Re-skinning

[belgiumreporter]

Did some re-skinning/styling on a few camera's during the dull moments of 2023. If i can find the right leathers i'll continue to do so in 2024 still have a few bodies wich could use some new cosmetics.

[paulhofseth]

While obviously an aesthetic advance, I count that as changing a historical fact and hence not allowed.

Just like a dubious shop on the rue Beaumarchais used to sell Alpas assembled fom parts and provided with exotic covers after Pignons had ceased trading . The official dealer Karl Heitz in New York also changed covers, but that was a factory approved dealer, so green Alpas can still count as original.

Although I must admit I once blackened a Leica IIIc to make it less visible when I took some snaps inside a Russian designed Nuclear reactor being built in Finland.

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[belgiumreporter]

Jan 1, 2024 4:41:52 GMT -5 paulhofseth said:

While obviously an aesthetic advance, I count that as changing a historical fact and hence not allowed.

Just like a dubious shop on the rue Beaumarchais used to sell Alpas assembled fom parts and provided with exotic covers after Pignons had ceased trading . The official dealer Karl Heitz in New York also changed covers, but that was a factory approved dealer, so green Alpas can still count as original.

Although I must admit I once blackened a Leica IIIc to make it less visible when I took some snaps inside a Russian designed Nuclear reactor being built in Finland.

p.
p.

I understand what you are saying, but to my "defence" I have to say the cameras I reskinned are not of historical value, secondly they were in a very bad condition so any work on them couldn't make things worse.

I thought about the pentax S1a with the biotar as an example that it might look as an "what if ?" example.

So should you go for the original, I think so if we're talking about really rare or exotic cameras the Alpa's you've mentionned are indeed a rare breed best kept original as there are so little of them around and altering them would be a travesty of what the Swiss engineers who designed them had in mind. On the other hand, what happend with rollei I would say nothing of great value has been lost if they are trying to cash in on selling those left over 35s's in gold, silver, titanium over blue... or just about any trim you can think of to people who are foolish enough to pay a LOT of money for a crappy point and shoot in a fancy dress.

I do feel a bit sorry for your leica IIIc, if you had done that to a zorki that would've been a lesser crime :-)

Any way have a good 2024 and keep collecting!