M3 with Hex 50

[daveywaugh]

I received my first Leica M today - a late model M3 and I am very happy ;-) It's a real user, but the dealer said it had been serviced recently so hopefully all is good mechanically.

Just a couple of things please... firstly my Hexanon 50 doesn't seem to move the RF patch until about 0.9m. On my R3A it moved the patch from 0.7 onward. Does this mean my minimum focus on the M3 is further away? I thought newer M3's could focus from 0.7? Or is there some incompatibility with the Konica lenses?

Secondly, there is a little bit of the RF patch 'eaten away'. I assume this is a bit of separation... I was told by the dealer that the RF patch was perfect. Is this a cause for alarm, or should I chill out and not worry about it? It's affecting about say 10% on the bottom left corner.

Thanks for your help.

 

[sanmich]

The RF patch is not perfect and since it's an M3 there are good chances that it's not something a cleaning would solve (and 10% is quite a lot)
As far as I remember, no M3 was focusing to 0.7m right out of the factory, but most could be adapted. Yours was probably not.
What is its serial number?

 

[daveywaugh]

Thanks for the info. I don't have the camera here right now, but the serial is somewhere around 1100000. Will try and source a good Leica tech to adjust focus. I assume my focussing beyond 1m would OK for now though?

Thanks.

 

[daveywaugh]

Actually I just found the instructions to do it myself... I might give it a go ;-) Seems fairly straight-forward. Thank you.