Leica IIIf bd or rd?

[jeff voorhees]

I don't have any of the published information handy so I thought I'd

ask. Is there a way to tell whether a camera is a red dial or black

dial just my know the serial number?

 

Obviously, the camera is not in my possession. Thanks everyone.

[guy bennett]

If the numbers of the "synchro selector dial" (i.e. the little numbers around the base of the shutter speed dial) are red, its a "red dial," if they are black it's a "black dial."

[jorge]

Guy,

 

He cannot look at the camera.

 

Jeff,

 

I tried the serials at Cameraquest and apparently the first batch with self timer, which I believe was also the first with red dial, starts with 685001. Please don't take my comment at face value unless anyone else can substantiate it.

 

BTW, I have a IIc or IIIc that was factory converted to IIIf/ST and has a black dial so that is kind of erratic. It has, of course, a much earlier number.

[paulstenquist]

IIF Red Dial cameras precede the self timer by quite a bit . My RD is serial

#667829. In addition to the color of the numbers on the synch dial, an RD can

be identified by the 1/25 second shutter speed option on the high speed dial.

On a BD, the lowest of the high speed numbers is 1/30th.

[dan flanders]

There were a few IIIf's that had black lettering but all the other attributes of the later Red Dials. I understand that they had the 1/25 on the high speed dial and the modern speed sequence. There was an article about it several years ago in the LHSA Viewfinder.

[jim nichols]

According to my notes, which I have referred to several times because this question arises quite often, the Red Dial Leicas begin with Serial Number 611000. As was mentioned earlier, the shutter speeds also change to 1/25, etc at this point. I have one, SN 636xxx, on which the synch settings appear to be black, but were probably red at one time.

[jeff voorhees]

Thank you everyone.

 

I bought a IIIf from B&H in New York yesterday, but the photo was just a generic image. When I called, Rick the sales guy couldn't have been nicer with his description. All in all it sounds like a very nice user camera. The one question I forgot to ask was whether the camera was a BD or RD. Just wanted to satisify my curiosity.