ID this lever on M3?

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

Hey guys,

i recently landed a beautiful M3 from a member here. I noticed there is mystery lever on opposite side of self timer lever side. Anyone know what it does?

Todd

TheToadMen · Nov 23, 2014

A photo might help?
Otherwise, check the manual here: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_m3/leica_m3.htm

Barry S · Nov 23, 2014

Todd-- the lever lets you preview the 90mm or 135mm frame lines in the viewfinder, depending on which way you move it. If you have one of those lenses with you, you can check the framing without mounting the lens.

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

Thank Barry..now it makes sense.

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

The Asa dial looks like it's just a reminder tool?

andrew.roos · Nov 23, 2014

ToddB said:
The Asa dial looks like it's just a reminder tool?

Correct, since the M3 doesn't have a built-in meter anyway...

Richard S. (rich815) · Nov 23, 2014

Congrats on nailing down the M3 Todd! Which lens did you end up getting?

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

I Have the Summicron DR f2.0. I should mention that I'm not completely understanding this lens. My first roll images were really blurry. I notice to that I believe that is very important to have the lens snapped on correctly? Is there something maybe I'm over looking for focus? Running Delta 100 asa. I'm sure it's probably something really dumb I'm over looking. Oh.. Looks like you can pull out distance ring to get it over tab or something.

Todd

John Koehrer · Nov 23, 2014

Yup! The goggles are removed for normal shooting and installed for close-up.
The tab/stoop you refer to is to prevent the user from focusing beyond the range selected

Fotoguy20d · Nov 23, 2014

Pulling out the focus ring is to switch between the near and far focus ranges.

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

Is there something I'm over looking for the out of focus issue. I don't have the goggles. I think I didn't have the lens completely snapped in. Could that of caused the out of focus issue?

Todd

summicron1 · Nov 23, 2014

ToddB said:
Is there something I'm over looking for the out of focus issue. I don't have the goggles. I think I didn't have the lens completely snapped in. Could that of caused the out of focus issue?

Todd

to install the lens you match the red dot on the lens with the little release button on the camera body (9 oclock on the lens opening) where the lens should easily go flush into the camera body, and turn the lens all the way to the right until it clicks. DO NOT FORCE IT -- the lens mount should be flush with the camera lens mounting ring and should turn smoothly with minor effort.

At this point it should be mounted correctly and should focus correctly. If you don't have the goggles, the camera lens should not focus any closer than about 4 feet -- the goggles release a little lock that prevents the lens from focusing closer. You don't say -- does the lens ring move all the way around so it stops at infinity? It should.

Once installed on the camera, you sure you know how to match the images in the rangefinder to focus the camera? If you are doing so, and the images are still fuzzy, check the focus thus: Set the lens focus ring at infinity and look at something about half a mile away -- a church steeple is ideal -- there should be no separation or doubling of the church steeple image in the rangefinder patch.

if there is, your rangefinder is out of adjustment. This is not a complex deal but must be done by someone who knows what they are doing. If this camera has not been serviced in the last decade or so, and you want to use it seriously, you should have it serviced anyway. Youxin Ye will do a lovely job, including the rangefinder adjustment, for about $175.

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

I think I know the problem.. I didn't hear the click when lens set in correctly.. Souping 100 delta right now.. standby.

Todd

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

Still having trouble. Pics are out of focus.. I noticed on line that this lens appears to un-screw for near focus and normal use. I understand completely about matching ghost images to make match.

ruby.monkey · Nov 23, 2014

The optical unit unscrews as illustrated for use on a bellows mount or Visoflex. It should be kept screwed tight on its normal focussing mount.

The instructions for switching focal range aren't related to that picture.

(Scared the crap out of me, the first time I accidentally unscrewed the front of my rigid Summicron)

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

It almost seems that if the subject is further away the worse the out of focus. It almost as if it's focusing backwards? Objects about 4 Ft are almost in focus. Weird.

Todd

summicron1 · Nov 23, 2014

well, you have to pieces of equipment there -- a lens and a body. Does the lens turn until it is set at infinity? If it is somehow set on the near-focus range, it won't do that. My one experience with the DR summicron was that it would only shift to near focus range if it had the auxiliary finder on it, but I an not an expert on that lens.

As i said before -- set the lens on infinity, take a picture at infinity and look through the viewfinder and see if it says the camera is focused at infinity. If the lens is set at infinity, but the rangefinder disagrees, it is the rangefinder that is wonky.

then you have the body -- if the lens focuses on infinity, your images at infinity should be sharp no matter what the rangefinder says.

what you need to do is find someone locally with another leica m2-3-4-6 that you can sit down with and compare, try some shots with his lens. And, as I said, if you want to use the camera seriously, and it hasn't been serviced in the last decade, you should have it gone through by youxin ye or someone equally skilled.

it would be worth it.

ToddB · Nov 23, 2014

This is a seriously stupid question.. Ready? Ok.. I bulk load my film. Is it possible that I'm exposing on wrong side of the film? shine side away from lens.. right? At the point I'm eliminate all the stupid, dumb things. what would exposing the wrong look like for a picture? There anyone locally in Albuquerque area that I can meet up with and try another lens or compare cameras?

Todd

Arklatexian · Nov 23, 2014

ID this lever on M3

ToddB said:
Is there something I'm over looking for the out of focus issue. I don't have the goggles. I think I didn't have the lens completely snapped in. Could that of caused the out of focus issue?

Todd

If you do not have the goggles, are you really sure that you have a Dual Range Summicron? If my memory serves me correctly the DR Sunnicron WITHOUT the goggles should have a "platform" for the goggles to mount on. If the lens does not have that, you could have a rigid mount Summicron, many of which were made with the ability to unscrew the lens from the focusing mount in order to use it with a Visoflex or a copy rig as has already been suggested. If the lens is not snug in its mount focus could be "off"......Regards

ID this lever on M3?

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