Can anything be done ? I have a chrome M3 with some bright marks on the top and the baseplate. I confess that I am rather good in creating those ugly marks. Though seen only under some precise light situations, I was wondering if those bright marks or traces be reduced or even removed. Any technique ? Can those guys at Leica do this ? Thank you all.

-- Hemant Gurung (hgurung@free.fr), November 28, 2001

Answers

I think this just where the satin chrome has been smoothed and polished by rubbing, into a shiny surface. I suppose a technique could be found to frost the surface again, maybe by using tiny bits of wet-or-dry sandpaper glued to a stick, or something like that. But I doubt that the patina of the surrounding area could be matched. It might just wear the chrome down to the brass. The whole camera could be stripped and re-surfaced. Probably better off to just leave it.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 28, 2001.

Ed Romney sells a Fiberglas Burnishing BRUSH: http://www.edromney.com/toolp_e.html
I have not tried it though.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), November 28, 2001.

Leave it alone and wear those marks with pride! Leicas are made to used and used hard. The fact that your 40+ year old camera is still going strong is a testament to soundness of the original design.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), November 28, 2001.