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Photoethnography.com's Classic Camera DB
Notes on cameras that I have used and enjoyed over the decades -- from toy cameras, working classics, and professional units.
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Leica M3 - the classic rangefinder By Karen Nakamura on January 6, 2011 2:00 AM | 14 Comments Leica Mount Cameras: Canon IV Leica-mount Lenses: Leica Lens Overview
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When it was released in 1954, the Leica M3 was received with widespread acclaim. Most industry pundits said that it was clearly the best 35mm rangefinder camera in its class with a superior, combined viewfinder/rangefinder that had bright automatically switching framelines. Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law.
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A major revision of the popular Leica III, the new M-bayonet mount on the M3 let you quickly change lenses with one hand and the mount automatically told the camera which framelines to display (50mm, 90mm, or 135mm). It was quickly adopted as the standard camera of photojournalists. Unfortunately, its price kept it out of the hands of most regular people. Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law.
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Categories Accessories Focusing and Lens-Body Design Autofocus (3)
Leica IIIf with the following changes:
M3 1954-
DEVIL (5)
integrated viewfinder/rangefinder automatically-switching (50-90-135mm), parallax-compensating projected framelines frameline selection lever (later models only) coincident and split-image rangefinder dual-stroke lever wind (later converted to single-stroke) hinged rear door for easier film loading integrated non-rotating shutterspeed dial M-bayonet lens mount
Rangefinder (43) SLR (40) TLR (3) View (2) Zone Focus (9) Lenses and Lens Design (12) Manufacturer Bolsey (3)
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Canon (19)
The M3 went through many minor revisions throughout its production history. My M3 (serial #10631xx) is a relatively late 1962 model that has the preview lever; single-stroke; and leverrewind. Leica M3s with a serial number of over 1,000,000 have a premium among both users and collectors because these were built at the tail-end of production. Not only did they have all the desirable features, but the factory workers were also at their peak in terms of experience in building the hand-made cameras.
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Leica M3 Production Revisions Allows the user to (temporarily) manually switch the viewfinder framelines to 50mm, 90mm or 135mm with or without a lens attached. This lets you see what another focal length might look like. From serial #785801 Preview Lever (1955). Early M3 cameras had a glass film pressure plate. While this was ideal for keeping the film absolutely flat, in cold-climates static electricity could build up on the film surface and cause electrical sparks which would Steel pressure plate show up on the film. Glass was also fragile. A steel pressure plate reduced static electricity and was also more rugged, if less flat. From serial #854001 (1957) Early M3s had their own shutter speed progression inherited from the Leica IIIf. The M3 used the new International shutter international shutter speed progression: 1, 1/2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000. From serial #854001 speeds (1957) Early M3 cameras required two-strokes of the wind lever to cock the shutter and advance the film. Up to the Leica III, cameras generally used a wind knob and wind levers were a new thing. Leica was worried that Single-stroke advancing the film in one stroke would cause too much stress on the gear mechanism or the film itself. When they gained confidence that this wasn't the case, they changed the mechanism so that one stroke was enough to cock the shutter and advance the film. From serial #919251 (1958) Depth of Field The rectangular rangefinder patch gained two "notches" which allowed you to guesstimate the depth of field. Indicators in RF The top one is thicker and represents the depth of field of a 50mm lens at f/16. The bottom one is thinner and Patch represents the depth of field of a 50mm lens at f/5.6. From serial #919251 (1958) The early M3 strap lugs were called "dog ears" in the West or "Buddha ear" lugs in Japan because of their Modified Strap Lug teardrop shape. The later lugs were round. From serial #963001 (1959). Note: Using the text or images on this site in an ebay auction without permission is a violation of your ebay Terms of Service. I will report you to ebay if I discover such a violation taking place. This may result in your account being cancelled. I also reserve the right to file claim for civil penalties.
Almost all of the Leica M3's produced were in silverchrome and made in Wetzlar, West Germany (total number 216,000). A very few chrome units were made in Canada (7080), and a very very few were made in black paint (143) or olive paint (143). Almost all of the M3s you see in black-paint are ones that have been painted black after-the-fact. There are lists of serial numbers of the 143 genuinely black units, always double-check before buying. An original black M3 in good condition can reach up to US$6000. Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law.
