New to the Leica world and glad to be back into film photography

[Rod.]

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Newbie here, so still figuring out both my new-to-me M3 and this forum -- and enjoying the ride!

I've been into 35mm film photography since the early 1970's (a long-gone Minolta SRT 101, a Rollei B35 I still have, and several Olympus OM's including the nicely kitted OM-1 I still use). But I've been looking at the Leica world for a while and a friend who just got an M6 planted and watered the seeds that became the M3 I got a week ago from a retail shop. The SS body (1047xxx) is in great shape and it came with a Summarit 50mm 1.5 and a 35mm Summaron 3.5, both of which appear clean and working well.

I'm only on my second roll of HP5 and haven't processed anything yet, so can't say yet if (i) I know what I'm doing, or (ii) if everything works ok. The shutter is a marvel after the mirror'd SLR flop, and the rangefinder isn't hard to get used too (I hope)... The aperture ring turning in the 'wrong' direction is 'interesting'...

A bit of the vulcanite chipped off because the camera bag I'm using was too tight, so I've taken the advice found on this forum and ordered some Milliput epoxy for a fix. I've also found two original leather cases on eBay, one of which I've modded to use only the part that protects the body. I've ordered a body cap and a spare lens cap on eBay and will try getting some UV filters at the local shop. And so it goes.

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[EddieJ]

Nice!

Welcome to the Leica family

For your reference: 

 

[rmueller]

Welcome to the Leica film gang, your M3 looks great, wish you many years of fun with this camera. Please consider posting some images in the images thread here, would love to see what you're shooting with this gem.

Regards,

Ralf

[dpitt]

Welcome to the forum.

You picked out the 'best' rangefinder to start with. It still is regarded as the reference for all later models. Have a look at our wiki pages if you want to know more about the history of Leica models and yours in particular.

I am glad you mention that the rangefinder is easy to get used too. My first one was the Leica M2 and it felt like coming home to me.

Beware of the Leica bug. It is known to affect people who touch Leica camera's. It will not kill you but it makes you want to explore more and more of the fascinating history and spend more and more money on Leica gear. Do you know that you can use every rangefinder lens that Leica produced from 1930 till now on your M3?
With a simple adapter these LTM (Leica thread mount) lenses  perform as good as they did in those days, even on the latest digital M11.

 

[ktmrider2]

Welcome to Leica.  It is a cult and may become an addiction.  The latest model film camera (MA) is basically an M2 (cheaper version of the M3 but they were made concurrently in the 1950's/1960's) with modern film loading, six frames in the viewfinder vice three, and retro/nostalgic film rewind so you would be right at home using it.  And if you like using a thru the lens meter, than either the current M6 or MP (I think it took Leica only twenty years to add it with the M6 after most SLR's had it in the late 1960's if you don't count the M5.  And even though a failure at the time, the M5 with its spot meter may be the best thru the lens camera Leica ever produced in terms of metering.  Its primary flaw was being a bit large for the traditionalists when it was produced. The M3 defined the M camera and the latest film cameras made in 2023 have the external dimensions of the M3 introduced in either 1953 or 1954.

Leica cameras are evolutionary, not revolutionary.  Anyway, I got hooked years ago on the optical viewfinder compared to a SLR.  I think you will enjoy the M3 and rangefinder focusing.  If you like 50, you have the best body.  If you like 35, the viewfinder in the M2 is the best Leica ever made IMHO.  I shoot 35, 50, 90 and 135 focal lengths so I don't want or need frame lines for 28 or 75.  And if you shoot wider than 28, you must use an aux finder on all Leica film cameras.  

Of course, this forum can tell you more than you ever want to know but you should also check out rangefinderforum.com.  And your M3 works great with lenses made by other manufacturers than Leica.  I think my favorite lenses are Zeiss but I own a variety including those made by Leitz and Voigtlander.  And beware of trivia.  I once saw an article on the shape of the frame selector lever on various M bodies presented by a Marine brigadier general (retired I think). 

Have fun with your camera.

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by ktmrider2

[RayD28]

@Rod. Welcome.  Good looking camera and nice lens kit.  I was told that you can use the full viewfinder to estimate 35mm frame lines but I've never tried it.  An external 35mm viewfinder is an inexpensive option.  Look forward to you posting some photo.

[Rod.]

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12 hours ago, EddieJ said:

Nice!

Welcome to the Leica family

For your reference: 

12 hours ago, EddieJ said:

Nice!

Welcome to the Leica family

For your reference: 

 

Hello and thanks!

[UliWer]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb Rod.:

The aperture ring turning in the 'wrong' direction is 'interesting'...

You seem to be well accustomed in the "Leica World" as the Summarit's aperture really turns in the wrong direction (the 1:1.5/5cm Summarit was no original Leitz design). Usually the  aperture rings for Leitz and Leica lenses go in the "proper" direction - though there are outliers (another typical feature of this world). 

[Rod.]

On 12/22/2023 at 6:27 AM, RayD28 said:

An external 35mm viewfinder is an inexpensive option.

I should have mentioned in my original post that the 35mm did come with the accessory viewfinder. I'm still working with the 50mm so haven't really explored the 35 yet. Here's a photo of the package from the store where I bought it.

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[dpitt]

This 35mm Summaron  will bring up the 50mm frame lines on any M rangefinder. It is designed for the Leica M3 to provide a wide option. The launch of the Leica M3 came in a period when 35mm got more popular. Leica had to find a solution quickly to meet demand for a way to use 35mm comfortably and started designing the M2 (35/50/90mm lines) which came out a few years later than the M3. Meanwhile they modified a few 35mm lenses by adding goggles for the M3: 35mm Summicron and this 35mm Summaron.

The  goggles it comes with will are detachable, but it makes not much sense to use the lens  without them. You have to lock it to infinity before the goggles can be detached and even if you could focus them without goggles the lens will not be focused correctly because it is adjusted to work with goggles on. So it seems the detach option is mostly for transport only.