M3 with 50 and 35 summicrons.. what would you pay?

JoeFriday

JoeFriday

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I found a decent M3 in a camera shop today... serial number somewhere in the 847xxx range.. double stroke.. including a 50mm Summicron.. everything seems to work smoothly on it, but the finder won't focus to infinity and the lens is either really dirty or hazy.. I didn't get to check that out very well

the same shop also has a 35mm Summicron that seems to be in good condition

the M3/50 'cron is marked $899 and the 35mm 'cron is $299.. obviously the M3 would need a CLA, but I think it would be a great user after that

I'm no expert on Leica pricing.. is this reasonable... or what would you guys pay?
 
...hey I think I would snap up the 35mm Summicron if I was you...that sounds like a very good price if its in decent condition.... as for the M3 I'm not too sure, sounds like it will need a CLA (what about $200? extra) maybe if you could get the shop to drop $200 off it...

BUT buy that 35mm Summicorn lens if its a good one...

AKALAI
 
dang.. I really don't know.. I guess I didn't look at it as closely as I thought I had.. it included the 'eyes', and was all silver.. but that's all I remember now
 
the older 35 summicron with eyes (8 element) go for 800 +++, if it's a 35/2.8 summaron it is also a very sharp lens and goes for 275-375. I would snatch the M3 and 50 'cron up quick (that equals 450 for the M3 and 450 for the 50 summicron and you won't beat that anywhere!). Is the camera in good shape? Don't sweat the small stuff, just run through the shutter speeds-compare them to another camera on the shelf, look through the rangefinder with the 50 mounted- bright and contrasty, aligned vertically, do the images "pop" toether at focus? Will it rewind? If the answer t these ques. is yes then you have a good deal in front of you!
If the 35 is a summicron it is a steal, if a summaron 2.8 then it is a fair price. Good Luck!

Todd
 
If the 35mm lens is an f2, then it's a Summicron - buy it! If it's an f2.8 or 3.5 then it's a Summaron. Buy it if it's the f2.8. Try to work out a package deal on the camera with 2 lenses. You should be able to get at least $100 off. Figure on spending some more money on a CLA. It sounds like a very good deal.
 
I'm pretty sure the 35mm is a 2.8 so that would make it a Summaron, I guess

the M3 and 50mm Summicron have been in that store for at least 6 months.. I doubt it'll be going anywhere in the near future.. the store really pushes SLR equipment, and the used stuff is relegated to a display case with stuff blocking the view of half of it

but I have to speak to the manager about cutting a deal.. apparently he's a Leica enthusiast and that was from his personal collection.. it's possible he'll cut me a deal... or even have some other Leica gear I'd be interested in.. time will tell

but thanks for the advice.. I'll have to remember to pay closer attention to the details from now on
 
Joe, I just played with a Leica in pristine shape, going in a store in Chicago for $795.

Now... if this one is a double-stroke, check the shutterspeeds and the numbers: there's a number of Leica bodies with old-style shutterspeeds (1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/50, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and 1/1000), and others with the newer kind (that goes in the usual sequence including 1/60 between 1/50 and 1/125). I personally would go for the latter, because most meters show shutterspeeds and EV with these shutterspeeds.

See to lower the price. Just enough for a CLA. There's an excellent person in your neck of the woods: Don A. Goldberg, in Oregon WI. But then, you can always send it to Essex Camera, Brian's favorite!
 
I am with Frank and Todd, those prices seem pretty good (fair). It is a good thing in my eyes that this is the store owner's equipment. He may have a connection to it and may not deal too much on it, but he has knowledge of the camera and lenses that he wouldn't have it they were in the shop on consignment. If you are looking for an M3, this may be a very good user to aquire.
 
ironically, the camera store is within 20 miles of Don Goldberg in Oregon, WI.. I'd probably buy it and drop it off with him immediately
 
I'll have to call the shop sometime during the week and talk to the manager directly.. the place is a 2 hour drive, so it might be a week or two before I work out the details.. but you can be sure I'll let you all know if/when I do it
 
but the finder won't focus to infinity and the lens is either really dirty or hazy

What version of the 50 is it? I'd look at the lens closely. The older collapsible cron has a very soft coating, and even a CLA might not restore it. With DAG, figure $250-300 to CLA the body the alone.

If it is a collapsible in the condition you describe, I would not pay $300 for it. That makes the M3 $600 + $300 CLA = $900. That's a lot for a DS M3.
 
the 50mm summicron is definitely not collapsible.. that much I remember for sure.. but I'm still wondering about the condition of it.. there's a slight amount of brassing on it, which doesn't bother me, but I couldn't tell what condition the glass was in.. I'll have to make another trip to the camera shop when the manager is there, I suppose

thanks for the price guide, ray!
 
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