Cameras/Leica DRP Ernst Leitz Wetzlar
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Question
There are 2 numbers on the top 364026 and FI 38079. Also on The front of the camera it says Luftwaffen - Eigentum. The camera has a brown case, original case was gray, but when sent for repair they returned it with a brown case. The camera looks really nice, but the shutter needs work, It does not work every time. Is the camera worth repairing and if repaired what is it's value?
Hello,
First of all, go back and demand that they return the gray case! That is THE correct case for that camera, and it's valuable! Secondly, this particular camera has MUCH more value as a collectible item than a usable item. You have a Leica IIIc, a traditional 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, made by Leitz of Germany in 1940. This is a fairly common model, with over 130,000 sold from 1940 to 1950. However, YOU have a rare and valuable variation of this camera! It was one of a very limited number of IIIc cameras that were specifically ordered for the German military during World War II. A regular IIIc with matching Leitz lens will only sell in the $300 range, but a German military version in excellent shape, with matching lens and gray case, can go for $1500! As a collectible, cosmetic condition is far more important than working condition, and the cost to repair the shutter is not worth the investment. But first we need to determine if your camera (and the accompanying lens) is genuine or counterfeit. You see, for every real WWII German military Leica we identify today, there are approximately 20 very convincing fakes, and countless poor fakes. If you do have a real one, you should find a collector or historian who will properly preserve it. To that end, I suggest you forward this message with a couple of good JPEG images of the camera to me at <silver@well.com> so I can look it over for you. Once we know exactly what you have, I can make some recommendations how to proceed from there. Congratulations, you may have a valuable and desirable piece of history!
Best wishes,
David Silver
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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