nobbylon
Veteran
It's ok! I found this,
Origin: 1942
How did we win the war? Well, we had the right gizmo when we needed it. The term is an honorable American invention, like doodad (1877) and doohickey (1914), the latter a Navy word that helped us win World War I. A couple of decades later, when we had to make the world safe for democracy all over again, we added to our arsenal both whatchamacallit (1942) and the modern gizmo.
Nobody knows where gizmo came from, but we think the Marines told it to us. The evidence is from two articles, both published in November 1942. Leatherneck magazine explained, "When you need a word for something in a hurry and can't think of one, it's a gizmo." And Yank that month agreed: "Leathernecks...even have a name for a whatsis. They call it a 'gizmo.'" Gizmo survived the transition to civilian life and has become an indispensable verbal tool of modern technological civilization.
Origin: 1942
How did we win the war? Well, we had the right gizmo when we needed it. The term is an honorable American invention, like doodad (1877) and doohickey (1914), the latter a Navy word that helped us win World War I. A couple of decades later, when we had to make the world safe for democracy all over again, we added to our arsenal both whatchamacallit (1942) and the modern gizmo.
Nobody knows where gizmo came from, but we think the Marines told it to us. The evidence is from two articles, both published in November 1942. Leatherneck magazine explained, "When you need a word for something in a hurry and can't think of one, it's a gizmo." And Yank that month agreed: "Leathernecks...even have a name for a whatsis. They call it a 'gizmo.'" Gizmo survived the transition to civilian life and has become an indispensable verbal tool of modern technological civilization.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
I don't think of a camera as a gadget. It's too big and single purpose.
A swiss army knife is a gadget. It has the capability to do many different jobs and is small.
An M3 I think, as far as Stuff's readership or more likely editorial staff, is an 'object of desire'. They probably had a morning brainstorm over coffee and among them was a Leica fanboy!
On a different tack, what's the difference between a gadget and a gizmo?
Give in, what is the difference?
I always like the German word Geraet (sorry, forgotten how to do umlauts on this keyboard).
Cheers,
R.
Neare
Well-known
On a different tack, what's the difference between a gadget and a gizmo?
James Bond uses Gadgets
Batman uses Gizmo's
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
And the winner is ... the 'Inspector' of course!

nobbylon
Veteran
A perfect description!
No doubt, James Bond has an M3.
nobbylon
Veteran
No doubt, James Bond has an M3.
Nope, Nikonos. Definately a gadget as it can not only take pictures but also go under water and of course, by pressing the DOF lever, shoot someone!
nobbylon
Veteran
No doubt, James Bond has an M3.
my apologies Rover, he did. I just found this,
In the novel Goldfinger, James Bond uses a Leica M3 to capture the cheating methods of Auric Goldfinger. In the words of Ian Fleming, James Bond "(...) went to his suitcase and extracted an M3 Leica, an MC exposure meter, a K2 filter and a flash holder." (Ian Fleming,Goldfinger, Signet Books, 1959, chapter four, page 29).
Sparrow
Veteran
... so it's the idle for fictional photography? whereas in the real world, obviously, an M2 is the way to go
Film dino
David Chong
The Joker has this line in Batman (1989)
"Where does he get those wonderful toys?
"Where does he get those wonderful toys?
The sailor picture was taken almost 10 years before the M3 was invented, but I agree with your point.
The M3 can be used as a Time Machine by spinning the ASA reminder dial really, really fast.
And... Chuck Norris uses the M3 as a Point and Shoot. Every picture he takes is in perfect focus no matter what the lens is set to.
I think the vacuum cleaner rates higher ... it was mainly responsible for the demise of the disease carrying human flea!
I read that somewhere!
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I'm willing to bet that the Vacuum Cleaner, no matter how useful it is, is "under-appreciated" as a gadget.
Especially among cats.
Film dino
David Chong
No doubt, James Bond has an M3.
Don't blame Bond, blame "M".. or was it "Q"?
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dave lackey
Veteran
Vacuum cleaner? No, it sucks.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Vacuum cleaner? No, it sucks.
Dear Dave,
Believe it or not, there was a (predictably short lived) advertising campaign in the UK, "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."
Cheers,
R.
M3 is the greatest? Undoubtedly a great gadget; the round sticker on the front of mine is blue and white and is called a "roundel".
kknox
kknox
How muck does a CLA cost on the M3 with the "roundel"? Bet its more that $200.00. LOL
kknox
kknox
Both Built in Germany. I wonder if they contacted Leica before they used the name M3?
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The Voigtlander R3* lacks slightly on rangefinder base length but it has a very bright 1:1 finder, a shutter you can't burn a hole in, an extra stop of shutter speed and will help keep Cosina in business if you buy one.
Forget the M3!

Forget the M3!
dave lackey
Veteran
Dear Dave,
Believe it or not, there was a (predictably short lived) advertising campaign in the UK, "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."
Cheers,
R.
Ha!
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