Leica M3 User manual
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oc
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w,
hop,
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yO"
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as much pleasure
and
success from this
camera
as
the
multi-
tude
of
LEICA
enthusiasts
in
every corner
of
the
globe
.
In
combined their
great
experience
and
long tradition
of
to
cal manufacturing to produce an instrument-quality ca ra
that
is
both
scientifically correct
and
remarkably
easy
to use
su
essfully. The short
time you invest
in
studying this little manual
~
w: your M 3
in
hand-
will
be
repaid many times over by rapidly: nhancing your skill as a
results,
and
we
want
possible!
ERNST
LEITZ
GMBH
WETZLAR, GERMANY
Your
LEICA
is
not only a precision camera, but a ruggedly reliable
in
-
strument that
will
yield optimum picture quality over many years of
trouble-free service. More than this,
it
is
part
of
the world's most suc-
cessful system
of
photography, the
LEICA
SYSTEM,
with an unmatched
family
of
interchangeable
LEITZ
lenses and the widest assortment
of
logically conceived accessories ever supplied for a single camera.
This
means that as your skill and talent develops, with ever-widening pho-
tographic horizons, you'r
LEICA
will
remain equal to the
greater
chal-
lenges you place upon
it
. With an assortment
of
precision
LEICA
lenses
your M3
is
not just a camera, but as many different cameras as you
want
it
to be. Your franchised
LEICA
dealer
has many illustrated
pamphlets explaini
ng
the
full
range
of
LEITZ
lenses
and
acces~ories
for your
LEICA.
Please ask for these
brochures, and discuss them with
him
-you'll find he's a mighty
\.
~
good
mao to
g,t
to
k,"w!
R a
pid
Ch
ec
k_II
• •
01
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L.ICA
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.-JM,
The serial numbers
of
your
LEICA
camera
and
lenses provide positive identification
and proof of ownership -
be
sure to
record them
in
a
safe
place.
ERNST
LEITZ
GMBH
WETZLAR
GERMANY
Su
bsidiary: Ernst Leitz (Can
ada
)
Lt
d.,
Mid
la
nd
,
Ont
ario.
List
!
11
-
3f
/Engl. ! Printed in
Germany
V
II
/63/
FLX
/S
D
>-
Z
<1:
::iE
'"
N
I-
III
-I
l-
V)
Z
a::
w
This
Instruction
Book
contains
everything
you
should
know
about
your
~
LEICA
M 3. Please
devote
some time
to
reading
it
carefully,
and
practice the simple
operations
-
without
a
film,
to
start with.
You
will
get
the hang
of
it
much
quicker
than
you
thought. The LEICA
is
an
advanced
high-grade
camera,
but
nevertheless -
or
rather
because
of
that
-
amazingly
simple
to
operate
.
The
Transport
Lever
Hold
the camera
in
both hands, and with
the
right
thumb push the
transport
lever
to
the
right
as
far
as
it
will
go. The
lever
move-
ment tensions the
focal
plane shutter
of
the
LEICA and advances the
film
by
one frame.
You
may
also
work
the
film
advance
lever
by
several short strokes -
if
you
find
this
more
convenient.
The
Release
Bullon
With
the
right
index
finger
gently
press
down
the release
button
-never
jab
it!
You
will
hear the click
as
the shutter runs
down.
A
film
in the camera
would
now
have
been exposed, .
in
other
words
you
would
have
taken
a picture.
Let
go
of
the release
button
(
lift
the
finger
off
),
and
you
can once
more
operate
the
transport
lever
to
tension the shutter and
advance the
film
.
II!>
= r
egistered
2
7849
-
11
For
exposu
r
es
with
slow
shutter
speeds
you
must,
of
course
,
have
a firm
support
. A
tripod
is i
deal
in
conjunction
with a locking
cable
-
release
. Screw
in
the
cable
-
release
without
pressing
the
button
.
The
handy
LEITZ
table
tripod
is
very
useful
when
travelling
. (Ask
fo
r
brochure
No
. 12-35
.)
The
Film
Counter
is
coupled
with the
transport
lever.
If
the
fi
lm
was
correctly
loaded
(
see
notes
on
pages
22-24
),
the
film
counter
indicates
the
number
of
exposure
s
made
. The
counter
stops
at
No. 40,
and
automatic
-
ally
returns
to
its initial position
when
you
with-
draw
the
take
-
up
spool.
3
The
Shutter
Speed
Dial
controls the
exposure
times.
