After spending years wishing for a Leica, any Leica, I happened upon an advert for a Leica III that caught my eye. Now, to be honest, I really wanted an M3 with the attached light meter as in King Kong Skull Island fame, but that was way out of my price range. I was almost as enthralled by the camera as I was by Kong himself. I have even bought a couple of Russian Leica copies, including the Zorki 1 to quell my desire, but still, I wanted one. If I actually was ever to own a Leica, it would have to be a thread mount like the Zorki, not an M series due to the price difference. And there was the advert, saying they had a Leica III in great condition with a lens, just serviced and with a 20% discount. The camera the Zorki 1 was based upon. I still thought about it for a couple of days. I looked at other listings and their prices, it just seem too good to be true. Finally, my sister said, “oh just do it!”
So I did.
So looking at this website and given the serial number on mine is 140686, it was made in 1934. That means it was made 10 years after the series was first produced, a very early model with only 1500 being made. There is so much history and information about this camera on the net and in books, I am not going to go into any of that now.
As soon as mine arrived I put a film in it and went to Tokyo, taking photos along the way until I reached a one-hour developing shop. I already knew how to use the camera due to my experience with the Zorki 1, they really are very similar. The feel, the action, the sound. I shot and then I waited. It was a dull, cloudy day.
When I got the contact sheet back I was a little underwhelmed. I had paid for a cd so I went to one of the shop machines and printed a couple of the shots. They seemed ok, but not what my heart was expecting.
So the next day I loaded a Rollei RX 25, the right speed for the camera’s era, and went for a walk around where I lived. Then developed the film at home as soon as I got back.
There are three similar shots that I tried at different speeds and apertures, none made a difference, still too dark. Again I was a bit disappointed, but I wasn’t sure why.
Maybe it was the lens, maybe it was my expectations, but I thought I would try a newly arrived Jupiter lens on the Leica body and see if that changed my feeling towards the camera.
So this time I tried JCH street pan with the Jupiter lens and Leica body.
I took it to my workplace, taking pains to avoid faces when taking shots. I wanted to see it capture moving people. This was really the first camera portable enough to capture life and people living it, moving in it. Then I walked to another camera shop, forgetting I had used a black and white film…so then I walked home and developed it in D-76.
Ok, so the Jupiter lens has a different quality to it…but still the feeling persisted. And finally, two books I had ordered at the same time as the camera arrived.
I had been looking at this camera all wrong. I was comparing it to my other cameras. It is nothing like them. This camera is a piece of history, a trailblazer and the machine that started an industry. It is the Model T of cameras. Of course, cars would have come along without the Model T and cameras would have eventually become more portable without the Barnack. But this was it, this was the camera series that started it all……and it is still working. It is still working so well that I compared it to cameras 80+ years younger which I have not done with the other very old cameras I have tried.
The Leica III was much easier to use than the folding cameras and the results were far better. Even though I have yearned for a Leica for many years I just didn’t take to this camera and eventually sold it.
UPDATE: I did try the summar lens with a UV filter to try to reduce the haze. Here are the results.
It didn’t really help. Though I do like the photos. I looked at the lens and it seems really clear, so I am not sure why the haze persists. Maybe I am over exposing the negatives.
Update 2
I recently cleaned a couple of lenses, with my confidence boosted I decided to take off the front element of the Leica lens and attempt to clean the haze. In the end, it was just one tiny, tiny screw. It was more awkward than difficult. Once I got it all back together I retried the lens on this camera. Unfortunately, I had a little difficulty developing the film. It got stuck on the reel and I had to load it a couple of times. Even so here are a few shots from the cleaned lens.
Well despite the issues with development, I think the haze has improved. I think I still prefer the Canon lens though.
I love the pics. Are you’re a little inderwhelmed still? I have a suggestion, if you shot with the filter on am guessing you did, take the filter off!! I have an elmar I use on my Sony, they are nicer unfiltered I find. The weren’t coated or multicoated, they weren’t meant to be.
I shot without the filter, I just put that on for the next roll to try it out. I forgot to remove it for the shots here. I still love it and am glad I own it. I think I was in awe rather than underwhelmed.
Funny how we build things up in our minds, I must admit, yeah I would love a prewar Leica III. I have a weakness for rangefinders anyway. Really fancy Canon 7. I have and a few fixed lens models a FED 4 but its big and bulky cumbersome I find. No sure if you know the early konica and strangely enough minolta range finders like the minolta 35 are supposed to be very good, some say better than leicas of the period, some have detachable lenses that are LTM too!
Hmmm. You didn’t share a buying price… ballpark is OK. Having asked that, you mention that the seller had the camera (and lens?) serviced. Did they provide a receipt? What was done? I like your first batch of color images. Some nice compositions in there and a nice “look” to them. I’m picking up some haze in the images. How does the glass look internally? What film did you use? Fresh I hope. Good lab?
I only bring all of this up because I got a good deal on a “working” Nicca 3-S and Nikkor f/ 2 5cm lens. They looked great but the shutter speeds were off and the rangefinder needed adjustment. I gave the lens a good cleaning and was lucky there was no fungus or mold. I then went on to spend about$200 on a CLA to bring it back to factory specs. I’m still working on my first test roll (too hot to shoot anything).
Your camera may need some additional attention. It is a good looking camera and you’re right, you may just be expecting too much after all these decades.
Congrats on getting it though! A keeper for sure.
P.S. Your OMG should arrive shortly!
I just updated the post with a few shots from a film I got back today. The camera works really well, it seems smooth on all speed settings. The lens also looks really clean, though I have never been close to another summar to compare them. The first film might have been an expired one, but the one I just posted definitely was fresh. I think the rangefinder is working well too. So all in all a good example. I did try the Jupiter lens and the haze is still there. That makes me think I am over exposing and the speeds might be out a little. I can adjust for that until I get it serviced myself, not sure where to send it for that. I didn’t get a receipt for the cla, I think it wasn’t done officially. I paid about $500 with exchange rates, which for here is a good price with a lens….I think.
I think you have a very lovely camera and lens for a great price! I looked at your images of the camera again and it is in really stunning condition. It doesn’t look its age… not even close to it. The last batch of photos look great. I like the train image and the forest pictures have nice depth and detail.
Do you think it is worth getting another lens, not a summar as I can’t afford that. Maybe a canon 1.4f m39?
Yes. Some of the Nikkor f2 5cm lenses can be very affordable and can be had in near mint condition. If it were me, I’d buy the best condition lens for the money. At least you’d get some sharp and non hazy images. Good luck in your hunt!
I have seen some in shops and on eBay here. I think I am in the best place to find one.