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The M3 was not without its faults. There were two glaring problems with the M3 when it was released: 1) it was incredibly expensive, much more than other rangefinders; and, 2) the 50-90-135mm projected RF framelines, while gloriously bright, did not match the wide-angle needs of photojournalists. In order to use a wide angle lens such as the Summaron 35mm f/2.8 (shown), you had to attach unwieldy "goggles" that corrected the frame of view to that of a 35mm lens. This reduced the brilliant clarity of the Leica viewfinder to something a bit less than brilliant, and also made attaching and detaching lenses less convenient. Other minor complaints centered around the knob rewind and proprietary flash connectors. In response to these criticisms, Leitz released the Leica M2 in 1957 which was less expensive (at the expense of some features) and had provisions for wider angle lenses (with 35-50-90 framelines instead of 50-90-135). The M2 had very minor changes through its lifetime and continued essentially the same through 1968 when it was replaced by the M4. (There was a small production in 1969 of a M2 with RapidLoading called the M2R). Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law. M3 with the following changes:
M2 1957-1968
M2R 1969-1970
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Viewfinder magnification reduced from 0.91x to 0.72x Rangefinder complexity was greatly reduced to lower production costs Projected framelines changed from 50-90-135mm to 35-50-90mm which better matched the needs of most photographers All M2s are single-stroke (ratcheted multi-stroke capable) All M2s have the frame-selection lever Frame counter mechanism simplified (with manual-reset)
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M2 with Rapid-Loading mechanism M2 with the following changes:
M4 1968-
Canted rewind lever for faster rewinding (and rewinding with a Leicameter attached) Adds four framelines: 35-50-90-135 Gear mounting for Leicamotor and Leicavit rapidwinder attachment and some others....
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It's a bit confusing that the M3 is followed by the M2 (then the M1) then the M4. It's not an arithmetic progression. The '3' in the M3 stood for the 3 projected framelines, as well as being a natural development of the Leica IIIf. The M2 was a simplified M3 (and since a Leica II is a simplified Leica III), it was natural that it would be the M2. The M4 was a further development and had four framelines, so it became the M4. The M5 is a totally new redesign that many people did not like. That was followed by the M4-2 and then much later on, the M6 and M6TTL which had six framelines (28-35-50-7590-135). Then came the M7 with automatic exposure and an electronic shutter; and the latest is the MP which is a return to an all mechanical camera (essentially an M6 with M3 rewind knob). Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law. Interesting quirks Knob rewind: The one thing about the M3 that seems to irritate people the most is the knob rewind. I really don't see what the big deal is about. It's not that difficult to rewind with a knob, especially if you use the two-handed "crank" method. You can buy a variety of M2/M3/MP knob rewind adapters which convert it to a rewind crank. Leica most famously sells their MP rewind crank for $200 which is a bit steep, if you ask me. Steven Gandy has a very nice third-party design that he sells for $99 on his Cameraquest.com website. Light Meter: All Leicas before the M5 do not have built-in light meters. For the M3, you can either use the classic Metrawatt produced Leicameter MR; or if you want something more modern, use the Gossen Digisix. The MR is really the only Leicameter that is worth using (as opposed to collecting). The previous models (Meter, Meter 2, Meter M, Meter MC) are all selenium meters. And most selenium meters are now erratic or non-functioning due to the deterioration of the selenium cell. Even when they worked, selenium cells had poor low-light sensitivity. Flash Synchronization : The M3 has two sockets on the rear to attach both electronic ('X') and bulb flash units. The accessory shoe itself is 'cold'. Unfortunately, Leitz chose a proprietary flash connector so you need to use an adaptor if you want to use a flash that has a standard PC flash connector. In Leitz's defense, the Leitz flash connector is sturdier and less likely to break or fall out than the PC connector. However, the location of the flash sockets means that the connector will poke you in the eye if you are a left-eye shooter. The X-sync speed is a measly 1/50th of a