I'm thinking of buying a Leica IIIf or IIf or even IIIg if I can find one. What's the different between IIIf and IIf, is it only the shutterspeeds? I think the IIf has no 1/1000 speed, am I right? Any experience in actually using the Barnacks with f.ex. Voigtlander lenses?

Thomas Krantz

-- Thomas Krantz (tkrantz@kpmg.com), November 26, 2001

Answers

The IIf is missing the slow speed shutter timing escapement, so it supports speeds 1/30 sec and up plus B. I don't recall whether it supports 1/1000 second or not, however.

The VC lenses with work just fine with it.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), November 26, 2001.

According to Rogliatti,

"The first two batches of Leica IIf serial numbers 451.001 to 455,000, 570,001 to 575,000 had the shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/500 plus B as the balck dial IIIf. From the third batch with serial numbers from 611,001 to 615,000 had the new shutter with the scale of speed as follows: 1/25 - 1/50 - 1/75 - 1/100 - 1/200 - 1/500 plus B. As the red dial IIIf/ later models had a top speed of 1/1000ths.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 26, 2001.

Having used both a IIf and a IIIf for years, I'd say the IIf feels better to hold, since there is no slow shutter speed dial. That Leica feel is important, right? I don't really miss the slow speeds, but I do miss 1/1000 on the IIf.

-- John Fleetwood (johnfleetwood@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.

The IIf's do not have the slow speed dials but are great cameras. Look the samples over carefully watching for bright rangefinders and good shutter speeds. Plenty of nice late IIIf's some with self timers are available. Be selective. The Voigtlander lenses work beautifully on the Leica III cameras. I use three of them and am quite pleased with their performance. The new brightline finders for 21mm, 28mm and 35mm are superb and a fraction of new Leica prices. Go for it!

-- Roy Moss (leicaroy@charleston.quik.com), November 26, 2001.