My new (to me) tool. The Leica M3.
My Leica M3 Black Paint sitting on my living room.
In the words of Ken Rockwell, “The Leica M3 is the best camera that Leica has ever made, and by many accounts, the best camera of all time.” As big of a this statement as this is, I can now see where it comes from. It’s not the best looking one - that’s the Leica M2 imo - but you understand this statement once you start using a camera like this.
Before buying this camera, I wasn’t too much into all this Leica hype. I had tried many Japanese cameras before, so I couldn’t understand of how much better a Leica could be. And to be honest, for the price, in many aspects, it isn’t. But, I think I understand now: The only weak point of this camera are features it doesn’t have. Everything that is on it, it’s perfect, precise, and very well made. You can’t find a camera better that this in any way, if you stick to the basics for photography.
Before buying this camera, I was using a Voigtlander Bessa R, a really great camera but I didn’t like the screw mount lenses that much. Most of the ones you can find are just too old and the ergonomics are totally off. Before the Voigtlander, I tried many different cameras, including the Leitz Minolta CL and the Minolta CLE. The problem with the CL to me is the small viewfinder and the looks. The CLE is awesome, small size, big viewfinder, lightweight, and great looks but mine scared me a couple of times and I decided it needed to go before it would break for good.
One day, while on one of my directionless motorcycle rides, I stopped in a quite big thrift store. Walking around looking at different stuff, I saw this camera just sitting there looking at me. A repainted in black, fully serviced Leica M3 with an Elmar 50mm f2.8 lens at a nice price - wasn’t a bargain but wasn’t bad. I had just used my Bessa an hour before, and holding this camera felt much different. It felt heavy. It felt so precise but also like nothing can break it. And, as an Industrial Designer, this kind of thing is very attractive to me. So I took the plunge and got it. Once home, the first thing I did was sell my Bessa at the highest bid possible.
M3 Body
My M3 is a repainted body with a color change to black. The paint job was, as is, very nice, and during the repaint, it got a complete service. I love my cameras in black, so this one was perfect for me.
This camera is as basic as they come. You can change the lens, you can select the aperture, the shutter speed and there’s also a self-timer. No light meter and no automation which, as much as I enjoy the analog stuff, I was a bit worried about. See, I haven’t been into photography for that long so being completely on my own with no help from the camera felt a bit scary. Especially at this price point.
As said before, this camera was fully serviced. The shutter cloth curtain is as good as new, all dials are smooth and the viewfinder is clean, and damn is it big and bright! Some say it’s the best Leica viewfinder but, even though I agree with that statement, I have to give the best viewfinder prize to the Bessa.
Speaking of the viewfinder, it only has frame lines for 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm. If you really want something wider, you can get one of those Summicron or Rokkor 40mm and use the full viewfinder. The focusing patch is also wonderful, bright, precise, so easy to use. Just like it was on the Bessa.
The winder lever is also something that needs to be experienced. I remember trying a Canon 7 once, and that felt pretty good too. But this one gives you a kind of feedback that’s hard to explain. It’s very nice. Next to it there an automatic frames counter that is auto very clean and working well and the shutter release. Leica shutters are famously quiet, this one included. I’m not sure if they’re the quietest shutter out there but it’s way quieter than my old Bessa.
Loading this camera is a bit complex. You have to deal with like 4 separate parts to load the camera and then put it all back together. They improved it from the M4 onwards if I’m not mistaken but is not as simple as the Japanese counterparts. Still, I find this process part of the fun, feels like we’re empowering that much more each roll we use.
My M3 came with a 50mm Elmar f2.8. Beautiful lens, shitty ergonomics.
Elmar Lens
I was really curious about this old, little collapsible lens. I knew it was probably the cheapest Leica lens but it still a Leica lens, and I very much like small lenses. It’s a 50mm that only goes down to f2.8 but I’m ok with that.
When I picked it up for the first time, I immediately got annoyed by the fact that it was a feet (ft) only lens and no metric distances. It tells me that it’s a very old version but for me, it’s just something to slow me down when I just want to take photos. Then I started using it.
The images from this Elmar are so damn good. At least they are for me. I don’t care too much about sharpness and those kinds of technical aspects but about how the images make me feel. This lens delivers.
Using the lens itself, well that’s another topic. Extending the lens doesn’t take much, but it’s very important to make sure the lens is fully extended before starting to take pictures. The aperture ring is very satisfying to use, it might be the best I’ve ever used. But the focus throw is sooo long, and you need to grab the weird little nipple-looking tab to focus. This tab locks in infinity and usually, you need to lock it to do things like change aperture, put a filter on, and collapse the lens.
The first rolls with it were a learning curve and was all very interesting. I was very pleased with the images I was getting but, with time, I started to get tired of the ergonomics of it and of all the extra steps to just some pictures around. I’m not sure I’ll keep it for long…
I will leave some sample images in a small gallery below. Please comment below if you have a different experience than me.
