I need to replace the bottom plate on my IIIg, can I use the plate from any III body? I heard (through an unreliable source) that the F and G bottom plates were interchangeable, what about the others?

-- Al Knapp (aknapp9@home.com), November 28, 2001

Answers

The length of the Leica was increased by 3mm with the IIIC. So the answer has to be no. But it's possible that C through G are interchangeable. I imagine that sending it in to a repair person might be a better approach than guessing about taking one from another model. There must be some appropriate spares available, or else maybe your old baseplate could be rebuilt? What's wrong with it?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 28, 2001.

Early Leica bodies were made by pressing a piece of steel tubing into the camera shape. They are slightly smaller than all the later models with cast bodies. The bottoms are changable between cameras of the same type. Your IIIg can use a bottom from a 1, 2, or 3 c or f, 3d or 1g (was there ever a factory 2g?).

-- Wilhelm (bmitch@home.com), November 28, 2001.

My IIIF and IIIG plates interchange with no apparent problem, and I can't see any physical difference. I can't speak to other SM models though.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

Thank you all for the constructive feedback.

-- Al Knapp (aknapp9@home.com), November 29, 2001.