1958 Leica M3 Double Stroke and Elmar M 5cm f/2.8 Goodwill find of a lifetime.

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Mattco26

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I found this at a Goodwill, for the grand sum of $12.99. The lens had some pretty bad fungus in it, so I sent it out to get cleaned. They were able to clean the fungus but some of it had etched the glass. It's far from perfect but it's the only Leica M lens I own.

The camera itself is almost perfect, the viewfinder/rangefinder spot are super bright, the shutter is perfect, the speeds are all right on as close as I can tell. It still has the Leica L seal as well. It smells like encyclopedias. I don't think it was ever used much.

This is my second roll, the first wasn't great, my metering was all over the place, it was more of a test to see how the lens came out.

I shot most of these at f/8, I used a Sekonic Multi-Lumi L-248 in incident mode, I'm still new at using a handheld meter but I think I'm getting the hang of it.


I'll take some better photos of the camera soon, these were the day I got it. I've added a strap and metal lens shade.

IMGP6785 by MattCosta, on Flickr


IMGP6784 by MattCosta, on Flickr


IMGP6786 by MattCosta, on Flickr

These are pretty much straight from the Epson V500, just some minor crop and rotation fixes.


LeicaKodak400NW971 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW998 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW994 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW980 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW981 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW979 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW995 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW977 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW974 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW973 by MattCosta, on Flickr


LeicaKodak400NW970 by MattCosta, on Flickr



LeicaKodak400NW972 by MattCosta, on Flickr
 
Once spotted, did you feel like you couldn't grab it fast enough? And then clutched it tightly with both hands while giggling your way to the register?

I always get that feeling when I find some gem at goodwill.
 
raid said:
Congratulations. Now shoot many photos with your new set.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I intend to. I sold off most of my other film cameras since I got this. I kept just the ones I'm attached to and can't bear to part with. My girlfriend is happy since she gets to use my K10D now whenever we go shooting.
 
hamradio said:
Once spotted, did you feel like you couldn't grab it fast enough? And then clutched it tightly with both hands while giggling your way to the register?

I always get that feeling when I find some gem at goodwill.
Click to expand...

I saw the back of it from the other end of the aisle and basically jogged the distance. I grabbed it, did a triple take, cycled the shutter, looked at the lens and just held onto it. While looking around on the shelves in case there were more lenses or accessories I just kept saying in my head "its a Leica M3, its a Leica M3 holy cow I just found a Leica M3 for thirteen bucks"

Most of my cameras have come from Goodwill, I always get excited when I find something but this was different. On the way home I kept sticking my hand in the bag to check that it was still there.

Crazy part is I almost didn't stop, I was on the way home from work and tired, but something made me pull in.
 
Dayamm, and you're in Portland. Was going to post something about how Goodwills on the West Coast have never had that sort of thing when I've gone in one. Envy.

Anyhow, congrats on scoring the deal of the century!
 
n5jrn said:
Dayamm, and you're in Portland. Was going to post something about how Goodwills on the West Coast have never had that sort of thing when I've gone in one. Envy.

Anyhow, congrats on scoring the deal of the century!
Click to expand...

You just have to put in the time. There probably aren't many Leicas to be found but plenty of other great cameras. I've been stopping at Goodwills for a few years, I used to do it 2-3 times a week. The well is drying up though and Goodwill has figured out they can get more money for cameras on their auction site than in the store.
 
Mattco26 said:
I saw the back of it from the other end of the aisle and basically jogged the distance. I grabbed it, did a triple take, cycled the shutter, looked at the lens and just held onto it. While looking around on the shelves in case there were more lenses or accessories I just kept saying in my head "its a Leica M3, its a Leica M3 holy cow I just found a Leica M3 for thirteen bucks"

Most of my cameras have come from Goodwill, I always get excited when I find something but this was different. On the way home I kept sticking my hand in the bag to check that it was still there.

Crazy part is I almost didn't stop, I was on the way home from work and tired, but something made me pull in.
Click to expand...

Awesome.

Seems like repetition is very beneficial in finding stuff at thrift stores. I used to hit the goodwill I lived near 4-5 times per week...

😎

Also, one of my 'secrets' to finding cheaper gear is watching online auction sites that deal mostly with construction equipment and estate sales out in the sticks. Most people wont take the time to surf them, let alone drive an hour to view an item.
 
hamradio said:
Awesome.

Seems like repetition is very beneficial in finding stuff at thrift stores. I used to hit the goodwill I lived near 4-5 times per week...

😎
Click to expand...

Right, I have 5 of them within 10 miles of my house so I used to make it a point to stop on the way to the grocery store or dinner or just on the way home from work. It can become very addicting. In the past year I really tapered off, I have plenty of good cameras and I've sold more than I care to count. First time I went I was looking for a Stylus Epic and came home with a "broken" Nikon FE and 50mm f/1.8 for $14.99. My expert repair consisted of two batteries.
 
Evidently the Seattle Goodwills figured this out a while ago. I've been told that several (more than 4?) years ago people commonly found great gear at local Goodwills.

Back when I checked their auction site I saw items all the time listed as 'from Seattle' but haven't anything better than a Stylus Epic at the Goodwills here.
 
Seems like the dirtier grungier goodwills (ie, the ones that sell partial bottles of shampoo, broken open cases of Depends, condoms, etc) have better stuff. The nicer cleaner stores post their stuff up for auction or put it in the display case.
 
Great find, the best deal I have heard of on an M3.

We all don't want to rave too much, there could be a Goodwill manager lurking here on RFF. They might grab all the Leica gear before it make the shelves. LOL

Enjoy your new camera, so happy for you.
 
Best I've done was a Yashica YF with a Canon 50/1.8 (Black barrel). Had to clean the lens out, and the camera had some major issues that will have to be addressed with a complete overhaul (for one, someone tried to put a finger through the shutter). And I paid what you would have if the decimal point had been moved. But I feel like it's worth it.

It's just amazing that the store didn't put that on the auction site, as I know a lot of stuff comes out of Portland. So, congratulations on your new camera. Many happy rolls!

PF
 
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