Any Leica historians?

[barbardoyle]

Hi All, many years back I had the pleasure of being friends with an old soul from Germany called Peter who had worked assembling Leicas before he moved here to Ireland.
Before he died, he gifted me a lovely double stroke Leica m3 which had been his personal camera for a good 50 years. Amazingly, the camera still works absolutely flawlessly (I use it all the time).
Peter, mentioned to me that the batch from which this camera came was, in his opinion the highest quality that Leitz had ever produced and he claimed that in all subsequent batches, Leitz, had started to cut costs on producing the M3.
I never did ask him what particular way the company had ‘cut costs’ before he died. I was wondering if anyone familiar with Leica history would know? I am aware that there were outward changes made over the years but I can’t find any difference between my camera from 1957 and batches made directly afterwards. Would anyone know?

 

[raydm6]

Can you share the 1st three digits of the Serial No.?

 

[barbardoyle]

Hi, yes mine is 883. The internet tells me that this is from 1957 but there doesn’t seem to be any information about if and what Leica did to economise after. I’m aware that they were constantly updating the production methods and materials. It sure does say something that it’s still working like a dream over 60 years later though.

 

[xayraa33]

I own a 1957 Leica M3, bought it in Munich in 1977 and also own an M3 from 1962...there is not much difference in quality or features for that matter, just two stroke wind and Buddha ears style for the neck strap lugs on the 57 vs the 62 and slightly longer rewind clutch lever on the 57...I actually prefer the two stroke film wind but that is about it...both came with the modern shutter speed sequence from the factory. Both are solid high quality cameras that never been equalled in build.

The 57 has a nicer VF but that could be just between my two cameras vis a vis internal reflections and deterioration and balsam separation on a more pro used camera.

The very early M3s would have been noticeably different, two stroke, old shutter speed sequence, no frame line lever on the earliest and top plate screws, different film rewind knob with weaker centre shaft and 1 dot rotation indicator, cold shoe had a different stop post, glass pressure plate and that hinged back door that seemed to have locking snaps when closed when I examined a very early M3 many many years ago.

And maybe the shaft of the film advance sprocket gear was a bit thinner when viewed when the camera was opened up to load film.

 

[splitimageview]

Speaking only of the M3 production run, I'm sure there were very minor improvements but comparing an early M3 to a late M3, the overall build quality is essentially identical. I would say this continued through the M4 production.

Some claim that an M3 over serial number 1 million is somehow superior to other M3s, but I've never found that to be the case. Differences were more due to how the cameras were used or abused during their lifetimes, not due to their initial date of birth.

DAG would be the ultimate source for this question, I've certainly not worked on anywhere near as many bodies as he has. 🙂