The
engraved
figur
es
stand
for
fractions
of
a
second
. Thus 1000
indicates 1/
1000
second
,
125
is
1/
125
second,
4
is
14
second,
and
1
stands
for
1/ 1
second
,
i.
e. 1
se
-
cond.
The dial
engages
at
each
position with
the
set
shutter
speeds
opposite
the
small
in
-
dex
line,
and
remains
at
this
setting. You
can
therefore
set
or
read
off
the
speeds
equally
well
before
or
after
tensioning
the
shutter
.
When
set
to
"B",
the
shutter
remains
open
as
long
as
the
release
button
is
depressed
.
Intermediate
shutter
speeds
can
be
set
within
the
ran~e
of
1
to
1/8
second,
also
between
1115
and
1ho
second,
and
1/
60
to
1/
1000
se
-
cond
(
or
It
to
1/
10
00
second
).
The
speed
dial
features
click-
stops
at
all
engraved
settings.
The
Lens
Aperture
Hold
the
lens
of
your
LEICA up
to
your
eye,
and
rotate
the
aperture
ring
. You can then
see
how
the
aperture
opens
and
closes. It
works
rather
like
the iris
of
your
eye
which
also
opens
or
closes
to
adapt
itself
to
weaker
or
stronger
light
. The lens
aperture
has a
similar
purpose,
namely
to
cut
down
very
bright
light
by
"stopping
down"
- i.
e.
the
use
of
a
smaller
lens
opening.
Conversely
, in
poor
light
the
use
of
a
larger
aperture
admits
more
light
to
the
film.
At
the same
time
the
depth-of-field
changes.
The
apertures
or
f-numbers
1.4
-2 - 2.8 - 4 -
5.6
-8
-11
-16
-
22
-
32
*)
are
a
measure
of
the
amount
of
light
reaching
the
film
.
They
are
chosen in such a
way
that
closing
down
the
aperture
from
each
number
to
the
next
reduces
the
light
by
one-half.
Dap
~NST
LEITZ
."."
£TZLAR
Similarly
on
opening
up, each
aper-
ture
passes
twice
the
light
of
the
next
smaller
one
.
So
remember:
a
high
aperture
number
signifies a
small
opening,
and
vice-versa.
*)
The
length
of
this
numer
ical scale de -
pends
on
the
type
of
len
s
4
The
Depth-ol-Field
Scale
The lens
reproduces
sharpest
those
parts
of
the scene
which
are
at
the
exact
distance
-in a
plane
pa
rallel
to
the
film
-on
which
it
is
focused. This
maximum
sharpness
gradually
falls
o
ff
in
front
of,
and
behind,
the
focused
distance, resulting in a
certain
zo
ne within which
everything
is
still
acceptably
sharp
. The
extent
of
this
zone
of
s
harpn
e
ss
-. lhe "
dep
t
h-of-field
" -
depend
s on the subiect d
is
tance
, the
focal
length
of
the lens,
and
the
aperture
.
Stopping
down
increases
the
sharp
field,
which
is
desirable
for
mosT
subiects
extending
appreciably
in
depth
.
To
find
the
limits
of
this
zone,
look
at
the
depth
of
field
scale
of
your
lens. The
sharp
zone
is
that
enclosed
between
two
index
lines
of
the
same
aperture
number
.
If
,
for
instance,
you
have
set
your
50
mm
SUMMICRON
lens
to
15
feet
, the
avai
lable
dep
th-
of-f
ield
with
an
aperture
of
f/4 (see red
arrows
in
the
illustration
) extends
from
about
12
V2
to
20 feet.
If
,
however
,
you
stop
down
to
f
il
l ,
the
zone
of
sharpness cove
rs
a
field
from
a
bout
9
to
40
feei
·.
When
altering
the
aperture,
be sure
to
adiusl' the ex-
po
sure
time
according
.ly.
Soc
also
page
9,
O;>li
cal
D
ept
h·
ol·
fi
eld
In:licaror
in
th:J
measuring fie
ld
or
the
(on"'l·
bined range-viewfinder.
5
The
Brilliant-Frame
Range-Vievvlinder
of
the
LEICA
M 3
is
designed
to
function
as
both
a
particularly
efficient
viewfinder
and
as
a highly
accurate
coupled
rangefinder
. Everything visible within
the
bright
line
frame
is
recorded
on
the
film
..
The
brilliant
frame
is
coupled
to
the
focusing
movement
and
auto-
matically
shifts itself
throughout
the
whole
focusing
range
. This
compensates
for
parallax
errors
due
to
the
different
positions
of
the
optical
axes
of
the
lens
and
the
finder
.
