I bought a Leica IIIF RD from KEH last month, but only had it for a short time. My first impressions of this camera will be featured in an article on 35mmc very soon, so I am only going to share some photos I took with it and give a brief story on what happened.
Why a Leica IIIF Red Dial?
There is a photographer I follow on Instagram whose work I am enamored with. His name is Luiz Barbosa, and his still life in particular is what caught my eye. However, being the vintage camera addict that I am, photos of his Leica IIIF also caught my eye. Mechanical cameras just do something for me.
I looked at KEH for weeks before finally finding one for sale. I chose to buy from them because of their warranty, and I’ve had pretty good luck in the past. I didn’t choose a Red Dial version for any particular reason other than it was the one available.
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As I said in the beginning, I don’t want to spoil the First Impressions article coming out soon, so I won’t explain my experience just yet, but unfortunately the camera had pin holes in the shutter curtain. You can see an example of it in the photo below.
The leaks weren’t very noticeable until I was outside taking photos, so at first I didn’t know.
Fortunately, KEH has a great warranty and they took the camera back for repair right away. They said they’re going to replace the shutter curtain and due to Covid it may be a little while. It is a shame because I really enjoyed using it and I can’t wait to get it back.
Final Thoughts
Stay tuned, when it returns I will post a review and some more of my experience. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this little teaser with some photos I was able to get. I saved my favorites for the 35mmC article. I will share it when it posts.
Until next time, stay motivated and keep shooting.