M3 or MP

[badpets]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

thanks again for tips and info. does noctilux 50mm F1 work well with M3?

sorry i could find it out myself, but i thought it would be quicker and get more accurate answers here.

[thomasw_]

thanks again for tips and info. does noctilux 50mm F1 work well with M3?

sorry i could find it out myself, but i thought it would be quicker and get more accurate answers here.

 

Yes. A rf focus is more accurate when its effective base length is higher, and this is determined in part by the magnification of the finder. So with 50mm and longer lenses, a .85x or .91x magnification will be the best for focussing a faster 50mm lens. I have used quite a few Ms, and I have not found a better VF for the 50 focal length than the M3s.

[NZDavid]

You may like to check out Andrew Nemeth's excellent comparison between M3 and MP at Leica FAQ - Leica MP vs M3 - user differences.

 

The MP looks excellent but, to go along with others, a superb fully-serviced mint M3 shouldn't be more than about $1,800.

 

But whatever Leica M you get, you are certain to enjoy it. The next dangerous step is choosing which lenses to get.

[Guest lykoudos]

I have five years, with the MP photographed and draw in comparison to the MP before M3. Just because of the larger viewfinder image. Technically, I think the MP a blend M3. And on the metering of the MP, I was able to forgo. I appreciate the exposure measurement with the "Gossen" more.

 

Gruß

Wolfgang

 

M8.2, M3, Summilux 1,4/50, Zeiss Biogon 2,8/28

Hasselblad 503cx, Zeiss Distagion 2,8/80

[ErikFive]

There is a new in box Black CHrome M4 in the classifieds at rangefinderforum for 2500$. I would never ever pay 2700$ for a M3 even if it was new in the box... You should be able to get a mint M3 for 1200$. You can also get a MP for 2500$. There was a MP that went on ebay for 2000$ some days ago. It was relisted after it wasnt bought for 2400$. I bought a M3 as a christmas present for a friend some weeks ago and it was 320$. It was of course a user, but didnt need a Cla. Igorcamera has these two M3´s

 

Leica M3 #836673, chrome, body cap, just CLA, MINT- $945.

 

Leica M3 #703280, chrome, made in 1954, body cap, just CLA, EX++ $770.

 

Keh has a M3 Ex+ for 1079$ and a MP LN- for 2899$

[badpets]

every time i want something new with leica, i realized i know so little. now the question comes what lenses can be accepted by MP .72. i have 24mm, 35mm, 50mm & 75mm lenses. M3 no way can accept all my lenses.

[badpets]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

mint M3 for USD1200 ? where can you find it? USD 320 M3 cannot be found in tokyo. i just saw a quite perfect one and it is USD 2900. i have to after comparing MP and M3 in the store, shutter of M3 is amazingly gentle and quite. now it makes it harder for me to decide. man!

 

There is a new in box Black CHrome M4 in the classifieds at rangefinderforum for 2500$. I would never ever pay 2700$ for a M3 even if it was new in the box... You should be able to get a mint M3 for 1200$. You can also get a MP for 2500$. There was a MP that went on ebay for 2000$ some days ago. It was relisted after it wasnt bought for 2400$. I bought a M3 as a christmas present for a friend some weeks ago and it was 320$. It was of course a user, but didnt need a Cla. Igorcamera has these two M3´s

 

Leica M3 #836673, chrome, body cap, just CLA, MINT- $945.

 

Leica M3 #703280, chrome, made in 1954, body cap, just CLA, EX++ $770.

 

Keh has a M3 Ex+ for 1079$ and a MP LN- for 2899$

[abrewer]

Do you want a camera that will last for fifty years?

 

Or one that already has?

[ErikFive]

mint M3 for USD1200 ? where can you find it? USD 320 M3 cannot be found in tokyo. i just saw a quite perfect one and it is USD 2900. i have to after comparing MP and M3 in the store, shutter of M3 is amazingly gentle and quite. now it makes it harder for me to decide. man!

 

Do you have to buy it in Tokyo?

