Leica question

CMoore · Mar 14, 2017

This all has to do with my friends Father, giving his Leica and 3 lens to a friend of ours in 1980.
So my friends Father.....born in 1933...joined the US Army in about 1952 he was in for 3-4 years, and at some pint was stationed in Germany for 1 year.
While in Germany he bought a new Leica and those 3 lens and a (I believe) brown leather Leica Bag.
Assuming maybe 1953, which M-Model might he have purchased. Were there two different M-Models available at that time as new cameras.?
Thank You

locutus · Mar 14, 2017

The Leica M3 (first M model) was released the year after that. Maybe you are off by 1/2 years, if so and it is an M it would be a M3.

Else its likely a Leica III of some variant.

TheToadMen · Mar 14, 2017

I was thinking the same, could it have been a Leica III? Do you remember what the camera looked like?
And the lenses (like folding into the body or not, screw mount or not)?

Here is info about the Leica IIIf (1950-1957)
http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/screw-mount/iiif.htm

Here is info about the Leica M3 (1954-1967)
http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/m3.htm

If it was 1953, I'm assuming it would have been a Leica IIIf or an older screw mount version, which were also still available. For instance, the Leica IIIc was produced in 1940-1951, but could still be available new in some stores in 1953? Same as the Leica IIf (1951-1956)?
Maybe you have an old picture of him with that camera?

BTW: This is what Ken Rockwell wrote about the Leica timeline in his article about the elder Leica IIIa:

"We call this a LEICA IIIa today, while when new it was sold as the LEICA AUTOFOCAL CAMERA MODEL G.
AUTOFOCAL means that focussing is automatic: just align the superimposed rangefinder images, and the camera is in focus. Simpler cameras demanded that you guess, tape-measure or use a separate rangefinder to measure the distance and then manually set it on the lens' distance scale. With this LEICA, focus is automatic with no need to look at distance scales.
This Model IIIa of 1935 adds the 1/1,000 shutter speed to the previous Model III (a.k.a. Model F) of 1933 , which it replaces.
The IIIa only came in chrome as shown here. If you see a black IIIa, it could be an earlier model III which LEITZ cheerfully updated to the IIIa.
The newer IIIb put the rangefinder and viewfinder windows closer together, and replaced this IIIa in late 1938.
The popular IIIc (1940-1951) added many small internal improvements, like a much more adjustable shutter system and better baffling to reduce film fogging.
The most popular IIIf (1950-1957) added flash synchronization.
The IIIg (1957-1960) added a 90mm frameline in the finder."

So, my best guess would be a Leica IIIf.

Here is an image with the Leica family tree:

CMoore · Mar 14, 2017

Aahhh .....Interesting.
I am sure it was the M-Model, and i am probably a little off on my time lines.
Plus, i remember Him telling us that it was a brand new camera, as in a "new" camera model when he bought it in Germany.
It did not have the "ugly" look of the III, it had the more elegant look of the M-Model.
I remember that Murry Sold/Traded it a few months later at a camera store and bought a new Minolta SLR.
My friend is STILL pissed-off about it.....

Jim Jones · Mar 14, 2017

The first bayonet mount Leica was the M3, first produced in 1954. Then came the M2 in 1959. The screw mount IIIf was in production up to 1957, although few were made in that last year. The last screw mount, IIIG, was made from 1956 to 1960. Only 900 were made in that first year. When it came out, I thought it looked bulky in comparison to my svelte IIIf, and the M series was even worse. Probably the camera in question was a IIIf or M3.

CMoore · Mar 14, 2017

Good Grief...i AM sorry. I thought i had posted this in 35mm. Do not know why i went to Classifieds

TheToadMen · Mar 14, 2017

Don't worry,
We'll find it anyway and will reply.

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 14, 2017

Thread moved.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 14, 2017

CMoore said:
...
It did not have the "ugly" look of the III, it had the more elegant look of the M-Model.
...

I've heard the Barnack Leicas called many things, including "Steampunk", but never "ugly".

Behold:

https://www.cameraquest.com/3frdst.htm

.

CMoore · Mar 14, 2017

Sorry...no offense intended to you Leica Guys and Gals, but.......that III looks like it was designed by a 17 year old suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 14, 2017

Ha ha... the weakness in its looks is the extended lens.

Surrealistic · Mar 14, 2017

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

blockend · Mar 16, 2017

CMoore said:
Sorry...no offense intended to you Leica Guys and Gals, but.......that III looks like it was designed by a 17 year old suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder.

That's not how many saw it at the time, there was considerable resistance to the M models in some quarters, and a number of famous photographers continued to use their Barnacks in preference to the bayonet rangefinders. Remember screw thread Leicas overlapped the M range by 7 years so there clearly a demand. It's fair to say the engineering quality of the Barnacks was at least as good as any Leica subsequently made.

Helinophoto · Mar 16, 2017

CMoore said:
Sorry...no offense intended to you Leica Guys and Gals, but.......that III looks like it was designed by a 17 year old suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder.

You are close, it was designed by a guy named Oscar, who suffered from asthma =D

I love the look of my IIIf, it "reeks" 1930 even though it's from the 50's ^^

If your camera is an "M", it's an M3, you should post a photo of it, it may even be one of those "Donkey-ear" variants or another limited type, which can be quite rare (collectable and more pricey)

Also, remember that a IIIg, is closer to the M3 than the previous screw-mount Leicas:
IIIG: http://vintage-camera-lenses.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Leica_IIIG_4.jpg
Normal M3: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Leica-m3_hg.JPG

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