Question on the M3

[Mudman]

I wish I could afford both, I'm currently paying all of my bills with my camera, so can't afford to splurge to heavily. One body, one body only of the two listed above, neither is getting a CLA or a new skin in the foreseeable future if I bought it. Probably three - four rolls of film per week (digital SLR work gets the brunt of my shooting for work, film is more for pleasure).

 

[FrankS]

The only thing that would bug me about the early M3 is the old-style shutter speeds.

 

[tom_uk]

The only thing that would bug me about the early M3 is the old-style shutter speeds.

I thought all M3s had 'international' shutter speeds, i.e. the same ones as we use today? The IIIf changed in 1952, I believe.

 

[FrankS]

http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/Leica/Leica-M3/1954-60/index.htm

B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000

It's not a big deal, but each time one sets the speed to a "non-standard" speed there would be a little hiccup where the brain says to itself, "1/50 is just like 1/60, get over it."

My early 50 Elmar f3.5 and Summar have those non-standard f-stops. Same thing.

 

[johannielscom]

http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/Leica/Leica-M3/1954-60/index.htm

B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000

It's not a big deal, but each time one sets the speed to a "non-standard" speed there would be a little hiccup where the brain says to itself, "1/50 is just like 1/60, get over it."

My early 50 Elmar f3.5 and Summar have those non-standard f-stops. Same thing.

You'll get used to that quick enough. I solved the (perceived) problem by getting an old Sekonic Clip-on meter with the same scale.

I'd get the M2, since it has the 35mm framelines, and I think the original vulcanite is nothing to be too enthusiastic about.

I covered one of my M3s with Cameraleather.coms Grip-Tac and its looking almost identical, but sticks to the hand like glue now. Far better grip. The Grip-Tac wil set you back some 30 bucks. You'll have a better gripping camera for less than the M3, with the ability to mount the true reporters 35mm lenses without additional finder.

Never thought I'd write this, fortunalety my M3s aren't looking at the monitor now...

 

[januaryman]

OP, it sounds to me as though you'd be better served by a M2 with its 35-50-90 framelines. If you are only going to buy one M, and you want to shoot both 35 and 50 lenses, then the M2 is more versatile than the M3.

Exactly what I was going to suggest! Mark me down as voting "M2"

PS- after seeing the photos of the proposed purchases, I still like the M2 - get new vulcanite from Cameraleather as others have suggested.