Finally my new Leica M3.... My first Leica Ever!

[brian_caven]

Daniel - good for you. I take great joy in seeing someone with so few gray hairs (I took the liberty of pulling your bio up) so excited in getting the M3. I didn't get mine untill I had less hair and most of it gray. Enjoy. Brian.

[travis1]

I also cried when I got my 2nd hand M3. The back had a chipped vulcanite.

[summitar]

Congratulations, Daniel,

 

I first learned of the Leica brand as a teeny-bopper many years ago, and didn't get my first one (a IIIc) until I was over 65. In this age of throwaway plastic, the Leica is a jewel of precision machinery and is well capable of invoking the emotion you feel. I hope you will get many years of pleasure from it, and then pass it on to someone who will continue to treasure and use it. I also received an M3 from a fellow p-netter and I agree with the often expressed sentiment that the M3 was Leica's finest hour and product.

 

Don't be discouraged by some of the comments in this thread. I have been an avid reader of many of the forums here, and I know Mark Wahlster, for example, is a talented photographer, and the best authority on the Canon FD system that I know. He is always forthcoming with with helpful and accurate advice.

 

I hope you will post some shots taken with your M3.

[jeremy_tok]

I felt the same way the first time I lifted an M3 to my eye. Nothing I've read about the camera quite prepared me for it. Absolute magic.

 

In the SLR world, a Pentax Spotmatic with one those super-smooth Super-Takumars is the closest. But even that is very far away from the M3.

[fernando lopez]

Daniel, you bought an excellent camera. i can understand you never felt any happiness from any other product. Only the Leica can give you that. I hope my MP will still look like yours within 30 years (ok, some beautiful brass would be nice).

[karl_keung]

yes, vulcanite peeling off, unserviced viewfinder somewhat hazy, but once fully serviced, a

M3 (or a M2 for that matter) is a thing of pure pleasure to hold and fondle.

 

I have the latest MP, but it just does not feel the same, don't know why, but the spring and

gear are just not the same as those used in the old days.

 

from my personal experience, I somewhat prefer those with serial number over 9xxxxx

but not yet reaching 1 million, the gear there has tigher tolerence.

 

one day, I just might revamp one of my M3 at Luton, new vulcunite and resilvered prism

etc.

[Nowhereman]

>>>I know Daniel personally. He is a good kid, yes thats right kid and he is excited.<<<

 

This makes this even more dismal: this type of reaction from a teenager is consumerism

gone completely off the tracks. As I said, it's just a camera, a machine, a hunk of metal --yes,

it is a wonderful camera, and one can have pleasure using it but for someone to say "This

camera has given me joy in my life that I have never felt before." really is off the wall. I hope

most teenagers have something less materialistic to get the joy of their life from: such as the

beauty of science, or of mathematics, or of art, or from a person; but, no, not from just a

camera.

[daniel_katz2]

David I got the M3 because it has a greater rangfinder complexity and much more accurate focusing. The M2 was a cheaper built M for the masses. I believe all Leicas are great but the M3 is definately the best from what I spent months researching. I also prefer the 50mm frameline to the 35mm as 50mm is closest to the human eye and also is the most versatile (you can take waist up portraits with it or even landscapes or architecture where as a 35mm is sorta inbetween standard and wide-angle but it's sorta neither for me. Jim I didn't get that lens that is on the camera as I have stated "I bought the camera only with teh original everready leather case and halfcase with strap so the other stuff I dont have." The lens I did end up buying is a Jupiter 8 which is an M39 f2/50 Russian Sonnar Copy, now I need to buy an M39 to M adapter. I will save up for a Leica lens eventually (Summicron, Summilux, and eventually Noctilux which is one of the reasons I bought the M3 initially). ROB, thanks for the advice, I will only give the camera away or sell it if somebody threatens my life for it, but even then there will be hesitation. BTW, thanks for everyones for you suppport and thanks to J M Shaw for supporting me in my decision and helping me chose. Just a bit of history: I am a 21 year old UNI student who is a film major studying in London (dont know if you'd call that a kid or young-adult ;)), I grew up in San Francisco but was born in the former soviet union in Baku, Azerbaijan. BTW, if anyone has any Leica M39 to M adapters for sale in the UK (preferably London) let me know, I need to get this adapter before new years so ordering it from the states might be too costly for fast shipping and might not get here in time.

[travis1]

if i can get an M3 for $5, it'll be the joy of my life too. I really don't mind.;>

[paul_neuthaler]

Travis, you're a tough cookie!

[daniel_katz2]

Mitch I am not a teenager and it has nothing to do with consumerism. If an object, any object, sparks an emotion in your heart then that object is special to you. I am sure you have at least one object from your life that gives you nostalgia or sparks an emotion. People build objects and if I see that a person has created something so beautiful as a Leica M3 then it sparks an emotion in me. Some people might feel the same about the Golden Gate Bridge or the Swiss Re Tower or their toy from their childhood but the point is it's still an object, one you think is beautiful built by people. If you dont have any objects like this then you are either lying or you have no feelings for anything but humans. Besides Mitch objects cant hurt our feelings like people can ;). It's really rare when something so beautiful as a Leica M3 is made, and when you get to feel and hold it in your hand it sparks an emotion in your heart because you see what beauty humans are capable of making and you cherish this beauty because it's one of the very few truly beautiful objects in life.

