[Leica] Re: M3 Double Stroke

["Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>]

Nice report on the sweet M3, Gil, and very timely for me. Last week, I
finally shot a roll of Tri-X on a DS M3, which I bought almost a year ago
from a retired airline pilot - retired when he was flying Constellations and
who is now 95 years old. He had gone to a Leica shop in Berlin while
visiting a fellow pilot at Tempelhof in 1954. A brand new M3 was in the
window, so he went in to buy one. Unfortunately, they only had the one demo,
so he ordered a thread-mount Leica instead. A couple days later back at the
shop to pick up his new Leica, another salesman showed him a freshly arrived
M3, so he was able to get the brand new model after all. The serial number
is 700721. Since the M3 started with 700000, this was probably in Wetzlar's
very first batch of production bodies, certainly within the first month of
manufacture.

Two things were obvious within the first minute of handling it - the bayonet
mount was the smoothest I have ever felt, very different in quality from any
other Leica I have seen. Also, the shutter is much quieter than any other M
camera. Plus, there is an unmistable "heft" to this early doublestroke that
I unique. It definitely has that hand-built craftsmanship you mentioned,
Gil.

The previous owner always kept it in an ever-ready leather case, so it is in
pristine condition. The only thing keeping it from being almost mint are
some slight top-plate bright marks where the Leica Meter M (selenium) slid
on. And the meter still works!

The lens has to be one of Leica's earliest bayonet mounts, too - Summicron
50/2 SN 1117231, which puts it into 1953 production numbers. Sure is one
special camera. Lord willing, I think I'll keep it to celebrate its 50th
birthday in just a couple of years!

Regards,
Gary Todoroff
Tree LUGger
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Gil <dtt2150@yahoo.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 4:20 PM
Subject: M3 Double Stroke


> During the last recession in the US, I had to sell my
> double stroke M3 and other various pieces.  Fast
> forward to the future.  I re-stocked with Canon, hated
> the point and shoot feel.  Then moved back to manual
> focus Nikon's.  But I still wanted my Leicas, so I
> also started to buy back my Leica M equipment.  I was
> on such good footing that I bought a string of M6's
> and M4-P's.  But I never could justify buying a mint
> M3 DS.
>
> Over a year ago I bought a M2 and thought it was a
> great camera as a back up to the M6's, but wow the
> price was a killer.  I bought it over the M3 because
> of the wide angle viewfinder and a bit of nostalgia
> plus the higher prices I've seen for nice M3's was way
> above M2's.  I had bought my M3 over 15 years ago for
> $475 with a close focus Summicron with out oculars, it
> was a little dirty, it had a bit of corrosion, after a
> couple hours of cleaning a gem emerged and it was a
> Leica for less than $500.  I loved that camera.  Who
> could of treated this Leica so badly.
>
> A week ago I saw a decent user M3 for about $600.  It
> was not as perty as my M2 or black paint M6.  The
> cameras covering was falling to pieces, some of the
> covering was missing, there was dirt built up from
> years of use, the lettering was almost all gone, a few
> dents and scratches.  It was a user for sure.
>
> It had a clean wax "R" over the fifth screw and when I
> opened the bottom cover there was a engraving in the
> bottom plate that it probably was serviced in 97'.  I
> knew I had made the right decision after I picked it
> up for the first time.  The camera felt so solid, the
> shutter speeds appeared to the ear to sound as they
> should.  The film advance was so smooth, the
> viewfinder was crystal clear even thought the outside
> was dirty.  The rangefinder was on the button even
> with the Noct, I compared it to my M6.85 that I know
> is accurate.  Or was it the M6 compared to the M3.
>
> This M3 DS is amazing how it feels in my hands.  I
> know cameras are about geting images on film.  But
> this camera was from the 50's and had seen alot of
> abuse over the years and probably have taken thousands
> of photographs to be this worn. I picked up my M6 to
> compare it to the M3.  Picked up my M4-P to compare.
> Picked up my M2 to compare.  The M3 is something
> totally different, I can't fully explain it but the
> workmanship is amazing.  My M6 felt weak against the
> M3. Even the M2 felt different.  Actually the M2 feels
> more like a M6 than a M3.
>
> The finder was so clear and completely free from flare
> from every angles not like the other Leica's.  The
> frame marks where still bright even the center patch.
> The focus was so positive.  Even with my M6, sometimes
> I play with the focus back and forth, bad SLR
> practice. The M3 focus just stops when its in focus, I
> know its weird but I think it knows when its in focus.
>  The big view is fantastic.  It's so close to life
> size that I wanted to keep both eyes open and for the
> first time truly be part of the action.  The m6 .85 is
> close to .90 but its a big difference to this user.
>
> The frame advance is so smooth, even after all these
> years it was better than my virtually new M6.  If
> brass wears faster than steel, then I like brass. I
> think 45 years of wear is perfect.  Will the gears
> still be there in 50 years, I think so I hope so. The
> double stoke action took a bit to get use to but even
> it became more natural than one long stroke the more I
> used it.
>
> Every thing else worksed as it should, the self timer,
> rewind knob, even the film spool was still solid when
> put into the camera.  You would think that it would
> wiggle after so much use but no.
>
> I've made a temporary fix of the covering with a
> combination of black wax and black rubber cement. I
> know I'll have to change the covering one day.  Or
> maybe I'll just put it in a half case to hide its
> wounds.
>
> I think the M3 was a show piece from the start.  A
> representation of what Leica can make to near
> perfection.  A machine made to display the art of
> manufacturing and design.  It can be said that the M3
> was the last of anything manufactured in quantity that
> has the feel of hand craftmanship.  Every thing from
> that has been slowly cheapend.  Is the M3 going to
> take the place of my M6, yes, now the M6 will back up
> the M3's, I hope.  If a camera can be said to mold
> into a persons hand and make its self transparent to
> the act of photographing your subject then the M3 will
> continue to do that for many more years.  With the M6
> I have always felt that I have a Leica in front of my
> face. The M3 only in a very small and discreet way
> says "I'm a Leica let me serve you."  It's not about
> the red dot, not about the name, not about the finish.
>  It's about the photography.
>
> So now I remember why I missed my first M3 DS so much.
>
> mike gil
>
>
>
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