Bought my first Leica!

[Army35mm]

So, I recently pulled the trigger on a beatiful (and working!) 1955 Leica m3 ds.
Coupled it with a version 1 chrome ltm canon serenar 50mm 1.8

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Congratulations. Use it often - they don't like to sit unused.

 

[BrianVS]

The M3DS- also first Leica that I bought, over 15 years ago. The viewfinder is amazing, the RF patch looks like it was put in with an exacto knife. The 90mm framelines are big- if you can find an older Elmar 90/4, well worth having.

 

[R.Gould]

I bought my first leica a year ago, having said for years that although good cameras they were overpriced I bought a 3F and after seeing my first set of negatives I was hooked,don't just leave it looking nice, take it out and use it have fun with it
Richard

 

[Dali]

They are overpriced but we only live once (as far as I know...).

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Welcome to the club. Mine is M3 DS ELC.
I had later version of this lens and as usual for this version it was with fog. But not removable...

And they are not overpriced. It is only overpriced if you come from SLR crowd. Even Nikon RF cameras are not cheap. Canon's are

 

[FujiLove]

That's a great lens. Don't be fooled by the relatively cheap price (in Leica terms). Had one on my first M3 and was very impressed.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Your Serenar isn't half shabby either.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Enjoy

 

[Arklatexian]

So, I recently pulled the trigger on a beatiful (and working!) 1955 Leica m3 ds.
Coupled it with a version 1 chrome ltm canon serenar 50mm 1.8
View attachment 187389 View attachment 187390

Oh! You must be one of those people who only buy cameras for "snob appeal" according to some people in this group and Leicas are vastly over rated so you wasted your money. After you have used this camera for a while, I think you will find that they don't know what they are talking about. I think you will enjoy the feel of that camera in your hands even if you never took a picture, heaven forbid..........Regards!

 

[mshchem]

If anyone says that Leica cameras cost too much, ask them how the Nikon D200 they ( I ) paid 1600 bucks for is working out for them. I'm a former Leica owner, I use Texas Leicas, Fuji 6x9. No one makes a viewfinder/rangefinder that equals a Leica.
200 years from now you will be able to fix a M3.
Best Mike

 

[Theo Sulphate]

... No one makes a viewfinder/rangefinder that equals a Leica.
...

That's what I thought for 25+ years with my M3's and especially M6's. However, there really is a camera with a bigger, brighter, more contrasty viewfinder with an amazingly good rangefinder patch, all of which is better than a Leica M. The camera? Mamiya 7 II.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Fantastic, congratulations. For 25 years, I used a slightly later M3 which I had a technician convert to single stroke. Mine had the geometric progression of shutter speeds. Does yours have the glass pressure plate? If so, be a bit cautious with static marks in extra dry conditions - wind the film slowly. Also, if you want a 35mm lens, the ideal way is one of the RF units with the attached goggle eyes. These convert the frame bars in the viewfinder for the 50mm lens to show the coverage of the 35mm lens. Most of the RF lenses are now probably collector items = expensive. Have fun.

 

[Dali]

Oh! You must be one of those people who only buy cameras for "snob appeal" according to some people in this group and Leicas are vastly over rated so you wasted your money.

Who are you talking about? Who are "some people in this group"?

 

[darkosaric]

Congrats! I love M3, from all Leica's that I have - M3 is used the most.

 

[guangong]

There is a big difference between the viewfinder of an M3 and the relative dingy M6、there is also a big differrnce in build quality、Try to find a 35mm Summicron with googles就The collapsable f4 90mm makes a compact package to carry sround、Keep those ltm to bayonet adapters in mind because a whole world of excellent Leitz and non-Leitz lenses becomes availible、Have fun！

 

[mshchem]

That's what I thought for 25+ years with my M3's and especially M6's. However, there really is a camera with a bigger, brighter, more contrasty viewfinder with an amazingly good rangefinder patch, all of which is better than a Leica M. The camera? Mamiya 7 II.

I need to investigate! I've never held a Mamiya 7II. I am always looking for a reason to spend money on cameras. The Fuji rangefinder patch is terrible like a old Speed Graphic. I'm on it! I know people rave about these cameras.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Mamiya 7II is 6x7 mammoth. Comparing it to M3 is like apples to watermelons. You could build-in good VF into this beast for
sure...
Then I saw M6 for first time, I didn't even recognized it as the Leica. It has plastic appeal, I asked the owner if it was modern Ziess RF. While I was wearing M4-2 .

 

[JWMster]

Congratulation! Most fun camera eVAR! You will enjoy shooting it. Couldn't be simpler, and the shots worth every ounce of sweat you put into it. Trick is whether you can own just one....

 

[Huss]

Congratulations! The most important thing to remember is when you change the shutter speed make sure to

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...and leave the lens cap at home, where it can't get into trouble.

 

[etn]

They are overpriced but we only live once (as far as I know...).

I don't think the M3 is overpriced compared to other Leica cameras. As a matter of fact, I think it's possibly one of the cheapest M-mount Leicas. Obviously, there are much cheaper 35mm cameras out there which will achieve similar results - it's the photographer, not the camera, as we all know. But hey, a Leica is nice to fondle as well as shoot with. Enjoy it. I haven't found evidence of having more than one life either. (and no, I don't meow )

 

[etn]

That's what I thought for 25+ years with my M3's and especially M6's. However, there really is a camera with a bigger, brighter, more contrasty viewfinder with an amazingly good rangefinder patch, all of which is better than a Leica M. The camera? Mamiya 7 II.

In the 35mm rangefinder world, the Zeiss Ikon (a.k.a ZI or ZM) is very good too, and arguably "better" than 0.72x Leica viewfinders. The M3 is in a category of its own, though, due to the unique magnification.

 

[chdorner]

...and leave the lens cap at home, where it can't get into trouble.

The amount of blank frames I got on the first few rolls on my rangefinder...
There's just no feedback anywhere if the camera doesn't come with a built-in light meter.

 

[R.Gould]

The amount of blank frames I got on the first few rolls on my rangefinder...
There's just no feedback anywhere if the camera doesn't come with a built-in light meter.

With my first rangefinders I was lucky or unlucky, depending upon how you look at it, but none of them had lens caps and they were all fixed lenses, so no blank frames, even today \i only have lens caps for my Leica and vitessa lens my othher lenses are in keepers,