[Nowhereman]

Daniel:

 

Now, if you had been talking about a IIIg, I might have understood...Anyway, you're being

more balanced now than in your initial over the top statement. I do understand epiphanies.

 

--Mitch/Bangkok

[al_kaplan1]

I'd much rather see the teenagers and twenty somethings around here putting their money into Leicas than over powered cars with a throaty roar, and a loud stereo playing rap music. I really thought that I read Brian's edict the other night to mean no nasty put downs of one another. Get some good photos with your Leica Daniel. Enjoy it!

[jack_myovski]

Indeed it's perfectly normal to find and admire beauty in the form of something created by the design and hand of man, be it a sculpture, an automobile or a camera. If one takes (and Daniel concedes)that his remarks were to an extent enthusiastic hyperbole then it's all quite ordinary. However at face-value, "<b> I got teary eyed and nearly started crying from happiness. This camera has given me joy in my life that I have never felt before.</b>" to anyone with normal sensibility might be said regarding the acceptance of a marriage proposal or the birth of a child, but applied to the purchase of a consumer object it's rather sad and pathetic. What's even moreso than one such individual, is the shocking number of people on this forum who found it perfectly in-line with their own manner of thinking.

[michael s.]

My opinion: Enthusiasm about photography and these contraptions, new and old, that we use to make photos is a *good* thing. On a photography forum like this one it's a very good thing.

 

Now, would someone kindly sell Daniel an adapter so he can mount his lens on his M3 and start using it? He's rarin' to go!

 

Daniel - I recommend a separate "WTB" (want to buy) post for the adapter here on the Forum. Your request could easily be overlooked on this thread. (By the way, make sure you properly characterize that new post in the drop-down menu.)

 

Good luck. Have fun. And please post photos.

[daniel_katz2]

I found a great used 28/50 original Leica M39 M-adapter at RG Lewis for 35 pounds so I will go and buy it today. The lens is supposed to be delivered on thursday which I only paid 23 pounds for but I think I might buy a leica lens today if they have a good used one at RG Lewis, I will let you guys know. BTW, what is photography without the passion of it? I am sure painters were excited about buying that special canvas or getting those special paints back in the day as well, photography is a newer art form but it's still an artform at that and I feel that without putting all our emotion into it we dont really respect what people have done to build this work of art that we are shooting with, I feel that it is the passion behind Leica and the emotion it sparks what makes it so special for most of us Leicafiles, it's not JUST a great and amazing camera.

[shambrick007]

"The M2 was a cheaper built M for the masses. "<p>I was feeling bad about the guys razzing you until you wrote this...

[michael s.]

Yeah - I saw that one, too. He got a little carried away. But I know you, Sheldon. You'll give him a pass ... just this once. :-)

[daniel_katz2]

Ok you guys I bought a Leica M39 to M-mount adapter 28-50 and an Industar 22 f2/50mm lens which came with a crappy Fed5-B camera all for only 55 pounds at RG Lewis :). So now I have focused for the first time on the camera, definately will take some getting used to, I will take my first pictures with the camera on wednsday when I go upto St. Albans and will post them.

[bob haight]

Too bad the M3 cannot make those big negs the Hassy can.

[icuneko]

Now transfer all that emotional enthusiasm to the images this camera

can produce and you'll be OK.

[al_kaplan1]

Daniel, please ignore the naysayers that lurk here. Rather than extend a helping hand, perhaps offer a bit of advice, they'd rather drag you down to their level. Some don't own Leicas, never used one, and stick with digital themselves. Why they feel compelled to come here and offer nothing in the way of useful information is one of the great mysteries of the universe. Others are actual Leica users and just don't want to admit to themselves what fools they are in the eyes of the first group. This back-and-forth is a daily feature here. Welcome to The Club and try to ignore the cat calls from The Peanut Gallery.

[james_.1]

Daniel- here's a lesson I learned about your age- who cares what others think. Really,

they can just sod off. ;D Why they would take bother commenting on a comment is

beyond me. And why they would figure anyone would care, well that's further. Enjoy

using your M3 this Holiday season! I hope it captures some magical moments. Personally,

I got back into Leica recently and am enjoying it greatly. They're objects but they've been

imbued with some of their designer's/constructor's soul for photography and mechanical

excellence.

[Brad_]

<I>Others are actual Leica users and just don't want to admit to themselves what fools they

are in the eyes of the first group. </I><P>

 

Too funny. Sounds like it would be a great epsiode on Dr. Phill....

[andrewlamb]

Daniel,

 

Before buying any Leica gear from RG Lewis, you should also take a look at

MW Classic on the Essex Road, N1 (www.mwclassic.com). Speak to

Mahendra.

 

BTW, congrats on the M3. I think they're the tops. I'm eagerly looking forward

to mine being returned after a service at CCR in Luton.

 

Please don't sob over your M3, though. You're only allowed to do that

watching 'Casablanca', 'It's a wonderful life', 'The appartment' or 'Letter from

an unknown woman' (please delete as applicable)....