A very rare M3 Prototype.

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), November 23, 2001

Answers

That's the very definition of gorgeous.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), November 23, 2001.

Can I order one from B&H?

-- Dennis (couvilaw@aol.com), November 23, 2001.

Thanks for the look, Lucian. Am wondering if this has the glass presure plate of the earlier M-3's.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), November 23, 2001.

Thanks for the look, Lucian. Does this has the glass presure plate of the earlier M-3's.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), November 23, 2001.

I don't know, you should ask to the seller.

Click here for more information

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), November 24, 2001.

Hi, Lucien:

What a marvel . . .! Thanks for the contribution.

I compared the image with my older M3 (# 882783) and noticed some differences: two extra screws on the front, a slightly different self timer lever, different tip of the film advance lever, no rangefinder adjustment cover screw and an exposure counter dial instead of the familiar little window. And I missed the mythical "seal" too.

But the beatiful proportions seem to be exactly the same.

Does it belong to you? Is it a usable camera or just a "dummy"?

Thanks again and best regards

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), November 24, 2001.

In addition to what Ivan caught, I see: The rectangular bulge around the small RF window doesn't extend as far to the right, and the frames around all the windows are simpler, without the extra level of fluting.

But what really caught my eye first was that smooth blank top plate.

It's very pretty, Lucien. I wonder if it was a design prototype to see if it was pretty enough, or a production prototype to iron out assembly-line bugs (or both)?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 25, 2001.

...and ONLY $85000. Just in time for Christmas!.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 25, 2001.

I would like to add just a little bit to the above said. This marvel is looking more like the M2 than the M3. The configuration of upper plate is like the M2’. Note, please, there is no the upper plate’ appendage being under the upper side of the lens flange. The frame counter is looking like the M2’s non-automatic one. So, it is similar to the M2 with the lever rewind and the self-timer. What about VF frames? Is there a frame for a 35mm lens?

-- Victor Randin (ved@enran.com.ua), November 27, 2001.

Lucien

Leitz made some 20-30 pre-production M3s (prototypes) for testing and evaluation (see Lager Volume II). The only difference between this and the ones pictured in Lager is that this one does not have a prototype serial number (three or four digits). This is indeed an M3, notwithstanding the external frame counter, which is significantly different from that on the M2. The film advance lever is also different from the regular production M3, and the lens lock release button is a little different. But otherwise, this has similar characteristics to the very early M3s (700xxx).

These features include a thin shaft for the film rewind lever, with either a single red dot or a red painted slot, non-rounded contours of the top and bottom plates ("big bump" or "little bump"), ceramic pressure plate, double stroke advance, absence of the wax seal or a screw at the 12 oclock position on the lens mount, four screws on the top plate, absence of a frame preview lever, and many other minor differences of internal detail.

An early M3 (up to SN 700600 or so) with all of the original early features (many of these early cameras were later upgraded when sent in for repair or servicing) is worth thousands of dollars. An original prototype M3 (if it is genuine) is in another ball park, probably worth an order of magnitude more. This is probably the ultimate collector Leica (not withstanding the Leica Model A Anastigmant).

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), November 27, 2001.