Last night my son casually mentioned that the father of his friend of
many years died recently and, knowing of my interest in cameras, had
gifted me his father's camera. I asked him what it was and he said, "I
don't know, it has some lenses with it and it's in a box in your room
upstairs".
Well, I was nearly bowled over when I looked in the box. One Leica IIIf
(I believe) with 5cm f/1.5, 9cm f/4 and 13.5cm f/4. Also an adjustable
viewfinder covering 3.5 to 13.5 cm, a square lens hood, a GE lightmeter
(selenium I suppose, no battery), an Afga electronic flash (whose
batteries expired in 1993 but had not leaked) plus leather cases for
camera and meter and plastic cases for the lenses. Also a 1952 book on
Leica IIIf and M bodies... and one partly exposed roll of film in the
camera.
Wow! All of it's well used but not ugly. I have no idea what it's all
worth but I assume it's not peanuts. I think I've pretty well ID'd the
body as a IIIf but in looking around at IIIf ads I see reference to "red
dial" bodies. Dunno what that means but doubt that this is one since I
don't see any red paint on any dials. Can anyone tell me what that means.
I'm really torn as to what to do. My son says he doesn't think his
friend is likely to take it back... he and his wife have been anxious to
just move as much stuff as possible out of his father's house. But I'm
not sure he has any inkling of what this stuff might be worth. I'm sure
he saw it as nothing but an old camera and I feel guilty accepting it.
I'll get the film developed. I suspect it's been in the camera for 20
years but maybe something will come out of it that I can give back the son.
Chuck Norcutt
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