philkhor Posted August 15, 2008 Share #1 Posted August 15, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was lucky enough to be given an M3 with a number of lenses by my photographer uncle who bought the camera direct from the factory. I haved taken some lovely pictures with the 21mm lens in the past. Unfortunately the equipment was stored in a damp cellar for some time (!) and I have just despatched the lot to CRR in Luton for an assessment. I would be grateful if anyone can help with the provenance of the items. I have seen somewhere that the Summicron 50mm was Japanese-made for instance. Is this correct? The light meter instructions are in French (my uncle lived in Paris) - does anyone know where I might find English instructions? I would also be grateful if anyone knows the approximate market price for these items so that I can insure them correctly. Finally, I am told that these lenses can be used with the M8. What effect is there on the focal length by mounting them on the M8? Does the 21mm become a 28mm equivalent? Leica M3 739 972 Ernst Leitz Summicron 5cm f2 1215048 Ernst Leitz Super-angulon 21mm f4 1673161 Ernst Leitz Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 1176899 Ernst Leitz Elmar 90mm f4 1713778 Leitz 3.5cm viewfinder Leitz 21mm viewfinder Leicameter M 026354 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Hi philkhor, Take a look here M3 plus lenses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
luigi bertolotti Posted August 15, 2008 Share #2 Posted August 15, 2008 Welcome to the forum, first of all ! The set you describe is a nice one : an M3 of the first series (M3s started at 700.000, yours is surely a "double stroke" model) and a good set of lenses, including a rather uncommon lens (the 21 f4) that is, in my opinion, a little jewel to have (even if not so good for pictures... 21 at that times was really an ultrawide... your item, that was based on a Schnedier design, shows a noticeable vignetting when used wide open). The other are all "good old" Leitz lenses, still today appreciable (and usable on M8 (*)), with the Summicron 50 that is REALLY good even to today's standards (of course, provided its glass is in good shape). Where did you read that the Summicron was made in Japan ? It's a complete absurdity. If you like, post some pic of your set... here we all appreciate this kind of posts. (*) With a little warning about the Summaron 35... on M8 it doesn't show the correct framelines, apart this, focuses perfectly.... given that you have an external VF for the 35 (SBLOO ?) I suppose it's of the kind without the "goggles" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philkhor Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted August 15, 2008 Hi Luigi many thanks for your welcome & prompt reply. You're quite right it is a double stroke model and without the preview level on the other side of the lens from the self timer. I attach some photos... Phil Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/60324-m3-plus-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=629012'>More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted August 16, 2008 Share #4 Posted August 16, 2008 You're lucky—that Summaron is the plain, goggles-less version that pros preferred, and there's a 35mm accessory finder for it! That Summaron would still rate a good 35mm lens today. If the gear has escaped fungus (which is Death because all effective antifungal substances like thymol are so violently poisonous that they are prohibited) then after a CLA you will have a fascinating kit to experiment with. Does the meter still work? It is a selenium-based model of course, a Leicameter MC, but basically, it works just like the later CdS versions, the Leicameter MR and MR-4. Set the camera to B. Rotate the knurled wheel on the meter to align the index line with the arrow on the housing. Press it in/up and lock it in its raised position with a slight turn, Slide the meter into the accessory shoe and rotate the knurled wheel so that it can fall with the little peg coupling with the slot in the shutter speed dial. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. An elementary hand meter is a good idea too. And with negative film, you don't have to meter every damn shot in any case—I don't do that even with my M8! The old man from the Age of the M3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubenkok Posted August 16, 2008 Share #5 Posted August 16, 2008 The light meter instructions are in French (my uncle lived in Paris) - does anyone know where I might find English instructions? Leicameter M 026354 Hi Phil, Welcome to the forum ! Have a look at Michael Butkus site Leica meter M, instruction manual, user manual, PDF manual, free manuals http://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leica_meter_m.pdf Hope this is some help Kind regards Ruben Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/60324-m3-plus-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=629256'>More sharing options...
philkhor Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted August 16, 2008 Yes the light meter does work. I was perplexed by the opal diffuser but see now that it is used when measuring incident light (thanks for the link Ruben). As for the lenses and fungus - I'll have to wait & see what CRR find! I'm intigued by the "goggles" reference Lars. Can you elucidate? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted August 17, 2008 Share #7 Posted August 17, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Yes. Both the 35mm 3.5 Summaron, the 2.8 Summaron and the 2.0 Summicron were also manufactured with a 'Suchervorsatz' which is often referred to as 'goggles'—it puts lenses before both the finder and the rangefinder windows which decrease the finder magnification (or rather, 'increases the minification') so that the field of view of a 35mm lens fits inside the standard 50mm frame. The solution is workable but a bit clumsy. Most pros did prefer the plain, goggle-less lenses and used them with a 35mm finder in the accessory shoe. Your uncle clearly did the same. Wise man. One point to remember, and one that I have seldom heard mentioned, is that these early 35mm lenses do not bring up the 35mm finder frame on later cameras (M2 and later) that had 35mm frames (and the necessary, smaller 0.72x finder magnification to make space for them). The finder magnification of the M3 is 0.9x. A modern 35mm lens will bring up the 135mm frame on the M3, because 135 and 35mm lenses uses the same key position. On the meter: After all these years it is a minor miracle that it is still working, but do not expect it to working at full power. You may be able to crank up the film speed so that it hands out more or less correct f-stops, but only with slow films. This is why I would recommend a hand meter. Later MR mteters CAN be used with zinc-air Wein cells, but they are indexed for the modern shutter speed sequence (e.g. 30–60–125 instead of 25–50–100 as on your M3) so they are not more convenient than a hand meter. The old man from the Age of the M3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leitz_not_leica Posted August 17, 2008 Share #8 Posted August 17, 2008 M3 ~$500, probably needs a $300 CLA Assuming clean glass, no CLA required 21/4 ~$600, I bought one in LTM (no sign of grub screw marks) w/IWKOO hood for $1000 35/3.5 ~$250, I bought a 2.8 in LTM for $400 50/2 ~250, I bought and sold a black ver 3 for $300 90/4 ~$100-150, these go for low $$$ 21 and 35 finders ~$250 each Leica Super Angulon 21mm f4 Screw Mount - www.fotofixuk.co.uk Edit: Added link Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philkhor Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted August 21, 2008 many thanks guys Still waiting for the news on how bad (think positive - how well) the lenses are. Will keep you posted.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
huubl Posted August 22, 2008 Share #10 Posted August 22, 2008 Be careful mounting the lightmeter. Your M3 top plate still looks scratchless. If you mount/dismount the meter incorrectly it easily scratches the top plate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.