Is this a m4 black paint?

[geronimo13]

Hi!

I just got offered to buy this one.

Its a m4 with a 35 summicron.

No idea what its worth though? Any ideas?

Tried googling but found out ther are real and fake m4 black paints as they are rare?

Any help is appreciated as i'm very new to the leica world.

Thank you!

 

[Brian S]

If you are paying the cost of a Chrome M4 Plus $500 or so, the same as a paint job- you cannot go wrong.

The paint looks too clean to be original. So unless someone bought it and never used it, I would guess it was a repaint. It is not in fitted case, so nothing to protect the lacquer. If it saw use, it should have more wear.

I have a Shintaro painted Nikon SP that is gorgeous. Had a huge dent in it when i bought it, the "dent" was the difference in price for a paint job.

 

[geronimo13]

Okej how much is chrome m4? Wouldnt the serial number say what it is?

 

[Brian S]

Black and Chrome bodies ran side-by-side. Unless someone registered it, and it is in a database- who knows.

A Chrome M4- about $1000.

 

[geronimo13]

aha okej thank you!

 

[robsteve]

I think it is Black Chrome, not paint. The black chrome was made late in the M4 production and later replaced by the M4-P. My memory isn't very good on this, but the Black chrome may have been pretty rare, but it may be the black chrome made in Canada M4 that is rare.

 

[dude163]

Instead of theorising like everyone else I just did a search for M4 serial numbers , assuming that the number on the top is not fake that is

according to this Leica Serial Numbers: M's Sorted by Type

its a black M4 from Jan 1974

looks nice!

 

[robsteve]

Instead of theorising like everyone else I just did a search for M4 serial numbers , assuming that the number on the top is not fake that is

according to this Leica Serial Numbers: M's Sorted by Type

its a black M4 from Jan 1974

looks nice!

I think the question was whether it was a Black paint, which I don't think it is. Thanks for the link though. I had seen it before and it confirms the M3 I have listed is indeed a Canadian M3.

Using my Shintaro black painted M3 with a black chrome Leicameter MR, you can see the difference in the finishes.

 

[250swb]

Hi!

I just got offered to buy this one.

Unless they are particularly bad greasy fingerprints on the top plate that are disguising the finish it has all the signs of a reasonably well used black chrome camera. So it is plated, not painted. Not being able to make out the entire serial number it is generally assumed that all black M4's started to be chrome plated at the same time as the M5 was introduced, so this is well after that as it appears to be 1974.

Steve