[Leica] Just got my first Leica (M3)

["Martin V. Howard" <marho@ida.liu.se>]

Dear LUGgers,

I got my first Leica camera today: An M3 in superb condition.  It's a late
model, serial no. 1077xxx, manufactured in 1963 according to the Leica
Pocket Book.  I bought it with a 50mm f2.8 Elmar, also in suberb 
condition.  According to the previous owner, it had been sitting in a bank
vault for the past 15 odd years.  I beleive him: It has a few, tiny marks
around the accessory shoe and the shine indicates that the camera has been
held and used (not quite the sparkle of new equipment), but other than
that, it looks as though it was made last week, not 35 years ago! ;)

The camera came in its original box, as did the lens.  Included with the
two were also a brown leather ever-ready case.  It even had the two white,
plastic covers for the sync terminals in place!

I haven't owned a camera at all for the past four years, and the Leica is
my first manual camera and first camera without a built in meter.  I used
to have a Konica Hexar, so I'm not new to rangefinders.

I remember reading about Leica cameras first about ten years ago.  At the
time, I couldn't see the fuss about cameras with no meters, which where
not SLRs.  I guess I've grown up a bit since then... ;-)

I'm now looking forward to learning to see pictures again, getting used
to using the Leica and trying not to go potty with pleasure every time I
touch it or operate the silky smooth controls!  I promise, when I get
some descent B&W pictures, I'll stick them on a web site and give you the
URL, and we can start another flame war on photography ;-)

Anyway, I thought I'd just give you all a great big THANKS for sharing
information, ideas and advice on Leica cameras.  I don't think that I
could have got quite such a good example without you guys.

If Leica IS listening, then here is one person who couldn't care less if
they bring out an M7, M8 or even M9 next week.  I couldn't be happier than
with a 35 year old camera with no meter, no 1/8000s max speed, no elec-
tronic shutter, no autofocus, no winder and fiddly film loading.

Just, thanks, for making such a wonderful piece of equipment.


Regards,

M.

- -- 
Martin V. Howard, Application Systems Laboratory,     | 
Dept. of Comp. & Info. Sci., Linkoping University,    | Just DOHH it!
SE-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden.  Tel +46 13 282 421,     +----------------+
Fax +46 13 142 231; marho@ida.liu.se; www.ida.liu.se/~marho