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Fontenelle archives 15 : Black beauty


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Here are four photographs of a black paint M3. It may look perfectly normal, but closer look reveals two things. First, the serial number 917901 is not common for a black paint M3 : indeed, first mention of black models in the official Leitz listings start at 959xxx series.Secondly, the frame counter is black, and that's the rare characteristic that first attracted our attention. When questioned, Leitz technicians at Wetzlar explained that first experimental black paint models in 1958 all had this black counter, but that afetr tests by professional photographers, it appeared that the black counter was much less "readable" than the normal silver one. Consequently, the further production runs of black paint models incorporated the "normal" counter disc.

Up to now, we have only heard of one other such "black beauty" reported in the USA.

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Wow ! One of the tastiest M3 I ever seen !!! The detail about the frame counter is at all new to me.

 

You like it? so, please accept this "bonus" : the same "all-black" M3 with a matching black paint Summicron 50. Enjoy it, Luigi.

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Hello Everybody,

 

Whoops,

 

Sorry Pecole,

 

My original "Hello" was meant for you.

 

Not that I didn't mean "Hello" to Luigi, or Zipper for that matter also.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

Hi, Michael1

You are perfectly right (good eyes...) : I made a mistake in my photo archives. Indeed, I had two of these "black beauties" in my collection, the #911382 discovered in France in 1986, and the #917901 in Denmark in 1992.

Cordially

Pecole (Pierre)

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