Leica M3 question for the experts

[Travis L.]

hehe no I think he did mean the film advance lever not the rewind knob because of how he incorrectly described it as being shorter/longer which is a characteristic of a lever, not a knob 🙂

so Roland was correct to correct 🙂

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Not talking about the rewind knob... Talking about the lever on the front of the camera that engages the rewind.

 

[Travis L.]

Sorry for the crap iPhone shot.

Camera on the bottom is a DS M3 802xxxx. Has a longer rewind arm.
Camera on top is a later SS M3 1073xxxx. has shorter rewind arm.

 

[gdi]

Wow. I think I have a prototype early M3 (see avatar) without those extra screws in the top plate. My DS 874XXX from 1957 still had the L seal and was bought from the original owner.
I suppose this rare beast was used as a testbed for the new top cover and other secret changes, and was probably presented as token of appreciation to a company executive or other dignitary.

Let the bidding begin, and let's keep it orderly please.

 

[Travis L.]

Wow. I think I have a prototype early M3 (see avatar) without those extra screws in the top plate. My DS 874XXX from 1957 still had the L seal and was bought from the original owner.
I suppose this rare beast was used as a testbed for the new top cover and other secret changes, and was probably presented as token of appreciation to a company executive or other dignitary.

Let the bidding begin, and let's keep it orderly please.

Ha, Yeah those screws went away pretty early on. My 802xxxx DS M3 doesn't have them.

BTW you should know if your camera was presented to a "company executive or other dignitary" since you bought it from the original owner.😀

 

[Travis L.]

travis: thanks for interpreting the terms and explaining what he meant. i thought all the talk was about a knob 🙂

No problem. That's why I'm here. 🙂

 

[BobYIL]

Stay away from that camera, they tried to overhaul it through mismatching parts. Follow the classified here, time to time there happen some fine M-bodies offered with very reasonable prices and it's always the better way to buy something from a member here. (You need to be patient though 🙂 )

 

[kshapero]

Here is an early M3 that I painted. You can see the single dot on the rewind knob, the buddha lugs, and old style shutter speeds, and the two screws. There are also two on the back of the top plate. The early M3s also have a separate eyepiece glass from the black eyepiece ring; later ones have the glass built-in to the ring.

what a beauty!!!