The
viewfinder
shows
the
image
in
almost
natural
size. So
even
if
you
should
occasion
-
ally
open
your
other
eye
to
survey
the
field,
you
wioll
n01
be
startled
by
a
sudden
change
in
image
scale.
The
brightness
of
the
brilliant
frame
is
sufficient
to
show
up
the
limits
of
the
field
equally
clearly
with
dark
subjects
. An
additional
advantage
is
that
the
subject
remains
visible
even
during
the
exposure
.
In
the
center
of
the
finder
the
sharp
rectangular
rangefinder
field
is
visible. This
appears
brighter
than
surrounding
viewfinder
area
. The
rangefinder
field
disappears
if
you
cover
the
small
rangefinder
window
with
your
finger.
This
is
useful
when
you
want
to
observe
the
effect
of
your
subject
in
the
viewfinder
image
only
.
All
LEICA
lenses
from 21-
through
135
mm
couple
to
the
rangefinder
. The built-in
parallax
-
compensated
bright-line
frame
of
the
LEICA
M 3
are
for
SO
-,
90
-,
and
135
mm
lenses,
as
well
as
for
the
35
mm
wideangle
when
a
LEICA
lens
of
this
focal
length
with
integral
M 3
viewfinder
attachment
is
fitted. The VISOFLEX
housing
converts
the
LEICA
M 3 into
a
compactly
efficient
reflex
camera
for
LEITZ
lenses
from
65-
to
400
mm
.
6
Ho
w
the
subject
appears
in the
brilli
ant-
frame
range-viewfinder
with
a 50 mm lens.
7
The
Distance
can
be
set
on
the
distance
scale
engraved
on
every
lens,
or
with
the
aid
of
the
range-
finder
image
visible
in
the
finder.
Some
lenses
lock
in
the
infinity
position;
for
focus-
ing
on
nearer
distances
this lock must
be
released
by
depressing
the
infinity
catch
.
Always
remember
to
extend
and
lock
the
barrel
of
collapsible
lenses
(
see
page
15).
If
you
now
rotate
the
focusing
lever
or
mount
of
the
lens, a
scale
of
numbers
moves
past
the
fixed focusing index
and
indicates
the
distance
in
feet
and/or
meters. This
way
of
focusing
is
less
important,
as
you
can
set
the
distance
much
more
accurately
with
the
aid
of
the
built-in
coupled
rangefinder.
The
scale
is
useful,
however,
for
reading
off
the
available
depth-of-field
and
for
special
subiects
where
the
rangefinder
cannot
be
used.
Practice
in
using
the
rangefinder
is
important
for
developing
an
efficient
focusing
tech-
nique,
and
is
also
great
fun.
Set
the
lens
to
infinity,
and
observe,
say,
a
window
a
few
yards
away
through
the
rangefinder
. You will
see
a
bright
sharp
rectangle
in
the
center
of
the
finder
area.
Hold
the
LEICA
in
such a
way
that
the
vertical
window
bar
cuts
through
this
rectangular
rangefinder
fiel!;L
Inside
the
rdngefinder
field
you
will
see
a
double
image;
i.e.
the
window
bar
appears
as
a
second
image
to
the
left
of
the
main
one.
This
indicates
that
the
lens
is
not
correctly
focused
on
the
film.
Now
turn
the
lens
lens while still
looking
through
the
finder;
the
second
image
moves
to
the
right until it
coincides
with
the
stationary
outline
in
the
rangefinder
field. You
have
now
measured
the
distance
by
what
is
known
as
the
coincidence method.
8
Whenever
vertical
lines cut
through
the
rangefinde
r field,
you
can
also
meas\ire
the
distance
by
the
split-image
method. This
is
made
particularly
easy
by
the
sharp
boundary
of
the
rangefinder
field.
The
part
of
the
subject
that
is
displaced
sid~ways
in this field
moves
across
dur-
ing
focusing
until
the
image
becomes
continuous
across
the
boundary
of
the
frame
.
In
measuring
the
distance
you
ha
ve si
multaneously
set
the
lens ex
actly
to
this
distance
.
The
functioning
of
the
optical depth-of-field indicator
in
the
measuring
field
of
the
com
-
bined
range
-
viewfinder
:
9
O
bj
ects ou
ts
i
de
d
ept
h-of-field
The double
im
a
ge
lies
wi
thi n the
1
-wide upper mark: O bje
ct
is
sti
ll
re
nd
ered s
harp
at f
/l6
Plane of sharp focus
,
, ,
I_
Th
e double
_I
image lies wit
hi
n
th
e n
arrow
l
ower
mar
k:
Object is still rendered sharp
at
f/5
.6
53280·11
Automatic
Finder
Adjustment
for
90
mm
and
135
mm
Lenses
Field
of
view
with a
90
mm LEICA l
ens
.
