TMLH Posted June 7, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 7, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have recently acquired a Leica M3 Black Paint in EX++ condition. The Number is not listed in the official serial number but according to cameraquest web site it belong to the last batch of 10 Leica Black Paint M3 produce in 1967. The L seal is still intact. Any comment Thank you in advance. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/153654-leica-m3-black-paint/?do=findComment&comment=1694746'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 Hi TMLH, Take a look here Leica M3 Black Paint. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wattsy Posted June 7, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 7, 2011 Looks very nice. Did you pay an official BP M3 price for it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DES Posted June 7, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 7, 2011 Wow...That looks superb.I would/nt know about the non list production, but cameraquest know what they are doing. But if you are worried I will chance being robbed and take it off your hands for a couple of grand! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 7, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 7, 2011 Too good to use... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted June 7, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 7, 2011 What a beauty ! You can be glad, it found the way into your home. Best GEORG Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabears Posted June 7, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 7, 2011 You must to open the camera looking for internal serial number. Looking at the photos the paint is not precisely the one of the era, seems a spare part they made with M4 b.paint, I've seen a good number of these. The "L" seal also is suspect but I would need a better magnification. If the serial number is correct should be a restoration of an original camera made in the past. Cheers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 7, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 7, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have 1158677 in use now, and did also have for a long while 1158466. These 'straddle' your one, both of them were bought new in 1968 in Montreal and are chrome bodies, supplied by the importer (carveth). They differ from yours in that they do not have the guard round the lens release, unlike all other M3s I have seen. Would it be surprising if a black one was made in the middle of a chrome batch? Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 7, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 7, 2011 Looks too good to be true! It can't have been used or some paint would have been worn from the inside face of the strap lugs showing the brass underneath. There is a tiny area of small chips on the inside face of the rewind knob (just under the direction arrow in the pic), which look like silver metal underneath, but shouldn't it be yellow brass? And while they could be reflections it seems like some paint on the ASA dial is missing showing silver underneath when it should be brass. And the paint just doesn't look like an old Leica finish to me, it looks modern. I think its a repaint. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 7, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 7, 2011 I have 1158677 in use now, and did also have for a long while 1158466. These 'straddle' your one, both of them were bought new in 1968 in Montreal and are chrome bodies, supplied by the importer (carveth). They differ from yours in that they do not have the guard round the lens release, unlike all other M3s I have seen. Would it be surprising if a black one was made in the middle of a chrome batch? Gerry Camera quest Leica Serial Numbers: M's Sorted by Type thinks it was batch of 10 so the # number is kosher. The Lieca people seem to have sent a girl out for wurst bread and paint over lunch break, if the paint looks good and wears well probably a repaint, I'd leave it in a glass case in bubble wrap, no point in finding out. Noel Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 7, 2011 Share #10 Posted June 7, 2011 Looks too good to be true! It can't have been used or some paint would have been worn from the inside face of the strap lugs showing the brass underneath. There is a tiny area of small chips on the inside face of the rewind knob (just under the direction arrow in the pic), which look like silver metal underneath, but shouldn't it be yellow brass? And while they could be reflections it seems like some paint on the ASA dial is missing showing silver underneath when it should be brass. And the paint just doesn't look like an old Leica finish to me, it looks modern. I think its a repaint. Steve That may not be the case. For a good repaint ( I had one done) the camera must be dechromed down to the brass in order for the paint to take. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 7, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 7, 2011 That may not be the case. For a good repaint ( I had one done) the camera must be dechromed down to the brass in order for the paint to take. Hi If you want to counterfeit a BP M3 I'd not pick a batch of ten to copy. Either it has been in a box for 50 years the shutter speeds will be 'all over the shop', or it has just been refurbed and the 1/15 will sound perfect, pingy pongy... It is easy to make a mold of the Leica Weltzar L and reproduce it again and again. One would do that if one wanted a 'perfect collector'. Noel Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 7, 2011 Share #12 Posted June 7, 2011 Camera quest Leica Serial Numbers: M's Sorted by Type thinks it was batch of 10 so the # number is kosher. The Lieca people seem to have sent a girl out for wurst bread and paint over lunch break, if the paint looks good and wears well probably a repaint, I'd leave it in a glass case in bubble wrap, no point in finding out. Noel Yes, I have seen the list, although whether its right or not is another matter, but yours is a lovely camera anyway, I'm envious. 1158677 has given me 40 + years of pleasue and I was using it today. I always think its a shame to put such beautiful functional camera in a case, but there you are, thats your decision.. Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nocti lux Posted June 7, 2011 Share #13 Posted June 7, 2011 The Number is not listed in the official serial number but according to cameraquest web site it belong to the last batch of 10 Leica Black Paint M3 produce in 1967. Pleasr look here: Summilux Your M3 is built in 1966. Best regards Clemens Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 7, 2011 Share #14 Posted June 7, 2011 Pleasr look here: Summilux Your M3 is built in 1966. Best regards Clemens Hi Received advice is the # block allocated and the time built were frequently different, sometimes by large interval. Leitz were not diciplined, for collectors, merely making equipment.. Noel Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ron (Netherlands) Posted June 7, 2011 Share #15 Posted June 7, 2011 If chromium is shining through at some spots, it is a bad done repaint. I must admit that I had some doubt about the black paint release guard, however on early black paint M3's such a release guard was also painted: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/Leica/Leica-M3/M3_Black_Paint/index.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 7, 2011 Share #16 Posted June 7, 2011 That may not be the case. For a good repaint ( I had one done) the camera must be dechromed down to the brass in order for the paint to take. Not sure what you mean by 'not be the case'? If I'm saying it looks like chrome underneath, and you are saying a good repaint needs to be de-chromed, an 'original' black Leica M3 with chrome underneath is presumably a fake? Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted June 7, 2011 Share #17 Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Personally, I find that the lens' release button in black looks surely a strange detail...but some others have been published with this feature... Edited June 7, 2011 by luigi bertolotti Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphoenix Posted June 8, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 8, 2011 I may be wrong, but didn't Leitz align all their screw slots? The slots on the lens mount are misaligned and the right hand slot seems to show some wear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMLH Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted June 8, 2011 Looks too good to be true! It can't have been used or some paint would have been worn from the inside face of the strap lugs showing the brass underneath. There is a tiny area of small chips on the inside face of the rewind knob (just under the direction arrow in the pic), which look like silver metal underneath, but shouldn't it be yellow brass? And while they could be reflections it seems like some paint on the ASA dial is missing showing silver underneath when it should be brass. And the paint just doesn't look like an old Leica finish to me, it looks modern. I think its a repaint. Steve The silver linning is the reflection of flash used to take the photo. There are no brassing on the camera. I have brought it to Leica the technician under rnanification verified that the seal was "consistanly old". Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 8, 2011 Share #20 Posted June 8, 2011 Fair enough TMLH. I'm intrigued though. I would love to see the marks that stop it being 'Mint' or 'NOS' and make it only EX++ ! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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