jmooney Posted April 25, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted April 25, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) So I started poking around looking for serial numbers and models in the hopes of getting a "birthday" Leica but the way it seems to me all that was made in 1976 was R3's. I know they assigned blocks of serial numbers and the made a run till they were all used up but I'm having a hard time deciphering what was made in 76 because it shows M4s in 75 and then black M4s in 77. Can any of our more knowledgable collector folks perhaps shed some light on this for me? I'm interested for the above reasons but I'm also trying to learn more Leica history and I'd really like to know if 76 was the year of no Ms. Â Thanks and take care, Â Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 Hi jmooney, Take a look here Were any M's made in 1976?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
luigi bertolotti Posted April 25, 2011 Share #2 Â Posted April 25, 2011 The only M model which, according to several sources, was surely built in 1976 is the MDa... fine to have but not exactly a user camera if one likes to use a "birthday Leica"... ; probably a CL with high s/n can have been built in 1976... but from the Minolta factory... anyway it's a very fine to use camera, though, of course, not a M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmooney Posted April 25, 2011 Author Share #3 Â Posted April 25, 2011 That's what I was afraid of. Looks like I'll have to settle for a birthday R3 and then a near-my-birthday black M4. Â It will be a hardship but I think I'll manage Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 25, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted April 25, 2011 Tanks for having given me a reason to be happy to have been born in '56... great year for M3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted April 25, 2011 Share #5 Â Posted April 25, 2011 Tanks for having given me a reason to be happy to have been born in '56... great year for M3 ??? Non ti lamentare.... io sono del IIIc !!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted April 25, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted April 25, 2011 Actually - Leitz Wetzlar closed down the whole M camera line in 1975 as obsolete in the face of SLR dominance. The viewfinderless MDa was continued for a year because it was an accesory for the Leitz microscopes. Revived demand and a plan by Leitz Canada to build the M4 more cheaply (M4-2) brought the line back in 1978. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted April 27, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted April 27, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The Old Man from the Age of Kodachrome was born in 1936, same as 35mm KC. And the ascendant Leica at that time was the IIIa, of course. Â The old man from the Age of the SG-38 (catch that one, if you can!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted April 27, 2011 Share #8 Â Posted April 27, 2011 It's a sailplane, isnt it? "Schulgleiter" or school (training) glider. A fancy looking bird with its wings so high. Â Best from the tail end of the Year of the Water Tiger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted April 27, 2011 Share #9 Â Posted April 27, 2011 Actually - Leitz Wetzlar closed down the whole M camera line in 1975 as obsolete in the face of SLR dominance. The viewfinderless MDa was continued for a year because it was an accesory for the Leitz microscopes. Revived demand and a plan by Leitz Canada to build the M4 more cheaply (M4-2) brought the line back in 1978. Â The lead time for the new method of manufacture (of the M4-2) would have made this appear to be the case, if you ignore the practicalities. The Kriegsmarine moved to prefabrication of U boats and worried the allied PR & inteligence people during WWII as the U boat slip ways were empty for a long period. Then electro boats appeared... Â Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jarski Posted April 27, 2011 Share #10  Posted April 27, 2011 being also born 1976, too bad "birth year M" isnt an option then  Leitz Wetzlar closed down the whole M camera line in 1975 as obsolete in the face of SLR dominance.  watching how well digital-M sells 2011, Leitz execs who did that decision must be proud of themselves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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