second, necessary because of the M3's slow-travelling horizontal cloth shutter. Using the text or images on this website without permission on an ebay auction or any other site is a violation of federal law. High-Magnification Finder: At 0.92x, the M3 has the highest magnification finder of all the M series. Many consider it the best finder Leica ever produced, it's certainly the most complex. But is does have a slight blue tinge (the focusing spot is slightly gold color) that was designed to increase focusing contrast. So it does seem darker compared to the more neutral, contemporary models. The high magnification makes the M3 ideal for accurately focusing 50mm 1.4, 90mm, and 135mm lenses. The highest magnification after the M3 is the 0.85x finder available in the M6/M7/MP models. I have the regular 0.72x M7 and a 0.60x Hexar RF, which are better for wider angle lenses. M3 Problems The main problem that the fifty-year old M3 is having these days is balsam separation in the rangefinder. Unlike the minor shutter lubrication issues that are to be expected and can be easily fixed, the rangefinder balsam separation is a major problem. The M3 rangefinder is a very intricate design using multiple prisms glued together using Canadian balsam glue, made from the resin of pine trees. Unfortunately, as an organic glue it has a finite life span and will degrade. This may show up in the finder either as minor "crazing" or cracking along the edges where two surfaces are glued together. It may look iridiscent or opaque. Basically crazing is the first step towards finder separation. Hold your camera up to the light and look at it from the front (lens side) and make sure all of the edges of the finder frame are complete. Total prism separation is also possible. In this case, the entire viewfinder will black out, or the rangefinder patch will become invisible or black out. This can happen gradually as the result of crazing, or suddenly due to a strong force (dropping or knocking the camera). Previously, it was thought that this was the end of the finder and that the only option would be to put in the (much inferior) Leica M6 finder as a replacement. However, several repair places are now offering to repair your M3 finder by regluing and/or resilvering them: CRR Luton: M3 Finder Restoration (United Kingdom) Clean, Lubricate, Adjust (CLA) Because the M3s are now almost fifty years old, their bones are creaking a bit. Most M3s will benefit greatly from a Clean-LubeAdjust (CLA) done at your local friendly Leica repair depot. I had my M3 CLAed and it is literally a new camera. The somewhat stiff wind lever is now butter smooth. The slow speeds sound like a swiss watch. I have a list of independent Leica repair people on my Camera Repair Page (scroll down a bit). Technical Details Camera Name
Leica M3
Manufacturer
Ernst Leitz GMBH Wetzlar Germany
Place of Manufacture
Germany
Date of Manufacture
1954-1968 ~216,000 produced
Focusing System
Coupled rangefinder .92x magnification factor 69.25mm base length 63.71 effective baselength
RF Framelines
50-90-135 (framelines selectable on later models)
Lens Mount
Leica M bayonet mount compatible
Leica M2
Leica M4
Leica M7 Leica Camera
1957-1968 ~82,000 produced
1967-75 ~47,200 produced
Coupled rangefinder 0.58/0.72/0.85 mag
Coupled rangefinder .72x magnification factor 69.25mm optical base length 49.86 effective baselength
35-50-90 selectable framelines
2002~
69.25mm opt BL 40.17/49.86/58.86 effective BL 35-50-90-135 selectable framelines
35-135, 50-75, 28-90mm. selectable framelines Horizontal cloth focal plane 4 sec - 1/1000 sec (manual) 32 sec - 1/1000 sec (auto) + B & X (1/50sec)
Shutter
Horizontal cloth focal plane 1 sec - 1/1000 sec + B & X (1/50sec)
Metering System
none (meter coupled to shutter speed possible)
TTL manual and AE EV -2~20
Flash
Accessory cold shoe Sync cable connector on rear 1/50 sec X sync and focal plane (FP) sync
External hot shoe PC cable connector on rear 1/50 sec X flash sync SCA and HSS (M7 only) flash AE
Film type
Type 135 film (35mm standard) ISO 6-6400
Type 135 film (35mm standard) ISO 4-1300
Battery type
none
Dimensions and weight
138 x 77 x 33.5mm 580g
Type 135 film (35mm standard) ISO 25-5000 (DX) ISO 6-25000 (manual) 2 x 3V DL 1/3N or 4 x 1.5V SR44
138 x 77 x 33.5mm 580g
138 x 77 x 33.5mm 600g
138 x 79.5 x 38 mm 610g ~$2495 new
Retail price
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My Leica Mount Lens Collection (15mm , 25mm, 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, 45 mm, 50mm, 52mm, 85mm, 90mm, 100mm, 135mm)
