Leica M3 Depth of Field Indicators in the Viewfinder, and a question

[MikeMyers]

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I had a mostly free evening, and was watching some YouTube videos.  I noticed one about the M3, and played it.  All was as I expected up until 13 minutes into the 20 minute video.  

When I look through my viewfinder at the frame lines, I was aware that there are gaps at the top and bottom, which I paid no attention to, now, or back when I was a kid.  I ignored them.  According to this video, they are "Depth of Field Indicators".

Depth of Field Indicators in M3 Viewfinder

I was quite surprised by this.  I'm wondering, am I just totally ignorant about this and other things, or is this a feature that people don't know about?  It's in the Leica M3 User Manual, but I don't have one of those - now I'm curious to find out if they are even available as a reprint.

Do you guys know about these, and if so, are they just a "gimmick", or are they actually useful?

 

Also, at 18 1/2 minutes into the video, the fellow removes the lens and shows a small hole in the lens mount at the top that used to have an "L" logo in it - now it's just a black dot on his camera.  I noticed it the other day, but had no idea what it was for, or what it did.  Anyone here know?

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Edited August 21, 2021 by MikeMyers
typo.

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[spydrxx]

Copies of the manual are available online...and yes the DOF indicators are

common knowledge, although infrequently used these days by most owners. The black "hole" is usually filled with wax and usually imprinted with a repairperson's "logo". I've lost the link, but there is a list of "logos" used to identify who is associated with specific logos.

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, MikeMyers said:

It's in the Leica M3 User Manual, but I don't have one of those - now I'm curious to find out if they are even available as a reprint.

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica/leica.htm

[250swb]

A list of wax seal codes in this thread.

Edited August 21, 2021 by 250swb

[MikeMyers]

Maybe I was just too tired last night - I tried to find the online manual to copy, but the one I found didn't have the page explaining the depth of field indicators.  If I find one later, I'll post the link.  

The pdf that I looked through was this:  https://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leica_m-guide-01.pdf

The booklet I need to find is "Instructions - Leica M3", and the back side has:  List 11-3d/Engl.   Printed in Germany  XII/59/DXL/SD, which is shown at 13 minutes, 25 seconds into the YouTube video I posted up above - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvAE60spPvE&t=795s

I'd love to find a copy of this booklet that I can download.  Suggestions?

Oh, and thank you @250swb - so THAT is the purpose of the tiny hole!  I'll have to look at my other Leica bodies to see what they have.

[250swb]

1 hour ago, MikeMyers said:

 

Oh, and thank you @250swb - so THAT is the purpose of the tiny hole!  I'll have to look at my other Leica bodies to see what they have.

It'd not an actual hole Mike, it's the top screw that is covered in malleable wax and then embossed with the repairers stamp. It isn't essential and replacing it after a service on older bodies has dropped out of fashion because the newer M bodies don't have the seal.

[earleygallery]

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The Butkus site linked to above has the M2 manual (which also has the DoF indicators - page attached).

I think in practice they're not very effective, probably why Leica dropped the idea.

Dof.pdf

[MikeMyers]

54 minutes ago, earleygallery said:

I think in practice they're not very effective, probably why Leica dropped the idea.

I have no idea how effective it might be, but it's faster to do this than use the depth of field scale on the lens - I think.   It will be fun to try, anyway.