The
subject
area
covered
with
the
long
er
focal
length
is
indicat
ed
by
the
additional.
bright
line
frame
wit
hin
the
l
arge
brilliant
frame
showing the
fi
eld
of vi
ew
of
the
50 mm
lens,
whic
h
remains
visible
all the
lime.
LEICA lens in
your
M
3,
lock
it
in
position,
and
again
rough
the
ra
nge
-
vi
ewfinder
. You
now
see an
additional
bright
lin r
frame
which
indicates
the
field
of
covered
by
the
90
mm
lens
within
the
Id
of
the
standard
50
mm
lens,
and
repro-
duced
on
the
film
wi
th 1.8 times
ma~n
i
fication.
An
import
ant
point
is
that
the
surrounding
sub·
ject
area
remains
visible
in
the
finder,
so
that
y;u
can easi
ly
follow
mo
ving subjects
and
bring
them
within
the 90
mm
finder
field.
In the
sa
me
way
the
finder
automatical
ly
indicate
s the view
of
j·he
135
mm
lens
when
you
fit
the
135
mm
ELMAR in
the
camera.
In
addition,
the
para
lla
x
10
error
is
automatically
com
sated
during
focusing
- j
with
the
50
mm
lens -
w
hole
focusing
range
.
frames
are
designed
elude the
full
field
ta
the
film
ev
en
at
the s
ject distances
that
ca
the
coupled
LEICA
grea
ter
subject
lens
therefore
c
larger
angle
of
in the
finder.
Fi
eld of view with Ihe 1
35
mm
HEKTOR
lens
whi
ch
yields a
magn
i
ficat
ion
of
2.7 times
0'
co:nparcd with
standard
50
mm len
s.
11
ne
of
the
35
mm
wide-angle
enses
with
integral
M 3
finder
attachment
to
the camera, the
viewfinder
is
automatically
conve
rted
for
wide-angle
photography.
The
135
mm
ELMARIT f/2.8 has an
integral
view-
finder
magnifier
giving
a
magnification
of
lA
x
(
40
%
larger
than
life-size)
with
the LEICA M 3
range-viewfinder
.
Lever in normal p
os
iti
on
:
fie
ld of vi
ew
fo
r 50 mm lens l
eve
r pointing inwa rds :
fi
eld of
vi
ew
f
or
90 mm lens'
The
Finder
Frame
Preselector
l
eve
r p
oin
ting
out
w
ard
s :
fi
eld of
vi
ew
f
or
1
35
mm
l
ens
W ith
the
small
lever
on
the
front
of
the
body
you
can
make
the
90
mm
and
135
mm
finder
frames
visible
in
the
viewfinder
when
the
standard
50
mm
lens
is
fitted
to
the
camera
.
If
you
release
the
lever
,
it
returns
to
its
original
position,
and
the
additional
finder
frame
disappears
.
When
no
lens
is
mounted
in
the
camera
,
the
finder
frame
for
the
135
mm
lens a
ppear
s
within
the
frame
for
the
50
mm
lens. (* The lever wi
ll
take
this
po
sition with the 135 mm
ELMARIT
fj2.B
.)
Holding
the
Camera
A
good
camera
grip
is
the
best
insurance
against
camera
shake
. Hold
the
LEICA
M 3 so
that
the
base
rests in
the
palms
of
both
hands,
with
the
thumb
against
the
tran
s
port
lev
er
,
an
d
the
inde
x
finger
resting lightly on
the
release
button
. Use
the
left
han
d
to
operate
the
lens focusing
lever
.
Keep
the
eye
close
to
the
range-v
i
ewfinder
eyepiece
. Practice,
holding
the
camera
so
that
it
is
supported
as much
as
possible
against
the
face
;
the
12
camera,
head,
and
hands
should
act
as
one
unit
. The
purpose
of
this
is
to
ensure a
really
steady
camera
position.
This
will
prevent
camera
shake,
and
give
you
that
high
standard
of
definition
which
has
always
been
the
hall-mark
of
the
highly
corrected
LEICA lenses.
Press
the
release
button
smoothly
and
gently
,
never
jab
it
.
Move
only
the
index
finger,
not
the
whole
hand.
