The Mighty Leica M4...and More!

Leica M4 with Jupiter Lens and Hand Grip

    There isn't much I could write about  the legendary Leica M4 that hasn't been written about at least a million times over the years. So what's new?
    Okay, buckle up. Here goes. Even though I realize that Leicaphiles everywhere are going to pillory me, I have to point out that my treasured M4 dares to be different because it doesn't sport a Leica lens or any of the many highly priced Leica accessories one can buy for a king's ransom.



     Take, for example the Russian Jupiter 2/50 lens shown here that I bought for a reasonable price on eBay. And notice that the lens sports a bargain-priced generic 40.5mm lens shade, as well as an inexpensive DHQ UV filter. To top it off I mounted the lens to the camera with an LTM-M mount adapter that cost less than $15.00.

Jupiter 2/50 Kentmere ISO 100 Film

       But won't there be a problem with performance? you ask. Won't a cheap lens provide crappy results? Truth to tell, not always. I've used USSR lenses over the years without any problems, although I must admit that I wouldn't rate the Russians #1 in quality control much of the time. I guess you could say that you "pays your money and you takes your chances" when it comes to buying Soviet Jupiter or Industar lenses. That said, you can still find some good glass in what is now known as the Russian Federation. Just be sure to shop carefully.

       Using inexpensive lenses, lens shades, filters, and LTM-M  adapters isn't the only Leica crime for which I could be run out of town or burned at the stake. Believe it or not, I even use a $20 3D printed unit that I ordered from cameradactyl.com.

 Butter Grip Seen from Below

      Called the Butter Grip, this handy accessory is the brainchild of Ethan Moses, who's the creator of a slew of unique accessories that won't send you to the poorhouse. Interestingly, the Butter Grip is available in several colors.
   

Butter Grip Seen Close Up

     I have to admit that I was skeptical when I ordered this hand grip. How good could it be at such a low price? I wondered. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

       There's very little difference between my new Butter Grip and other grips I've owned that cost much, much more. This unit fits snugly and securely while providing a firm grip on the camera. And when the time comes to change the film on your Leica M, there's no need to remove the grip before you remove the bottom plate. That's because the plate and the grip are joined together. As a bonus, a hand grip attached to your camera protects the bottom plate from scratches and other abrasions.

      I'm very pleased with my new, inexpensive Butter Grip. If I were to make one suggestion, however, it would be to move the tripod mount opening toward the center of the unit and in that way provide for better balance when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

     In summary, if you're on the lookout for a hand grip that doesn't bear the Leica logo and cost an outrageous amount of money, you won't go wrong with a Butter Grip

     

Make Your Old Camera Great Again: Re-Covering the Leica M3

       Dedicated Leicaphiles would have gnashed their teeth and torn their hair out if they'd seen the bargain-priced Leica M3 I bought recently. The camera was bargain priced because although it was in excellent condition mechanically, its original vulcanite covering was a mess. With substantial sections of the covering missing, the camera looked like a refugee from a war-torn country.
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     With a serial number of 899124, this photographic icon was one of 5,000 units manufactured in its batch in 1957. It's a double stroke model with a self timer and Buddha ears for attaching a neck strap. What the hey, I thought, if I were to replace the tattered covering, I'd have a nice companion to my pristine Leica M4.

     When I Googled "How To Recover Leica M3" on the Internet, I found enough entries to keep me busy reading until we start growing asparagus on the moon. Wow! Blah, blah, blah. Do this. Do that. You'll need this. You'll need that. Etc, etc., etc. Surely, I thought, recovering a camera couldn't be as  complicated as many "experts" reported it to be.

The M3 After I Removed the Vulcanite

      So I ordered a laser cut covering   for twenty-six bucks, picked up my old X-Acto knife, and got to work. To my surprise, some of the old vulcanite came off quite easily. But an equal amount did not. No problem. Using a Q Tip, I applied some paint remover to the covering.

     Then I waited about forty five minutes for the paint remover to soften the covering before finishing the job. If you do this, be sure to avoid getting the paint remover on the four little black screws at the front of the camera. It took me about two hours to complete this part of the job.

      As you can see in the photo (above), I still had to remove all the junk that remained on the surface of the camera. Using mineral spirits that I applied with a Q Tip, as well as my X-Acto knife, I spent another hour getting down to the bare metal. These two photos show what  the M3 looked like at this point. At last the camera was ready for me to apply the self-adhesive covering.

      Admittedly, this process was time consuming and a bit tedious. But it was worth it when I finally got to see my little beauty in the nude (except for her back door) while she waited for her new apparel to arrive from Japan.

   
        I ordered the replacement self-adhesive covering for the camera from www.aki-asahi.com. Click on "English Page" at the top of your screen.The leatherette arrived in just a few days. Here's what it looked like when I removed it from its envelope. This is the go-to site for covering material.

       Another outfit-- cameraleather.com  --- also sells replacement covers, but they've gotten a bad rap recently because of poor service, poor communication, and higher prices. Nonetheless, that site does offer excellent detailed instructions for applying the new covering to your camera. Click on "Support" at the top of the page. This is the go-to site for application instructions. Be sure to read these instructions before you cover your camera.

My M3 Wearing Its New Covering

       I used the "wet method" discussed in the Cameraleather instructions. This method requires you to use Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer as an aid to positioning your new covering.
      In the photo (right) you'll notice a shadow below the small rangefinder window. This happened because the covering failed to adhere when I applied a little too much Purell to that section of the camera. No problem, though. I just waited for the excess Purell to evaporate before I applied pressure to the covering to set it firmly in place. Lesson learned: use the Purell sparingly.

   

    Although this was my first attempt at re-covering a camera, I found it to be a fairly easy process. In my opinion, perhaps the most important part of the job involves removal of the old covering and preparation of the camera's surface for the new covering. If you follow directions  carefully, are patient, and can work carefully, you should be successful  too.

Coming Soon: The Leica M1: A Minimalist's Dream