The Rangefinder
I’ve been searching for a Leica M3 for a good long time, and got a fantastic deal from an original owner who purchased this beauty in Munich back in 1961. I couldn’t believe how well he cared for it. I loaded the first roll of film I could get my hands on and started shooting right away.
In the week since I got it, the camera has been everywhere with me, and I’m absolutely hooked! First roll is back from the lab, and I’ve posted a few frames from it below:
Leica M3 (single stroke) + 50mm f/1.4 Summilux | Leicameter MC | Kodak Portra 400
I think I’m in love.
Kim
September 4, 2012 at 8:14 pm
great results from this first film, great 50 Summilux.
3rd shot it’s my favourite
agasper79
September 5, 2012 at 2:05 am
wonderful frames! enjoy! the bridget coffee ones and the bike are delish.
tumbleweedineden
September 5, 2012 at 3:04 am
Nice work with a great camera.
Jim Dell
September 5, 2012 at 3:58 am
What a beauty! I keep meaning to ask – do you scan your own negatives, or get the lab to do it? I find the cost of scanning since I’ve moved to Sydney to be huge, and am thinking about getting a scanner. Any recommendations?
Mike
September 5, 2012 at 5:09 am
Hi Mike, great question! All my scanning is done at my local lab. I do own an Epson Perfection series scanner. It’s great, but it’s so much less work to have to lab do the scanning for me. The Epson V700 is a great choice if you want to go that route, however.
Jonathan
September 6, 2012 at 8:56 am
to say that the remarkable result, leica is really beyond any particular precision
Alain Alexandre Foutrier
September 6, 2012 at 4:36 am
Love your blog!!. On your first Picture. There is a small gadget beside it..what is it??? (newbie)
Ryan William (@aintback4u)
September 6, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Thanks! That’s an external light meter. In that photo, it’s off the camera. But in the first photo, you can see it attached to the top of the M3 at the camera’s hotshoe.
Jonathan
September 7, 2012 at 10:22 am
[...] roll with my Leica M3, this time in black and white. This camera is way too much [...]
The Second Roll Of Film « Jonathan Fleming's Blog
September 7, 2012 at 10:10 pm
Man… I seriously need to get my hands on a Leica M3…
Jade Sheldon (@Jade_Melissa)
September 7, 2012 at 10:29 pm
that camera is a piece of art itself. even if it doesn’t function, i’d put it on my shelf and would be happy just looking at it
these images turned out wonderfully. i esp love the one you shot thru the window, catching that couple kissing – adorable!
Karleen
September 8, 2012 at 9:15 am
[...] now I’m trying to run a different roll through the M3 each time as I get a feel for the camera. These are scans from a roll of Fuji 160s. So far I think [...]
Fuji. Film. « Jonathan Fleming's Blog
September 10, 2012 at 10:05 pm
[...] Leica M3 + 50mm f/1.4 Summilux | Leicameter MC | Kodak Ektar 100 Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailStumbleUponDiggLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
A Roll Of Ektar « Jonathan Fleming's Blog
October 4, 2012 at 11:16 pm
Compelled to dispel the perception that I had to date, take a tour of the world with such eye M3 hobbies sober. “
Alain Alexandre
October 15, 2012 at 4:23 am
Your Leica M pix illustrate a rather mysterious phenomenon that I know exists but haven’t a clue as to how it works. Some call it “Leica Magic,” others, the “Leica Look.” You know it’s there, but how do you codify it, prove it?
About 20 years ago, my son, son-in law and I we were reviewing about 600 slides, projected on a large screen that we had shot during the production of a movie we made in Nepal, starring a very young Milla Jovovich. The co-producing studios (Disney and Paramount) had asked that all our slides be shot on Kodachrome 64, which we did. My son-In-law’s camera & lenses, were top-of the line Nikon, my son’s Canon, and mine, a mix of Leica M’s and R’s. As we clicked through the slides, pretty much all technically perfect, and accomplished with pretty much equal artistry we began noticing a certain “something” in the Leica photos the others didn’t have. Curious, we asked our three wives to come in and review the slides with us. They had no idea who took which pix nor what they were taken with. We asked them to try to identify slides that had a different look, a “glow,” a “three dimensional” quality, a “sublime character,” having nothing to do with picture content or with the artistry of components such as composition, etc. Almost 90% of the slides selected by our wives had been taken with the Leica equipment!! What is the magic? How can it be rationally explained?
Robert Wiemer
October 27, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Hi Robert,
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yup, I’m not sure I can explain how Leica’s secret sauce works, but the entire Leica experience, from operating the equipment to the look of the final images, is very unique indeed.
Jonathan
November 4, 2012 at 6:55 pm
[...] will be my last two rolls for a bit while I wait for my camera to come back from repair. She’s getting her rangefinder realigned, which is supposed to take [...]
T-MAX vs Neopan « Jonathan Fleming's Blog
November 29, 2012 at 6:16 pm
[...] build quality is top notch. But I only borrowed this thing to keep me occupied while I waited for my rangefinder to come out of repair. Once I get my M3 back, I doubt I’ll miss the RX1. [...]
Small Camera, Huge Sensor « Jonathan Fleming's Blog
December 9, 2012 at 10:30 pm
[...] has seen very little use these days. In fact, I’ve had the same roll of black and white in my Leica for like three months! After running through the last few frames this past week, I finally got the [...]
Tiny Glimpses | Jonathan Fleming's Blog
April 25, 2013 at 1:21 pm