Cameras/Leica Camera
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Question
My camera is a Leica. It has the following identifiers on the top of the camera:
Leica
DBP
Ernst Leitz GMBH
Wetzlar Germany
M4 MOT 1 267 423
Shutter speeds from B - 1000
I have three lenses for the camera:
1:2/35 Leitz Canada 2541078 Summicron
1:2/50 Leitz Wetzlar 2437853 Summicron
1:2.8/90 Leitz Wetzlar 2522985 Elmarit
Please educate me as to what I have, what value, and is there still an instruction manual available.
thanks,
---jon
Hello Jon,
I apologize for the delay in answering, but I took some days off for a business trip, and AllExperts was NOT supposed to accept any questions while I was away! But I'm back this morning, and I'm on top of it now...
Your Leica M4 is a fine valuable camera, but to properly evaluate it I really need to see it for myself. There are subtle variations and indications of usage that greatly impact value, and I can't determine these through descriptions alone. Please forward this message, with some small JPEG images of the camera and lenses, to me at <silver@well.com> and I'll look it over for you. Also tell me if you intend to sell because I can probably recommend several honest qualified buyers you can contact directly for a stress free transaction. This is NOT the sort of thing you put on eBay! Regarding the instruction manual, no problem, copies are available through www.craigcamera.com, and you'd only need the general M4 manual. Don't bother about the MOT version. I really can't recommend this camera as a usable item for anybody other than truly advanced and experienced photographers, but if you want to give it a try, you MUST acquire the instruction manual or you risk damaging the camera.
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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