Found a 1950s Leica at a garage sale in Boise. That thing was filthy.

Drove out to Boise last weekend. Hit up some random garage sales. Found this beat up Leica IIIf buried under a pile of old clothes. The lens was foggy, shutter stuck, and the leather was peeling. Asked the guy how much. He said $40. I paid it. Got it home and spent 3 hours cleaning the fungus off the front element. The glass is actually in good shape. Has anyone else found a hidden gem like that in the wild?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_hart6822d ago

Had a similar thing happen with an old Rolleicord at an estate sale last year... found it in a cardboard box full of Christmas decorations. Paid $25 for it and the shutter was totally seized. Took me a weekend of careful work with lighter fluid and Q-tips to get it moving again. The images it makes now are honestly stunning, those old German lenses have some kind of magic in them.

xenarobinson22d agoMost Upvoted

Did you run into any trouble with the focus knob seizing up too? I had an old Agfa folder where everything felt fine until I tried to change the aperture and it was like the whole ring had been welded in place. That lighter fluid trick sounds like a smart way to handle it, but I've always been too scared to try anything beyond soaking the whole camera in a jar of naptha. @beth_hart68 do you think that method works on bellows cameras as well, or is it too risky for the folds?