk in the Frans Hals lane, my house is 30 yards directly behind me. If you keep walking straight on you'll get to the school I went too.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Leica1t01.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="640" /><br>

More flowers from my mother's garden.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Leica1t03.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="400" /><br>

Testing the SBOOI, 50mm brightline finder I had bought a minute ago at the Doesburg Photographica Fair. A good day on the town for any self-respecting photographer. My 'date' and I both picked up matching 1950s Agfa Box cameras.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Leica1t07.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="400" /><br>

And one that did look okay in color: BBQ at my sister's house.</p>

<p>Sorry, no pictures of my sister's dog Zap this time.</p>

<p>Not having an RF does take some getting used to. But guessing distances isn't that hard. I zone-focused most of the time. No complaint about sharpness. I just need to do some more tests with the 'under exposures'. I can still send it off for a CLA if I have to.<br>

Well, thanks KEH. I'm really pleased with my "inoperative" Leica I. Two thumbs up! :-)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The eyepiece reminded me of the Argus A. The re-work looks great, I'd like to see the before however. Did they offer what they meant by in-op? Nice car!</p>

<p>~Jack</p>

<p>This kind of stuff never happens to me! What a deal .. I guess you paid an "inoperative" price for it too? Geez some guys!<br>

Well you can make it up to me when you pick me up in your new car and take me to the next bar-b-Q at your sisters!<br>

I think you have a right to be grateful!</p>

<p>Jack, I'll see about uploading the color shots tomorrow evening, if nothing else comes up.<br>

The site never said what was inoperative, just that the camera was. It felt a little rough when I first set the shutter, but that smoothed out when I exercised it a few times. The loose take-up spool is because of the slip-spring needing a bit more tension, but this was not a problem either as I had no trouble with frame-spacing or the film unwinding from the spool with my test roll.</p>

<p>Chuck, I paid as much as a fancy golden Russian copy from ebay (albeit without a lens). Still doesn't beat that guy picking up a Leica IIIcK from a yard sale for $15, but yes, I'm pleased.</p>

<p>Next roll I'll use my meter to make sure the exposures are correct. If the shutter speeds are off, Will van Manen will be getting a phone call.</p>

<p>Fantastic shots from an inoperative camera*. Maybe it was just bored and needed a long, jiggly trip to reawaken its guts.</p>

<p>I know, I've never given up on a supoosedly inoperative Exakta without thoroughly jiggling, poking, and twisting the camera (and especially the slow-speed winder).</p>

<p>_______<br>

*Kind of miss Zap though. ;)</p>

<p>I have a few "not work" vintage Zorkis and "bad" lenses that I bought from Ukraine and Russia. All of them work well after some attention. I guess the sellers are either indifferent about labeling or that they don't know all of what they are selling. Nice pictures, even in a 'test' mode. Like the side walk; must have been a cozy walk to school. sp</p>

<p>Lucky man, Rick! As well as a new camera and a new car, you seem to have a pleasant lifestyle in a nice neighbourhood. What more could a man want? I know, I know....More old cameras...<br>

Good pics from the "faulty" Leica ; it's always great to hear a good luck story!</p>

<p>Rick, Do you have "Leica" bumper sticker? Or better one "I have a Leica and you don't". I tried to pry out a "Leitz" red button from an old microscope but they attached it by some sort of a very strong glue. Let it alone. The idea was to stick it to my new Leica 5B.</p>

<p>Nice find. KEH also has a Retina IIIc (small c) labeled "inoperative" for US$49. Given what these go for in working order, I'm tempted, but from what I've read apparently it's tricky to replace their gears (if that's the problem with it). If anyone is mechanically inclined, I'd say go for it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks guys,<br>

You're right Subbarayan & Rick, I had a very nice childhood. Though I would not have gone to grade-school along this route. My Parents live a few hundred yards off to the left of that picture. There used to be farmland behind their house and I would walk past them to school. A quiet life in Suburbia. :)</p>

<p>Kozma, the Leica buttons or stickers you see on ebay might be a little too big.</p>

<p>JDM, I had one of Zap, but it has turned out pretty dark. Perhaps I'll put it up when I get home from work today.</p>

<p>Yesterday morning I unscrewed the shutter speed dial and the dome to give it a good clean and give it some pin pricks of gun oil. Then I checked the curtain gap at the different shutter speeds with a bit of white card with diagonal lines drawn on it. I thought maybe at 1/500th of a second the shutter was capping but it actually wasn't.</p>

<p>While I was at it I also levelled out the SBOOI's horizon.</p>

 

<p>Congrats on a happy result. I have purchased gear from them in Bargain condition that for the life of me, looked and worked like new. Go figure. Perhaps its a secret marketing plan, by them, hoping you and others will tell all their friends and thus get great word-of-mouth advertising for less than formal channels. Nothing like a personal endorsement to a worldwide group of camera buff to excite and maintain interest. </p>

<p>That's KEH for you. I don't think I've ever found an "inop" camera from them to be working, but I have certainly had some "ugly" stuff that looked near perfect and some "inop" stuff that didn't take more than 15 minutes to return it to "mint". And the prices did match the ratings: $29 for an "ugly" 135mm Hektor, and $14 for an "inop" 50/1.4 SSC Canon lens that I think might have never been used. It doesn't always turn out quite THAT well, but I've certainly never felt cheated by them.</p>

<p>The Summar was a very flarey lens; there wasn't much color work when it was current in the 1930s, and it wasn't considered the best choice for color even at the time.... so what you're seeing might just be the normal behavior of the lens. (oops! you have a Summitar. Same holds true for that, though, in the uncoated prewar version.....)</p>