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Cameras/Leica M3 with Summicron 1.2:50mm

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Expert: - 6/3/2011


Question
Leica M3
Leica M3
Dear David,

I am in the possession of a single-wind Leica M3 with serial number 1007912
The lens is a Leitz Wetzlar Summicron 1:2/50 with number 1750089
I also own the close-up attachment and an MC Meter with number 71311

There is some damage on the back (a part of the black cover has worn due to reloading the camera).

Would you have any idea what the value of this package is?

Thanking you in advance for your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Hope

Answer
Hello,

Your Leica M3 and Summicron lens were made in 1960.  The M3 is a very common 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, with over 225,000 units sold from 1954 to 1966, but excellent examples retain high resale value because of the camera's reputation for unsurpassed quality.  I'm afraid your example is NOT excellent.  The large piece of vulcanite covering missing from the back corner, and many other obvious chips forming at various edges, clearly indicates the camera is heavily used.  In this condition it will be extremely difficult to sell, and finding a motivated buyer could be a nightmare.  I cannot recommend eBay because unless you are an established seller of cameras there you will only find grief.  I can recommend some good honest collectors and historians you can contact on your own.  The best way for you to maximize the value would be for you to ship the camera to me here in California and I would be happy to broker a sale for you myself.  Consider the options.  If you would like my assistance please send me a message at the e-mail address below, include a couple of small digital images showing other aspects of the camera so I can judge more of its condition, and I will respond with further ideas and opinions...

Best wishes,

David F. Silver - President
International Photographic Historical Organization

silver@photographyhistory.com  

David Silver

Expertise

I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.

Experience

I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:

http://www.photographyhistory.com


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