Leica M3 Black paint

35mm MF film rangefinder camera • Discontinued • Collectible

  • Announced:
  • · 1959
  • Production type:
  • · Small-batch production: 1320 (one thousand three hundred twenty) units
  • Availability:
  • ● Sold out
  • Country of design:
  • · FRG (Federal Republic of Germany)
  • Order No.:
  • · 10151 - black paint
  • System:
  • · Leica M (1954)

Specification

Format:
35mm full frame
Film type:
135 cartridge-loaded film
Leica M [27.8mm]
Shutter:
Type:
Focal-plane
Model:
Mechanical
Speeds:
1 - 1/1000 + B
Exposure:
Exposure metering:
None
Exposure modes:
Manual
Rangefinder and Viewfinder:
Rangefinder:
Built-in, combined with viewfinder
Viewfinder:
Built-in, combined with rangefinder
Finder magnification:
0.91x
Actual rangefinder base:
68.5mm
Effective rangefinder base:
62.34mm
Bright-line frames:
50mm, 90mm, 135mm
Parallax compensation:
Yes
Physical characteristics:
Weight:
580g
Dimensions:
138x77x33.5mm

From the editor

Rare LEICA M3 black paint finish camera produced in small batches:

BATCH #1 (1959): No. 959401 - 959500 = 100 units;

BATCH #2 (1960): No. 993501 - 993750 = 250 units;

BATCH #3 (1961): No. 1038801 - 1039000 = 200 units;

BATCH #4 (1962): No. 1059850 - 1059999 = 150 units;

BATCH #5 (1963): No. 1078501 - 1078800 = 300 units;

BATCH #6 (1964): No. 1097701 - 1097850 = 150 units;

BATCH #7 (1965): No. 1134001 - 1134150 = 150 units;

BATCH #8 (1966): No. 1157591 - 1157600 = 10 units;

BATCH #9 (1967): No. 1158501 - 1158510 = 10 units.

========================================================

TOTAL: 1,320 units

Most of black paint M3s were sold to professional photographers. Matching black paint lenses, front lens cap, body cap, MC & MR meters also existed.

A small number of black paint M3s were also produced to special order and had serial numbers predating the first official batch of 1959.

Black paint was the standard finish for the first production Leica, the Leica I (Model A). This finish is not very wear-resistant, so you can find M3s with the paint stripped down to the brass. By the 1990s, interest in original black paint Leicas had increased substantially, and repair shops (notably Kanto in Japan) even offered black repainting services for chrome cameras. Leica recognized this trend, producing the Leica M6 TTL "Millennium" in the year 2000.

Other Leica M3 special editions (3)


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