Leica IIIA & Nikkor S-C 50mmF1.4 Repair & Info needed

[evan_dong1]

I recently won an EBay auction for a Leica IIIA that includes the

lower leather case and a Nikkor S-C 50mmF1.4 chrome lens. The body

is described as being in Ugly condition and will require a good CLA

to bring it up to par as a user. However I was actually looking at

this auction for the Nikkor S-C 50mmF1.4 lens that was the attached

lens. I plan to use this very lens on my Leica M4-2 for low light.

 

Is the Leica IIIA a camera worth fixing along with the Nikkor lens?

Can anyone reccommend a good inexpensive repairman whom can work on

both the camera body and the lens?

 

This is the auction #:Item number: 7609986681

Leica IIIa 35mm Rangefinder Camera w/ Nikkor-S.C 5cm

 

I was also told that these bodies were counterfeited in huge

numbers. How do I tell if this one is a counterfeited camera?

 

I thank all in advance for any help and advice regarding this camera

and lens.

 

Evan

[thomas_t]

Last time I talked to Don Goldberg (DAG) about a CLA for a Nikon 50/1.4, he quoted about $80 for full CLA (lube, removal of oil on aperture blades etc). Give him an email and I'm sure he will be able to do it justice, good luck.

[john_shriver]

The body is legit, everything I see in the pictures looks right. You got a good deal if the lens is "as described". (The camera was essentially free.)

 

Yes, the IIIa is a nice camera if you want something lightweight and small. It takes fine pictures. But the viewfinder/rangefinder is not as easy to use as the one on an M, this is not a "fast acting" camera.

 

I wouldn't pinch pennies on the lens CLA, DAG is the the way to go.

 

Any competent repairman of mechanical cameras should be able to CLA a Leica IIIa. Embarassingly easy.

[evan_dong1]

Thomas and John,

 

Thanks for your reply. I will definitely use DAG for the lens, as my original plan was to buy it

for my M4-2 use. As for the Leica IIIA, I have to wait and check over the entire camera once it

arrives. It boils down to the fact if I want to restore the IIIA to be a user, or keep it as is.

[al_kaplan1]

That's a great lens! Much sharper than the 50/1.5 Xenon or Summarit, and has a very hard coating too.

[daniel_unkefer]

Well, Hello Evan.

That is a great classic lens, you will enjoy using it. I ended up with a 50mm f1.5 CV Nokton for my own low light shooting, I decided to get the whole CV lens set.

-Dan, talk to you on that other forum.

[evan_dong1]

Al and Dan,

 

Thanks for your opinion. Al, I noticed in several of your posting of how you praise this lens. I tried to locate a Zeiss Sonnar 50mmF1.5, but had a hard time finding a good one at a reasonable price. As for the Russian Jupiter-3, 50mmF1.5 Sonnar copy, that would be a hit or a miss on a good one.

 

How does the Nikkor 50mmF1.4 stacks up against the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 and also the Russian Sonnar copy?

 

Evan

[evan_dong1]

Well, I just recieved the camera and the lens. The overall condition was far better then what was shown on the EBay auction. The camera itself feels very smooth and just requires a good cleanup on the exterior and a good CLA for the internal gears. The bottom baseplate was as described with some scratches, but still not as the stated UGLY rating. The lens, well its a gem! Its very clean throughout and I do not see any sign of corrosive as stated. The focusing barrel is a bit stiff and there at least 2 small flecks inside that will be reomved in the CLA.

 

I plan to send the camera body to Youxin Ye in Boston and the lens to DAG.

I thank all that has responsed to my question!

 

Evan

[al_kaplan1]

Evan, I have no experience using the Sonnar or the Russian copy. I do know that I've always regretted selling the Nikkor.

[evan_dong1]

Al,

 

I took a peak at your website and must say , WOW! Your photography is fantastic nd if the Nikkor lens will give me that "look", then I will be more then please. The 15mm is a awesome lens that I plan to add to my list of lenses to buy.

 

Thank you for your advice.

 

Evan

[daniel_unkefer]

Hi Evan,

If you like the look of the photos taken with Al's 15, you should try the Voigtlander 12mm! I have one, and it is -awesome-.

Dan

[al_kaplan1]

I've tried the 12 and it is interesting but vignettes a lot more than the 15. Wide open the, because of the vignetting, you have to treat it as an f/8 rather than f/5.6. I use the 15 wide open all the time, and it's more than sharp enough for an 8x12 inch image on 11x14 paper.