 

This looks pretty mint and its 1350$ on ebay. It also has a 1 000 000 serial that fetches a higher premium.

 

Chrome Leica M3, SN#10703##, close to mint, rare - eBay (item 200294286736 end time Jan-31-09 21:15:25 PST)

 

None of the M´s will have 24 framelines. You have to get a CV r4a if you dont want to use external viewfinder. The rest will work well on a .72...

[ErikFive]

If you want something special you could of course buy my Black Paint .58 M7 with Mp finder for 2500$ Its also CLa´d by Gerry Smith.

 

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!

[badpets]

very interesting questions, also kinda deep actually.

i just talked to an used leica dealer this evening and he said MP is new but you don't know how it will worth after 50 years or maybe its price will drop like M6 in a few years. but with M3, it already has lasted 50 years and it's something like gold as it gets rarer and rarer.

so the question becomes if i really want to get a M3 like collecting an antique. MP definitely will be practical, but something still holding me from buying it .

 

anyway, of these two options, which one seems like a good deal to you personally?

 

Do you want a camera that will last for fifty years?

 

Or one that already has?

[badpets]

appreciated your offer. but i'm a chrome person.

i also checked the ebay link. pix cant really tell the true condition. like i saw a really "beautiful" M3 on display window, but when i requested to take a look on it on the counter, it looked quite bad actually...

i currently stay in tokyo and i have to buy it here i think

 

If you want something special you could of course buy my Black Paint .58 M7 with Mp finder for 2500$ Its also CLa´d by Gerry Smith.

 

[ATTACH]120904[/ATTACH]

[earleygallery]

anyway, of these two options, which one seems like a good deal to you personally?

 

which two?

[badpets]

abrewer said

 

"Do you want a camera that will last for fifty years?

 

Or one that already has?"

 

which two?

[Guest darkstar2004]

Buy the MP. Chances are you're coming from something far more automated. Cut yourself a break and get a body with a built-in-meter. That'll be the unloved M5, M6, MP or M7 (meter and Aperture Priority).

 

At $3300US the new MP is a very good deal. At $2700US the used M3 is outrageously overpriced, IMHO.

 

The MP will be under warranty for 3 years (or is it 5?) whereas the M3 will not. The MP has a comprehensive set of viewfinder bright lines (28, 35, 50, 75, 90 & 135) where the M3 has only 35, 50 & 90 bright lines. Besides the price, that would be the deciding factor for me.

 

When you buy a used M3, you have no way of knowing if it needs repairs or not until its too late, as in months down the road. It should proboaly have a CLA right off the bat, which is $375US (price quoted for CLA on an MP from Leica repair dept. in New Jersey, USA).

 

I'm not saying I would never buy used - I have more used cameras & lenses than ones I bought new. In this case, considering the prices, bright lines & warranty, I'd go for the new MP. JMHO.

 

From the link in post #23 above:

Conclusion

 

From a user perspective, the MP is a Leica which matches the old M3 in quality and operational smoothness. In same ways, it's about the same, but the MP also has the advantage of having a serviceable rangefinder, a faster loading claw, a modern sync, a ready to mount a motor, Leicavit or Rapidwinder, a hotshoe and of course, has a built-in meter. Clearly, for users, with the Leica MP you can have the quality of the old school Leicas with the added functional features from later models.

[ErikFive]

Well its worse than that. The M3 has the 50, 90 and 135 framelines...

 

 

At $3300US the new MP is a very good deal. At $2700US the used M3 is outrageously overpriced, IMHO.

 

The MP will be under warranty for 3 years (or is it 5?) whereas the M3 will not. The MP has a comprehensive set of viewfinder bright lines (28, 35, 50, 75, 90 & 135) where the M3 has only 35, 50 & 90 bright lines. Besides the price, that would be the deciding factor for me.

 

When you buy a used M3, you have no way of knowing if it needs repairs or not until its too late, as in months down the road. It should proboaly have a CLA right off the bat, which is $375US (price quoted for CLA on an MP from Leica repair dept. in New Jersey, USA).