About Leitz/Leica Leitz was originally a microscope and scientific optics company. The first series of screwmount Leicas were designed by Oskar Barnack and have been named Barnack cameras by some. The prototype Ur-Leica was designed in 1918, but mass production did not start until 1925 when the Leica I came out. I have a write-up of the Leica III (1933). The Leica M3 rangefinder was released in 1954 and represented the end of the Barnack-series of screwmount Leicas. The M-series had an integrated viewfinder/rangefinder with automatically switching projected framelines, coincident and split-image rangefinder, lever wind, hinged rear door, integrated shutterspeed dial, and M-bayonet mount. I have write-ups of the M3 (1954), M2 (1957), MD (1963), and M7 (2002). The Leica CL (1973) is technically not an M-Leica but it uses the M-bayonet mount. The design of the Leica M has not changed considerably since the M3 of 1954. In 1967, the M4 came out with a crank-rewind instead of a knob rewind. Since then, the M series remained essentially unchanged from the Leica M4 (1968) up to the current M7. The only difference is that the M7 has an electronically controlled shutter and automatic exposure metering. (This leaves out the fiasco of the M5 which was considerably different and considerably unpopular at the time). Leica's single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras have not been as popular as their rangefinders. I have write-ups of the original Leicaflex SL camera as well as the newer R3 and R6 SLRs and the R-mount lenses. Leitz... blah blah.... and in 2000, fashion conglomerate Hermes bought 31% of Leica's stock. The only tangible result of this has been the emergence of the Hermes Special Edition Leica MP, dressed in the best coach leather and costing a mere US$8000. On the Net Pacific Rim Camera: Leica M3 Dante Stella: Leica M3 CameraQuest: M Buyer's Guide Leica M2/M3/MP Rewind Cranks Jck.net: Leica M3 chronology (english) Leica M3 chronology (Japanese) Leica M3 vs Nikon SP (Japanese) Chris Ozdoba's excellent list of Leica books and literature Leica LSM to M Mount Adaptors Stephen Gandy sells all 3 adaptors (28-90; 35-135; 50-75) for $100 as well as rear M caps for 3 for $40 Leica M accessories Leica M6 switch, M2/M3 flash plugs, 35 summilux focusing knob, etc.
Categories: 35mm, Leica, Rangefinder Tags: classic, Leica, rangefinder
14 Comments Karen Nakamura | January 6, 2011 11:10 PM | Reply
Dear Karen, I've been a long time follower of your site, especially the equipment section. Your ambition to collect and use different systems from from old times to modern is very inspiring and admirable. I've recently acquired a Leica M3 (# > 1mil, exciting I know! Yay). But my fun was short because it has just developed a stuck shutter curtain. I cannot advance the film using the wind lever as a result. So my question is, where should I look for repair work on that? I've seen links from your site but some are broken/oudated so I decide to write to double check. Any help/advise/suggestion would be much appreciated! Cost is also one of my concerns, because my student budget is also a constraint. Many thanks in advance and hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely yours, Tuan Karen Nakamura | January 6, 2011 11:11 PM | Reply
I'm not sure where any good repair stores are anymore. You could always send it to Leica New Jersey.... Anyone able to help Tuan? zauhar | January 20, 2011 10:22 PM | Reply
Tuan, I also got an M3 recently also with shutter issue. In my case, I purchased from KEH, and they have just completed a repair under warranty (the camera is on it's way back right now). Check these links for a detailed discussion of repair shops: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65581 http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/repair.html For what it's worth I did a lot of research before buying an M3, including looking up repair people, and these names appear again and again: Don Goldberg Sherry Krauter YouXin Ye If you're interested, this thread looks at MY shutter issue - http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99529 Best of luck, Randy
Karen Nakamura | January 21, 2011 6:41 AM | Reply
Thanks, Randy! A fantastic set of recommendations! I hope your M3 comes back from repairs feeling better. Karen Karen Nakamura | January 21, 2011 6:50 AM | Reply
p.s. Leica Historical Society of America has some links: http://www.lhsa.org/resources/repair_services/default.aspx zauhar | January 31, 2011 9:09 AM | Reply
