M3: DS or SS

[Ronald M]

just use your 6 as a ds for a while, even if you are in a hurry. It becomes a pain. Supposedly the ds is more robust, but mine all went bad and were replaced with new ss mechanisms. The conversion cost was pretty high, but well worth it.

Now you are left with the issues of old M3`s, but that is another thread.

 

[jaapv]

my m3 ds has a preview lever.

My 1954 M3 ss (!)(maybe factory-converted) has no preview lever..... Doesn't Leica make it complicated? 😉

 

[markinlondon]

I always use 2 strokes to wind my M6, so it wouldn't make a difference to me. I probably just have short thumbs 🙂

 

[Goodyear]

I was hanging around in a dealer waiting for some prints this afternoon, so I fondled a DS M3 that has been on his shelf for ages.

My conclusion: it's a good job there is absolutely no way I could afford it 😱

The double stroke on the wind felt really good to me, and immediately different enough that I could predict no trouble at all switching between it and my M2. The whole camera felt great, actually. Silky smooth, and a finder to die for. Now I understand.

Not cheap, though. GBP650 with NRC and Elmar 50/3.5, or GBP550 without the lens. Serial number 88xxxx. In what I would call pretty good user condition, but no collector would touch it I reckon. (Line of brightmarks on top plate, from the meter? Few-millimetre chip to the vulcanite bottom left corner of the camera. Lots of gunge around the windows, patch ever-so-slightly dim. Shutter sounded great, though.)

But to the OP: had I the money, I doubt I would hesitate.