M3 Arrived! So beautyfull...

[thafred]

Hi All!

Two weeks ago I was working in my Lab when I sat down looking at the Evil Site and found a unbelievable bargain! A nice looking M3 (1072***) with Leicameter MR and Collapsible Cron for 500 with buy it now tag!!. Strugling with myself (cuz I´m pretty broke) I decided to get it right away and sell it later...how foolish of myself thinking I can sell a Leica once I held it in my hands! 🙄

Last thursday I finaly got the package and I´m still soo impressed by it! The Camera looks like new with some little scratches on the bottom plate and some minor cleaning marks on top but everything else is fine (even the meter Works)!
coming from my Yashica GTN, upgrading to the Bessa R I thought it was a very nice well made Camera and it still is but the M3 is a whole different experience! (and I payed less than for the R and Nokton)

Now Ive put 6 rolls through it and I feel totaly comfy with my new rig. The shutter sound is much lower than the Bessa´s and I´m more encouraged to go and shoot candid street shots than I was before cuz no one notices that I take a picture (even when I´m just 1 Meter away. lol) I´ve posted two pics in the Contest gallery (maybe a little overeager to participate with the Pics of the first roll).
Also focusing works like nothing else! I´m so quick with focusing and shooting (pre metering the light and shooting away)..I love the 50 focal lenght so this is perfect!
...ok theres no way I would ever sell this camera..never!!

a few questions remain in my mind:
1st: The rangefinderspot is slightly dimmer than the Framelines...no problem for focusing thou....is this normal?
2nd: The Summicron has something shiny on the Aperture blades and to turn the Ap-ring you need a little force from time to time... (I guess it needs CLA)
3rd: A little chip of vulcanit came of while I was shooting for 3hours at -8°C (there the only drawback comes to my mind....this Camera gets Cooooold!! I barely couldnt hold it anymore with my gloves!!!)... how do you guys protect your Vulcanit?? Is there any way of maintaining the vulcanit (like rubbing it in Oil?) .. Also on the back film Door just above the ASA Dial the Vulcanit´s Glue gave up but the material itself seems fine...can I just glue it back on with super glue or something?..pretty anoying since I got the M with no damage to the vulcanit at all..I´m giving my Cameras a hard time I guess 🙄
4th: Any suggestions on using the Leicameter? I noticed that the readings for the Black and red range differ slightly in "in between" lighning situations...like Red scale tells me 1:2 at 1/60 and the black scale 1:2 at 1/125...any tipps?

Feeling that Leicaphilia 🙂

Greetings from Vienna
Fred

 

[taffer]

Man, that sounds like the deal of a lifetime ! Congrats !!! 🙂

I'm still waiting for my first M Leica to show in the mail so can't really help a lot, but I'm keeping this thread warm while it waits for some help from other members 😉

Oscar

 

[telenous]

Hi Fred,

Congrats on your purchase, it will give you many a great photo to be sure.

Just to say very quickly that in my M2 the rangefinder spot and the framelines appear to be similarly bright. However the brightness varies depending on the background, and it certainly appears that sometimes the framelines are a tad brighter. Of course you own the M3, which, if I am not wrong, has a more complicated (and better) rangefinder/viewfinder mechanism. But may be other, more experienced users will have more to say on this. As for the vulcanite, I wouldn't try to stick it with superglue, if not for any other reason but because it may make the full replacement of the vulcanite more difficult, should you want to do so.

 

[thafred]

Waiting for the M(ail) is like torture! I´m feeling with you Oscar!!!! on the other hand, you will have the first time experience in a short time...it will be very joyfull for you!!!

Btw what M did you buy?

Fred

 

[rover]

What a great find, congrats. (By the way, I am willing to take it off your hands allowing for a we profit since that was your intention in the first place 😉)

But seriously, she sounds normal, just in need of a CLA. All three items. It will cost a few hundred dollars, but the money will be well spent and add to the value of your kit.

 

[thafred]

As for the vulcanite, I wouldn't try to stick it with superglue, if not for any other reason but because it may make the full replacement of the vulcanite more difficult, should you want to do so.

Thats a thought! I was surfing Cameralether before and the cameras look gorgeous!! I thought I don´t want to mess up my camera with applying the leather but when it comes off all by itself......has anyone of you guys done the releathering by yourself? is it hard to do?

 

[taffer]

I debated with myself quite a bit to decide what I should jump on, I tested a M4 a while ago, and didn't like the fact that the 35 framelines where not showing alone (they do together with 90 or 135). With the M3 I knew in the long term I'd regret not having a finder more suitable for 35.

So it had to be the M2 🙂

 

[ChrisN]

Hi Fred

Congratulations on the M3 - sounds great!

For maintenance of the vulcanite, have a look at Andrew Nemeth's great article at http://www.nemeng.com/leica/032b.shtml .

 

[thafred]

What a great find, congrats. (By the way, I am willing to take it off your hands allowing for a we profit since that was your intention in the first place )

Thanks Rover! very kind, but that capitalistic intention has been sweeped away with gear love :angel:

I know that a CLA would be in order but my funds don´t allow it right now (and as it seems we have plenty of time to do this in the future)

With the M3 I knew in the long term I'd regret not having a finder more suitable for 35. So it had to be the M2

Nice! I allways liked the look of the M2 a little bit more (more modern as the windows dont have a frame around them) and for shooting 35 it´s perfect! I´m a 50ies Guy and for anything wider I´ll take my Bessa. Would I have just one body I´ll go for an M2 too!

