I recently picked up a newer 50mm Summicron that focuses to .7 meters (about 2 feet 4 inches) and wanted to use it on my M3. I learned quickly that the old M3 was designed for the lenses that had a minimum focus of 1 meter (about 3 feet 4 inches). If you focus the newer lens in closer than 3 feet 4 inches, the rangefinder patch just sits there. I wanted that extra foot coupled! I talked to both Sherry Krauter and Bill Maxwell and both said it wasn't a particular difficult problem to overcome. Bill was kind enough to instruct me on the way to remedy the problem so my camera wouldn't have to spend a few weeks riding around in boxes accross the US.

Leica put a little strap of metal that contacted one of the screws as a stop at a certain point and this prevented the cam from coming out of the camera body any further after 1 meter. Believe it or not, the adjustment is to bend the tab back so the cam can extend out a tiny bit further. Only a very slight bend was needed. Bill told me to support the cam with my other hand so that while prying on the arm too much pressure wasn't put on the rangefinder assembly. Otherwise you can throw off infinity setting and end up having to fool with that as well. I did the job in several steps, applying a small amount of pressure each time and checking to see if the camera was coupling closer than it was before.(and making sure I didn't throw off infinity-I didn't) After 3 attempts, the camera now can focus couple the lens all the way into .7 meters. Bill also suggested I test mount all my lenses to make sure none hang up on the cam, which now sticks out a tiny bit further. They all went on fine. I am very exited about my newly modified M3 .7 meter focusing camera.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), January 03, 2001

Answers

That is good info Andrew. When I was using M3's and same vintage 50mm Summicrons, I was happy but wanted to experience the improvements of the latest generation lenses, so I bought a new 50mm Summicron. During the informal lens test I racked the lens to its minimum focusing distance for some close ups of some nick-knacks around the house. I focused by moving the camera back and forth until the rangefinder aligned. The result was a roll of hideous blurs, I was shocked. Reviewing the pictures showed there was a plane of focus, just not where it belonged. I quickly learned of the difference of .7 and 1 meter. I also learned to focus by rotating the lens until the RF patch stops. You are correct, it was frustrating to have over 10 inches of unfocusable (is that a word?) close-up range.

Hope your modification works out. I just gave up and got an M2 and M6... I miss the M3 sometimes.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), January 04, 2001.

I just checked the accuracy of the focusing at the .7 meter minimum now and it coincides perfectly with the results I get from my Minolta CLE and the same lens. This has to be the easiest "upgrade" modification you can perform on an M3. I was surprised that the first few repair shops (who claimed to work on old Leicas)I talked to had no knowledge of whether it was possible to do this. One even said he probably would have to do some grinding-yikes!

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), January 04, 2001.

From what I understand the early M3 rangefinders cannot be adjusted to focus to 0.7m but the later M3 rangefinders can. I do not know the serial number of the change in rangefinder design. The 35mm lenses that use "goggles" to show the correct field of view focused closer than the concurrently available non-"goggled" version. The "goggled" version would focus to .65m while the non-"goggled version only focused to 1m.

PS: Check the focusing wide open in the 0.7m to 1.0m range. You may have to adjust the length of the rangefinder arm to calibrate the rangefinder as the closer distances require greater accurracy.

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), January 04, 2001.

It seems to be spot on by comparing it on a tripod at close distances with my CLE which can focus to .7 meters by design. I swapped out camera bodies on the tripod without disturbing the lens focus distance, and the split was spot on. I'm going to try it out on film by shooting a few shots at close focus. By the way, my camera is a fairly early M3 DS without the lens preview function.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), January 04, 2001.

It may not have the original viewfinder in it. I have an early M2, which also has a different design early from late, and my repair tech would not quote on a repair until he saw the finder. He needed to see if it still had the original finder and if any "repairs" had been done previously. (It did and none had)

Cheers

-- John Collier (jbcollier@home.com), January 04, 2001.

Thanks for your excellent post. Although I have newer Leicas, my late SS M3 is my favorite and I was a bit disappointed to see that my newer lenses couldn't be used nearer than 3 feet!! Although I rarely use these lenses so close, your post was most welcome. As you advised, I simply and gently pulled the RF coupling cam away from the camera ever so slightly until I could get 0.7 meters to line up the RF in the viewfinder. After two gentle pulls, Voila! No infinity problems at all. Thanks again!

-- Ron Benvenisti (benvenisti@aol.com), May 19, 2001.