Originally posted by ChrisPlatt My comment was really more about the "thriftiness" and "frugality"
of some of our members than the price of custom leather covers.
Chris
I am willing to admit to being a few stops beyond "frugal", bordering on "stingy", though I don't buy cheap stuff. Re-skinning a camera is not hard, assuming that the replacement covering is precision cut and true to the original. The most involved part is removing the old covering and preparing the surface for the new stuff.
Cameraleather.com sells a great product and the list of cameras they support is extensive. They are not cheap, but probably better (for many cameras) than attempting to cut the covering yourself. All that being said, I have had good luck with Aki-Asahi in Japan. Their list of supported vintage cameras is not as extensive as Cameraleather, but their quality is high and prices are quite reasonable. They even include a second set of "ugly"* pieces so you can do a practice run. FWIW, they don't do exotic leathers...no reptile stuff. Instead of lizard, theirs is embossed cowhide. Prices are typically less than $25 USD including first-class mail shipping from Japan.
Aki-Asahi Camera Coverings
Steve
(...no relation to Aki-Asahi other than as a happy customer...)
* The last kit I bought was black lizard embossed for my Zorki 4K ($14 + $4 shipping). The "ugly" practice pieces (full kit) were a sharkskin-like material similar to early Pentax. Which to use...which to use...