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“I’m never going to buy a Leica!” … Except …


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“I’m never going to buy a Leica. They’re too expensive,” I would tell myself and others. I would really only be happy with a good shooter from the early days, probably the M3. An M3 deserves a good Summicron, so that would really be around $2K for a complete setup. I’m never going to spend that on a single camera. So I satisfied myself with the Canon P and its very nice 50mm f1.8.

EXCEPT … I was in an “Antique” store recently, and there was this nice old looking leather camera case behind lock and key. So I had them open it up, I took the never-ready cover off the front, and the first word I saw was “Wetzlar”.

Now, I’m no aficionado. I’ve only ever held two (2!) Leicas in my hand. So I didn’t really know what I was looking at. The lens was a 50mm Summarit f/1.5, which I recognized as “not a Summicron”, and it looked old. The lens filter was trashed, but an original Leica filter. There was a big light meter bolted on top, and I had no idea of how to remove it.

The tag on the hippie camera strap said “Leica M2” (so I was somewhat interested) and they wanted $695 (more than my budget for an M2). I double checked the innerwebs to confirm my understanding that the M2 was essentially an M3 with a lesser viewfinder. Okay; I could live with that I guess. And the Summarit is known to flare and be less sharp than even my Canon 1.8. Oh well. It’s an interesting setup.

Without the filter, the lens looked clean and clear with just a minor scar or two on the front. The focus was a bit gritty, but I know that can be CLA-ed. The camera’s shutter speeds all timed correctly to the ear, and there were no light leaks to be seen up against the sun. The darned thing didn’t fire every time I cocked the shutter until I remembered, “Oh yeah! Double Stroke!” The whole unit was pretty clean.

The light meter didn’t work at all, but I couldn’t figure out how to remove it. So, I think I’ve got a pretty good M2 and a Summarit, not the M3 and Summicron that I really want. But I think about it for a while, and the shop owner says, “I’ll give you 20% off for sure.” Interesting; that makes it $560. I’m a wheeler dealer guy, and I could even pick up an M2 / Summarit if I got a no-lose deal.

So I check the prices on an okay M2 … and $560 looks like a fair deal for an M2. Plus, there’s the lens. I couldn’t find a price on the lens right away, but I figure it’s probably worth $150.

But I’m feeling like there is a better deal here. If the shop owner is asking $695, and dropping to $560 without thinking, what cost does he really have in it? What cash offer would make him take the offer to walk away with a nice profit, and not wait another year for a top-dollar offer?

I took $450 out of my wallet and waited to get his attention. While I’m waiting, I’m thinking, “I’ll bet his cost in this thing is $200. He will snap up a 100% profit. The shop is busy, and he’s not going to go look it up too closely, so I put the extra $50 in my left pocket.

When I finally get his attention, I pull the $400 out of my right pocket and say, “I have $400 green cash money for the camera”. He looked at the tag, said “Deal”, took the cash, and I walked out of the store feeling like I had scored a solid deal on an M2.

So I get back to the truck and I’m struggling with the light meter. Dangit that’s hard. You have to align this line and that line and it still doesn’t come off until, Aha! You have to pull up on this unit and slide out at the same time and Voila!

It’s an M3.

I was shaking. I just got my dream Leica with a usable lens for $400.

It’s in user condition and out for its CLA with the Summarit.  I have a Summicron 50 arriving soon.  I'll post photos of the unit and pictures with it below. 

 

Please note that the photos taken with the unit are my first try at home-developing.  There are some water marks in there I need to work on.  TMax 400, Ilfosol 3.

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Camera Front:

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Camera Top:

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Samples to follow.

 

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Aha.  Found where I attach pictures ...

 

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Susan:

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Axes:

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Oh my.  I need to learn how to use this forum.  Those are way too big.  Sorry about that. 

 

Here's something a little more manageable.  What is a good pixel width to aim for, ladies and gentlemen?

 

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Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

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500 in Width.  Breadmaking.

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OBTW - When I first rewound the film, I was quite sure I had gone far enough.  So I opened up the back.

 

And there's the film, still wrapped around the right-hand spool.  "Oh my!"  I quickly closed up the back.

 

Turns out, you have to lift UP on the takeup spool and THEN REWIND.  Who knew?  In my industry, we have a phrase, RTFM.  Suppose I should have read a manual first.  :)

 

Still, I only lost about 3-4 shots!  Pretty amazing that you can open up a back and lose that little.

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Good deal! And you figured out the meter removal technique.

 

FWIW, the thick bezels/"picture frames" around the front windows are "signature" for the M3 and nothing else - all later models had flat metal. And the M2 finder is only "lesser" if you never use a 35mm lens. ;)

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  • 4 months later...

There was at one time an elderly fellow (mid-eighties) who had a little shop in Hollywood, California...he calibrated and put batteries in those meters. All your meter may need is just a little work to put it in working order. My M3 and the meter still works perfectly, 8 years later! I'm sure the fellow is no longer doing repairs. But surely someone is still doing such.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Congratulations, Brad - you did quite well getting the M3, meter & lens for $400.  A clean M3 DS goes for $900-1000 (8 to 8+) and 50/1.5 Summarits are priced at $400-800 on ebay, depending on condition, age, s/n, etc.

 

It sounds as if you knocked that one out of the park!

Edited by Carlos Danger
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