 

I'm not saying I would never buy used - I have more used cameras & lenses than ones I bought new. In this case, considering the prices, bright lines & warranty, I'd go for the new MP. JMHO.

 

From the link in post #23 above:

[badpets]

thank you, darkstar2004 for laying out the facts. true that MP will be good investment.

but frankly, the look/feel of M3 was what originally inspired me to want a film body and while i researched for it, MP came in to intervene my decision. honestly, i still think about M3 after being educated about MP being better in so many ways practically here. i start to have a feeling that i may buy a cheap M3 just for the play first.

 

let say, put aside the MP, what do you like about M3 ? what is its key attraction about M3 for you guys personally?

[badpets]

if i buy M3, i would be using my noctilux 50mm f1 and elmar 50mm and that's quite good. note that 50mm would look like 35mm on M8. so that's wide enough for me.

 

btw, erikfive, your photography has very playful and positive energy, very interesting.

 

Well its worse than that. The M3 has the 50, 90 and 135 framelines...

[KM-25]

let say, put aside the MP, what do you like about M3 ? what is its key attraction about M3 for you guys personally?

 

What do I like about the M3?

 

Lets see...

 

1. The M3 like a few other M's, M2 and M4 I believe, do not have a built in meter, so the shutter release goes straight to activation thus it is really easy to tune them for an ultra smooth release.

 

2. The M3 pairs up brilliantly with a 50, my longest Leica lens. It has just enough room around the bright lines to be spatial and yet it is not overly roomy like a .72. I don't mind shooting a 50 with a .72, I just like it much better with the M3's .92 mag. Focusing a fast 50 like a summilux or a noctilux on the M3 is as good as it gets, AF has nothing on it.

 

3. There were well over 200,000 of them made over the span of a long time, so there are plenty of them around in all kinds of conditions, lots of spare parts in effect. There are also a number of technicians who do great work on them.

 

4. I like having the self timer for when I don't have a cable release handy, it gets your hand off the shutter for long exposures.

 

5. It is legendary for a reason, To quote Anthony Lane of the New Yorker:

 

"Martine Franck is still cool: “I think I know my light by now,” she told me. She continues to use her M3: “I’ve never held a camera so beautiful. It fits the hand so well.” Even for people who know nothing of Cartier-Bresson, and for whom 1954 is as long ago as Pompeii, something about the M3 clicks into place: last year, when eBay and Stuff magazine, in the U.K., took it upon themselves to nominate “the top gadget of all time,” the Game Boy came fifth, the Sony Walkman third, and the iPod second. First place went to an old camera that doesn’t even need a battery. If the Queen subscribes to Stuff, she will have nodded in approval, having owned an M3 since 1958. Her Majesty is so wedded to her Leica that she was once shown on a postage stamp holding it at the ready."

 

6. When I am photographing people in a non-stealth manner, a chrome M3 puts them at ease I find. It is stunningly beautiful in it's retro look, it looks gentle, honest, worldly. It creates dialogue that is non-confrontational. When I held it up to photograph Jack Nicholson last week while he was out and about, he marveled at it which is less than I can say for the paparazzi he had left around the corner.

 

Sure, the M3 may have been around for over 50 years, but it is a camera that if cared for and prepared for use correctly, will easily be around for another 50 more. I think it is a camera that every Leica fan should try.

 

My two are in this team photo, the chrome on the bottom, the black on the top center. I paid $575 for my chrome one on ebay late one night. The seller was not a photo guy, but a estate liquidator. He said the camera worked well it would seem, but was dirty. I got it and cleaned it up, had a CLA done, put new leatherette on and it is near mint.

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!

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[ErikFive]

Thanks. The M3 would be bad ass with your Nocti since it has the .91 finder, but not at 2700$. That is way to much more than you should use on one unless its black. Of course if you have the money laying around and you want it, buy it. Its your money and you can do whatever you want with them If I were you though I would wait for a M3 thats half the price and rather use the rest of the money on a M2 or M4 so you have more framelines for your other lenses.