 

[FrankS]

Congrats Fred!

I've recovered both my M3 and M2 cameras with leather from Aki Asahi in Japan. Very easy to do. Chip off vulcanite with penknife or sharpened bamboo chopstick. Leather kit comes pre-cut and pre-glued, so you just stick it on. There are pictures of my cameras in my gallery.

 

[thafred]

Thank you ChrisN, for the Link! Very good information there..

Thanks FrankS! And ...WoW your M3/M2 look good!! This is exactly the leather I was looking for and you did a spledid job on fitting those! gorgeous!!

Is Aki Ashai better than Cameraleather? I followed a thread some days ago with a lot of discussion about Cameraleathers sloppy response....any news on that?

Best regards
fred

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Fred, the viewfinder in the M3 tends to be a bit bluish. Blame it on design; the Leica engineers visualized it that way for some reason I forgot.

As for the leatherette... it's extremely easy to do. I recovered my M3 in some 45 minutes, so you should buy the leatherette from Cameraleather of Asahi (on eBay), and use the wet method to strip the vulcanite.

As for the meter... if you turn the button to the black dot, that will give you readings for daylight exposures. Turn the button to the red and use it only under low light, and for the shutterspeeds below 1/60. The aperture readings appear in red on the meter dial. Try not to switch the meter to the red button during daylight, as it blinds it temporarily.

These meters, by the way, work wonders with these cameras... but may be a bit old already. Mine is finally showing signs of use (perhaps I use it too much! 🙂 ), so I'm thinking of getting a CV meter later this year. In my meter, sometimes the needle goes down all the way and gets stuck there, and I have to unstick it with the battery check button. I sent it for repair once to a place in Hollywood CA, where they had revived it before, but I won't do it again because I think I'm causing this behavior. So be careful with your MR!

Enjoy your new toy! 🙂

 

[JoeFriday]

wow, what an awesome deal, Fred! I'm pretty sure I can speak for all of us when we demand to see photos of your new beauty

I replaced the vulcanite on my M3 a couple months ago with a kit that I got from Cameraleather.. the quality of the kit is very good, but I refuse to do business with them in the future do to a total lack of communication and a 6 week delivery time.. apparently Aki Asahi can provide the same product for about half the cost and you'll receive it within a week or two.. definitely contact him first

 

[taffer]

Eh Brett look what you did, you just killed another thread 😉

Nice! I allways liked the look of the M2 a little bit more (more modern as the windows dont have a frame around them) and for shooting 35 it´s perfect! I´m a 50ies Guy and for anything wider I´ll take my Bessa. Would I have just one body I´ll go for an M2 too!

In fact those ornament frames around the M3 windows have never been my cup of tea 🙂 and I pretty much prefer the cleaner simpler looks of later Ms.

Btw Chris, thanks for that link on Vulcanite care !

Oscar

 

[JoeFriday]

yeah.. I'm the original RFF Thread Killer

I agree that the M2 has cleaner lines.. but I prefer the frame counter window on the M3 much more than the rotating dial on the M2.. horses for courses, as they say

 

[taffer]

yeah.. I'm the original RFF Thread Killer

I agree that the M2 has cleaner lines.. but I prefer the frame counter window on the M3 much more than the rotating dial on the M2.. horses for courses, as they say

You and only you 😉

As for the frame counter, yep, in that point it's pretty clear the M2 was a cost-reduced version of the M3.

And it's true Fred, waiting is by far the worst part :bang:

 

[Ronald M]

A bit of rubber cement on a piece of paper slipped between the back and vulcanite will transfer the cemment there. Remove the paper and hold in place, the longer the better up to two weeks. Rubber cement comes off easily.

DAG sells recovering for the back door for $5.

Bee Natural Leather Care is what I use on vulcanite. One per week for 4 weeks. Once per month for 5 more. Then twice per year. McGuires rubber and vinyl #26 is good for cars and Leicas. Get from auto supply store or on line for either. I use what is handy. Let it sit overnite, then dry.

 

[John]

This M3 was recovered with leather before my ownership. The leather feels very nice. 🙂 🙂

 

[thafred]

Hello Brett
I´m glad to hear that the skin arrived finaly! After your experience I will go for Aki Asahi! It took some Time to get home from work and take Pictures of the Leica....crappy digital p&s ones. well....but no thread killing 🙂

Is the revind lever on the M2 the sameas on the M3? From M4 and up the thing is´t as nicely designed I think but I never held them in my hands!

Hi SolaresLarrave,
thanks for the info on the Leicameter! I will use it as long as it works(as long as I get a battery)

 

[thafred]

@ John, I can imagine that real leather feels better than the vulcanit!

@ Ronald M, I´ll try Bee Natural Leather Care as long as I´m not reskinning! (which might be a long time! depends on how much vulkanit will follow that two missing chips in the future.)

Thanks!
Fred