At
first
try
exposing
with
shutter
speeds
of
1/
60
second
or
faster;
after
some
practice
you
will
eventually
be
able
to
expose
even
slower
speeds
without
camera
shake.
If
you
find
it
more
convenient,
the
left
eye
is
just
as
suitable
for
viewing
as
the
right
9ne.
When
you
want
to
change
from
horizontal
to
vertical
shots,
turn
the
LEICA
upright
about
the
optical
axis
of
the
range-viewfinder
. The
camera
hold
does
not
change
much.
Grip
the
LEICA in
the
same
way
as
for
horizontal
views.
Alternatively,
you
can
also
bring
the
right
hand
down
for
vertical
pictures,
and
release
with
the thumb.
Grip
the
camera
so
that
the
tip
of
the
thumb
rests
against
the
release
button,
and
the
fingers
exert
a counter-pressure
on
the
base-plat
e. Focus
the
lens
with
the
left
hand,
and
support
the
upper
part
of
the
camera
against
your
fore-
head
. This
hold
ensures
particularly
smooth
releasing
and
.
film
advancing
.
Whether
you
take
vertical
or
horizontal
shots,
you
never
have
to
take
the
eye
from
the
camera
,
not
even
for
picture
sequences.
13
Changing
Lenses
To
remove
the
lens,
hold
the
camera
in
your
left
hand, pressing
the
button
of
the
bayonet
lock
with
the
thumb
.
Grip
the
lens
by
the
focusing
ring
with
your
right
hand,
as
close
as
possible
to
the
camera
body,
and
turn
to
the
left
to
release.
It
can
now
be
lifted
out
of
the
mount
.
Lenses
fitted
with
an
infinity
lock
should
be
locked
at
inf
i
nity
before
changing
.
A red
dot
is
visible
next
to
the
bayonet
lock
button
.
When
another
lens is
to
be
inserted,
place
the
red
dot
on
the
lens
mount
opposite
the
red
dot
on
the
came
ra
body
. Then secure
the
lens
by
turning
it
to
the
right
until
the
bayonet
lo
ck
engages
with
an
audible
click.
Avoid
changing
lenses
In
stro
ng
direct
light
. Turn
your
back
to
the
sun,
and
hold
the
camera
opening
towards
your
body
.
If
you
keep
the
camera
and
lens
separate-
ly
use
a
protective
cap
for
each. Rear caps
are
available
for
all
LEICA lenses.
The
Collapsible
Lenses
When
not
in use,
certain
LEICA lenses
(
for
instance
the
50 mm ELMAR f/
2.8
and
the
collapsible
90
mm
ELMAR f/4)
can be
retracted
by
slightly
turning
the
front
to
the
left
and
pushing
into
the
camera
body
. For use,
fully
extend
the
lens,
and
lock
by
turning
to
the
right
. (The
collapsible
90
mm
ELMAR f/4 can
only
be
focused
when
it
is
properly
ex
tended
and
locked.
)
With
any
lens, always
remember
to
ta
ke
off
the lens-cap.
Lens
Coaling
Modern
coated
LEICA lenses
show
a
colo
red sheen on
the
surface
,
due
to
an
anti
-
reflection
la
yer
which
appreciably
increases the
brilliance
and
crispness
of
the
image
. The
outer
surfaces are hard
coated
and
will
therefore
stand up
to
careful
cleaning
.
Lens
Care
An
y
high
-
quality
lens can
yield
its best
performance
only
if
the
outside
glass surfaces
are
kept
clean.
And
it
is
much
better
to
keep
them
clean
than
to
keep
cleaning
them.
A
colorl
ess
ultra-
v
iolet
filter (LEITZ UVa)
left
permanently
on the lens,
wi
ll
protect
the
surface
against
outside
influences
(e.g.,
fine
sand
at
the seaside). The
lenshood
,
too
,
guards
the lens
against
·
accidental
contact
with
your
fingers
,
and
against
splashes in
rainy
weather
. To
remove
dust use a
soft
camel's
hair
brush,
or
a clean linen
cloth
pre
v
iously
washed
with
pure
soap
. (
Other
washing
or
cleaning
agents
may
lea
ve
harmful
chemical residues
.)
In
addition
to
its
name
, ev
ery
LEICA lens
also
carries
its
own
"personal
" serial
number
e
ngraved
on
the
front
mount
.
Make
a
note
of
this
number,
and
of
the
serial
number
of
y
our
LEICA;
they
may
be
pro
ve
to
be
of
great
help
in case
of
loss.
15
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