Karen, I have been looking a lot at your site - it is really wonderful! (I hope there is some mechanism for including your work on this in your annual faculty evaluation!) I have a degree in anthro (although never "did anything" with it), so your site caught my attention early on when I decided to get back to film photography. Speaking of which - see my comments above concerning my experience getting an M3 working. I got the body in question back from KEH with the shutter issue fixed, shot four more rolls of film, and the film advance froze. It is on its way back to KEH for yet another repair (still under warranty). I guess I have succumbed to what someone referred to as "Leicaitis" - it killed me to box the camera up and send it back. I have already thought about getting an inexpensive backup camera that would take M lenses. I currently have a single lens, a 50mm DR, and it seems that only the Leica bodies are compatible with that (e.g. I have read that Voigtlander Bessa has some issues accommodating that particular lens). Given your impressive experience with film camera, is there any recommendation you could make that I may have missed? Thanks! Randy Karen Nakamura | February 2, 2011 7:45 AM | Reply
Leicaitis -- watch out! It quickly becomes chronic. :-) The DR is fine on non-Leica bodies as long as you don't engage the close focus, which might bend the focus arms of non-Ms. The goggles don't work on non-Ms anyway, so that's not an issue. Why not take the opportunity to pick up a Leica screw mount camera and some cheap LSM lenses? You could even go Russian! A nice Zorki or FED perhaps? Or some of the Canon rangefinders, like a P or 7. Karen zauhar | February 2, 2011 1:34 PM | Reply
That's a great suggestion! I wasn't thinking much about screw-mount lenses, but they are a lot more affordable, and I could also use them on my M3 with an adaptor. (I take it you have to get the right adaptor to have the frame lines come up?) The Canon P looks like great camera, reminds me of the Canon SLR I had when I was a kid. I will give all this serious thought while I wait for my M3 to come back. ;-( Thanks! Randy Karen Nakamura | February 2, 2011 11:45 PM | Reply
Yes, you'll need to get the proper adapters for later use if on your M if you want the right framelines to come up. Or you could go crazy and get some thing like a 28mm or 24mm or 18mm or 15mm in which case you'd need to use an external viewfinder anyway. :-) Sorry to fuel your addiction. zauhar | February 4, 2011 11:56 PM | Reply
Hey Karen, First, thanks for your section on the Canon TX - my "childhood" camera! Second, I think this looks like a great deal - I am tempted to go for it http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-7-Rangefinder-Camera-Kit-Leica-/320652437503? pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item4aa85fe7ff#ht_500wt_781 What do you think? (No blame, just your gut reaction.) Randy Karen Nakamura | February 5, 2011 1:21 AM | Reply
A Canon 7 with 50mm f/1.4 for $450? I think it's an excellent deal. The description says the meter is "responsive" but doesn't indicate whether it's accurate. I think it's better to expect that the meter isn't accurate and to be pleasantly surprised if it is. All around, sounds like a good deal. If I had any money, I'd buy it! :-) Karen p.s. I'll move this thread to the Canon 7 page after you've seen it. zauhar | February 5, 2011 8:15 AM | Reply
Karen, thanks for the observations! I should have noticed the weasel-word "responsive" regarding the light meter, but I guess an old meter of this type can't be expected to work. There is no hot shoe on the camera, so my Leica MR meter (which works very well) has no place to go, I would need to use it handheld. Also no place for external viewfinder? According to what I've read, that is a nice fast lens, and I could also use on my M3 with adaptor. OK, I also don't have the money saved up for it, so I will have to think about it today. ;-) Greatly appreciate your feedback! I will reread what you had to say and the comments you collected about this and the Canon P. Randy zauhar | February 5, 2011 10:23 AM | Reply
Karen, I pulled the trigger on that purchase - I guess I can pay it off over a couple of months. :-( Reasons - Looking around, I think the lens alone is worth $250-300 (someone is asking ~200 for one with scratches and fungus on ebay!), and a Canon 7 body alone in less pristine shape is going for > $400 at CameraWest. Plus I saw some good reactions from Leica users who got the same lens. Looks like it will take a while to receive it, I'll get back to you with comments once I have it. Thanks! Randy zauhar | February 5, 2011 10:41 AM | Reply
Karen, forgot to ask - after my experience with the Leica, I may want to get a CLA on the Canon, if not too expensive. Is there anyone you recommend? I did not see a Canon RF person on your repair page. Randy
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