Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M3, R4 modification Q's
From: Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu>
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 04:10:33 -0500

Jeff S jotted down the following:

> Starting with a clean chrome single-stroke M3, serial number 1M+ :
> 
> -Change to M4-type film loading (DAG, Reinhold Mueller or..? And do I
> get to reuse the existing baseplate?) I wanted to try the rapid film
> load kit first, but haven't been able to get ahold of one on eBay or
> anywhere else lately.
> -Change flash synch sockets to modern types
> -Change to M6-type eyepiece
> -Swap clean, clear M3 RF assembly for modern 0.85 RF assembly for the
> 35mm framelines (who does this?)
> -Olive or black enamel paint (Shintaro, I know about, but has anyone
> seen the work of a Mr. Ye? (wye7 on eBay)

Yikes!  It'd be cheaper to build the thing from scratch!  Figure on about:

  * $900 for clean M3 #1M+
  * $400 for M4 loading spool (if I recall correctly: big job on M3)
  * $200 for motor-drive coupling installation (if I recall correctly)
  * $50 for eyepiece (guess)
  * $50 for flash sync sockets (guess)
  * $300 for frameline assembly swap (conservative guess: if at
         all possible)
  * $400 for paint job (Shintaro's price, AFAIK)

Total: $2300.  You can pick up a M6x.85 non-TTL model for that price.  Even
if you have the M3 already, you're looking at $1400 worth of work, assuming
that you get the .85 RF assembly in exchange for the M3 one.  Why not just
sell the M3 and buy an M6.x85, TTL or otherwise?


M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     |
Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       |     It is essentially contestable.
email: howard.390@osu.edu         |
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------