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Leica lens mount on M3 stored for half a century - is it a good idea to use a very tiny bit of oil on the surface?


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1 hour ago, MikeMyers said:

......and along with this, why is it that a Leica M10 is available from lots of sources right now, and anyone can have one of the different variations after spending ten minutes on a computer, but the latest Leica film camera, with NO electronics and no battery, is only available on a "waiting list". 

 

The M10 (and it's variants) are the nearest thing to "mass produced" that Leica can get. Meanwhile the M-A is hand built in very small numbers, hence the waiting list (in my case the wait was only 3 days).

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I hate to even ask this, but how would you compare a Leica M-A to a Leica M3 ?   I mean reasons other than one being ancient and the other being new.  What if both were "new", and sitting side-by-side?  I see a potential disadvantage, as I don't think the M-A has a viewfinder like the M3.  

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13 minutes ago, MikeMyers said:

I hate to even ask this, but how would you compare a Leica M-A to a Leica M3 ?   I mean reasons other than one being ancient and the other being new.  What if both were "new", and sitting side-by-side?  I see a potential disadvantage, as I don't think the M-A has a viewfinder like the M3.  

I think that is the main difference, the viewfinder magnification (and frame lines). The M3 is fine if you use 50mm or longer. They introduced the M2 to offer 35mm framelines (as well as 50 and 90).

Leica used to offer 3 different viewfinder magnifications depending on which framelines you would use most. The 'standard' 0.72 finder in the later models covers most focal lengths so is the most popular.

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15 hours ago, Vlad Soare said:

Actually, my question would be why on earth you'd buy an M10 when you have an M3. 🙂

@Vlad Soare Gee, I had much of today free, and was reading lots of interesting articles on the internet.  While doing so, I found this one:

https://www.bleisteinphoto.com/blog/virtues-of-the-leica-m3

It immediately reminded me of what you had written.  To be honest with myself, my M3 won't replace my M10 for daily use, as so used to digital now, but when I'm free, walking around hunting for scenes I would like to capture, there's a good chance I'll take my M3 just for the sheer pleasure of using it.  It's also exactly what I was used to doing back in the 60's and 70's.   In the article I posted, the author had wondered if Leica could re-introduce the M3, but was told it would have to sell for $27,000 or so!

I'll probably start calling some of the photo shops, such as b&h, and ask if they ever get in one of the 35mm lenses with "goggles" attached.  Until I can train my eye to "see" as a 50mm lens, I'm always wanting wider coverage.

Thanks again to everyone for all the help!

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4 hours ago, wattsy said:

The M2 isn’t a lens.

Actually, there is an M2 lens, sells for $50.  Google found it for me.

As to the DOF indicators in the viewfinder, I didn't see much use for it, but someone at Leica must have considered it to be important enough to put in camera and lens instructions.  I'll try to use it before saying much more.  I always thought the gaps in the frame lines were, well, just gaps.  I'm happy that with the M3 I can even see the frame lines while I'm wearing my glasses.

Anybody in the USA that has a 35mm with the goggles, if you want to sell it please let me know.  I think the ones available for sale are all on ebay, which I rarely use.

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9 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

Actually, there is an M2 lens, sells for $50.  Google found it for me.

As to the DOF indicators in the viewfinder, I didn't see much use for it, but someone at Leica must have considered it to be important enough to put in camera and lens instructions.  I'll try to use it before saying much more.  I always thought the gaps in the frame lines were, well, just gaps.  I'm happy that with the M3 I can even see the frame lines while I'm wearing my glasses.

Anybody in the USA that has a 35mm with the goggles, if you want to sell it please let me know.  I think the ones available for sale are all on ebay, which I rarely use.

It's nothing to do with gaps in the frame lines, it's the little 'bumps' on the top/bottom of the rangefinder patch.

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1 hour ago, earleygallery said:

it's the little 'bumps' on the top/bottom of the rangefinder patch.

Thank you - I never figured out how to do this until just now!   .....does anyone actually do this?

Also:  https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91716

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