User manual MINOX M3

Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals This Instruction Book contains everything you should know about your LEICA M3. 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 highgrade 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 movement 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 Button With the right index finger gently press down the release button - never jerk 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 off the release button (lift the finger off), and you can once more operate the transport lever to tension the shutter and advance the film. ® = registered 2 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals The Shutter Speed Dial controls the exposure times. The engraved figures stand for fractions of a second thus 1000 1 indicates /1000 second, 125 is 1 1 /125 second, 4 is /4 second, and 1 1 stands for /1 second, i.e. 1 second. The dial engages at each position when the set shutter speeds opposite the small index 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 1 be set within the range of 1 to /8 1 1 second, also between /15 and /30 1 1 second, and /60 to /1000 second 1 (or to /1000 second). The speed dial features click-stops at all engraved settings. The photo-electric exposure meter LEICAMETER "MC" couples to the shutter speed dial as shown on pages 19-21. For exposures with slow shutter speeds you must, of course, have a firm support. A tripod is ideal in conjunction with a locking cable-release. Screw in the coble-release without pressing the button. The handy LEITZ table tripod is very useful when travelling. Counter The Film Counter is coupled with the transport lever. If the film was correctly loaded (see notes on pages 24-26), the film counter indicates the number of exposures made. The counter stops at No. 40, and automatically returns to its initial position when you withdraw the take-up spool. 3 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals The Iris Diaphragm Hold the lens of your LEICA up to your eye, and rotate the aperture ring. You can then see through the lens components how the iris diaphragm opens and closes. It thus works rather like the iris of your eye which also opens or closes to adapt itself to weaker or stronger light. The iris diaphragm of the lens has a similar purpose, namely to cut down very bright light by "stopping down" -- i.e. the use of a smaller lens aperture. 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 aperture 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. Similarly on opening up, each aperture passes twice the light of the next smaller one. So remember: a high aperture number signifies a small aperture, and vice-versa. *) The length of this scale of numbers depends on the type of lens. 4 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Depth-ofThe Depth-of-Field Scale The picture reproduces sharpest those parts of the scene which are at the exact distance ­ in a plane parallel to the film ­ on which the lens is focused. This maximum sharpness gradually falls off in front of, and behind, that focused distance, resulting in a certain zone within which everything is still acceptably sharp, The extent of this zone of sharpness ­ the "depth of field" ­ depends on the subject distance, the focal length of the lens, and the aperture. Stopping down increases the sharp field, which is desirable for most subjects extending appreciably in depth. This also explains the importance of aperture control in photography. 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 50mm SUMMICRON lens to 15 feet, the available depth of field with an aperture of f/4 (see red arrows in the 1 illustration) extends from about 12 /2 to 20 feet. If, however, you stop down to f/11, the zone of sharpness covers a field from about 9 to 40 feet. (When altering the aperture, be sure to adjust the exposure time accordingly.) See also page 9: Optical Depth-of-field Indicator in the measuring field of the combination range-viewfinder. 5 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals BrilliantRangeThe Brilliant-Frame Range-Viewfinder of the LEICA M3 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 with the standard 50 mm lens. This holds true even if you are in a hurry and should happen to glance obliquely through the finder. The brilliant frame is coupled to the focusing movement and automatically 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 occasionally open your other eye to survey the field, you will not 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. 6 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals This is how the subject appears in the brilliant-frame range-viewfinder with a 50 mm lens in position. 7 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals The Distance can be set on the distance scale engraved on every lens, or with the aid of the rangefinder image visible in the finder. Some lenses lock in the infinity position; for focusing 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 also page 16). 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 metres. 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 depth-offield available and for special subjects where the rangefinder cannot be used. Practice in using the rangefinder is important for developing an efficient focusing technique, 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 centre of the finder area. Hold the LEICA in such a way that the vertical window bar cuts through this rectangular rangefinder field. Inside the rangefinder 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 adjust the lens while still looking through 8 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals 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. Whenever vertical lines cut through the rangefinder field, you can also measure the distance by the split-image method. This is mode particularly easy by the sharp boundary of the rangefinder field. The part of the subject that is displaced sideways in this field moves across during focusing until the image becomes continuous across the boundary of the frame. In measuring the distance you have at the same time set the lens exactly to this distance. The functioning of the optical depth-of-field indicator in the measuring field of the combination range-viewfinder: Objects outside depth-of-field The double image lies within the wide upper marks: Object is still rendered sharp at f/16 Plane of sharp focus 9 The double image lies within the narrow lower marks: Object is still rendered sharp at f/5.6 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Automatic Finder Adjustment for 90mm and 135mm Lenses 90 mm Lenses Fit a 90mm LEICA lens in your LEICA M3, lock it in position, and again look through the rangeviewfinder. You will now see on additional bright line finder frame which indicates the field of view covered by the 90mm lens within the field of the standard 50mm lens, and reproduced on the film with 1.8 times magnification. An important point is that the surrounding subject area remains visible in the finder, so that you can easily follow moving subjects and bring them within the 90mm finder field. In the same way the finder automatically indicates the view of the 135mm lens when you fit the 135mm ELMAR in the camera. In addition, the parallax error is 10 Field of view with a 90 mm LEICA lens. The subject area covered with the longer focal length is indicated by the additional bright line frame within the large brilliant frame showing the field of view of the 50 mm lens, which remains visible all the time. Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals automatically compensated during focusing - just as with the 50mm lens ­ over the whole focusing range. The image frames visible in the finder also allow for the reduction of the field of view due to the fact that the angle covered by the lens decreases at nearer distances. The image frames are designed so as to include the full field taken in by the film even at the shortest subject distances that can be set on the coupled LEICA lenses. At greater subject distances the lens therefore covers a slightly larger angle of view than shown in the finder. When you fit one of the 35mm wide-angle LEICA lenses with integral M 3 finder attachment to the camera, the viewfinder is automatically converted for wide-angle photography. Field of view with the 135 mm HEKTOR lens which yields a magnification of 2.7 times as compared with the standard 50 mm lens. 11 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Lever in normal position: field of view for 50mm lens Lever pointing inwards: field of view for 90mm lens Lever pointing outwards: field of view for 135mm lens The The Finder Frame Preselector With the small lever on the front of the body you can moke the 90mm and 135mm finder frames visible in the viewfinder even when, for example, the standard 50 mm lens is fitted to the camera. You instantly see then whether any given subject is better taken with a lens of different focal length. 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 135mm lens appears within the frame for the 50 mm lens. Holding the Camera A good camera grip is the best insurance against camera shake. Hold the LEICA M3 so that the base rests in the palms of both hands, with the thumb against the transport lever, and the index finger resting lightly on the release button. Use the left hand to operate the lens focusing lever. Keep the right eye close to the view- and rangefinder eyepiece so that the left eye, when open, can survey the whole view. Practice holding the camera 12 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals so that it is supported as much as possible against the face; the camera, head, and hands should act as one unit. The purpose of it all 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 hallmark 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 shots without camera shake. If you find it more convenient, the left eye is just as suitable for viewing as the right one. When you want to change from horizontal to vertical shots, turn the LEICA upright about the optical axis of the rangeviewfinder. 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 upright 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 plate. Focus the lens with the left hand, and support the upper part of the camera against your forehead. This hold ensures particularly smooth releasing and film advancing. Whether you take upright or horizontal shots, you never have to take the eye from the camera, not even for picture sequences. 13 about 10 seconds delay Close-up pictures can be taken with the camera held in the hand or mounted on a tripod, the image being focused automatically with the coupled range-finder. As the depth of field is greatly reduced at such close distances, the lens should be stopped down to at least f/8 or f/11. The Delayed Action Self-Timer SelfPull down the self-timer lever. The LEICA shutter can already be tensioned, otherwise tension it now. To make the exposure, however, do not press the release button, but the small button above the self-timer lever. You will then hear the delayed action mechanism running down while the self-timer lever slowly swings up again, releasing the shutter just before the lever reaches its original position. If you watch the lever as it 'returns, you can not only hear the moment of the exposure, but also see it; this occurs when the lever points obliquely up to the left. The delayed action release works with all shutter speeds from 1 to 1/1000 second. With the self-timer lever fully pulled down, the delay is about 10 seconds; halfway down it is 5 seconds. Intermediate positions give intermediate delay times. You therefore have plenty of time to get into the picture yourself. The self-timer is also valuable for releasing very long tripodmounted exposures. Lenses The Interchangeable Lenses of the LEICA M 3 You have a choice of focal lengths from 21 to 400 mm and have at your disposal two lenses with the exceptional aperture of f/1.4. With this range you can choose your viewpoint at will, and have complete control over the field of view and perspective. You can exhaust all pictorial possibilities. 21 mm Super-Angulon f/4 28 mm Summaron f/5.6 35 mm Summaron f/2.8 35 mm Summicron f/2 35 mm Summilux f/1.4 50 mm Elmar f/2.8 50 mm Summicron f/2 50 mm Summilux f/1.4 65 mm Elmar f/3.5** 90 mm Elmar f/4* 90 mm Elmarit f/2.8* 90 mm Summicron f/2* 125 mm Hektor f/2.5** 135 mm Elmar f/4* 200 mm Telyt f/4* 280 mm Telyt f/4.8** 400 mm Telyt f/5** Point of release * These lenses are rangefinder coupled, but they may also be used with VISOFLEX II. ** These lenses must be used with VISOFLEX I or II reflex housing, save the 65 mm ELMAR which can be used only with the VISOFLEX II. 14 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals 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 anti-clockwise to release the lens. This can now be lifted out of the mount. Lenses fitted with an infinity lock should be locked at infinity before changing. A red dot is visible next to the bayonet lock button. When another lens is to be inserted, place it in position with the red dot on the lens mount opposite the red dot on the camera body. Then secure the lens by turning it clockwise until the bayonet lock engages with an audible click. Avoid changing lenses .in strong direct light. Turn your back to the sun, and hold the camera opening towards your body. If you keep the camera and lens separately 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 90mm ELMAR f/4) can be unlocked by slightly turning the front anticlockwise 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 extended and locked.) With any lens, always remember to take off the lens cap. Lens Coating Modern coated LEICA lenses show a colored sheen on the surface, due to an antireflection layer which appreciably increases the brilliance and crispness of the image. The outer surfaces are hard coated and will therefore stand up to careful cleaning. In addition to its name, every LEICA lens also carries its own "personal" serial number engraved on the front mount. Make a note of this number, and of the serial number of your LEICA; they may be prove to be of great help in case of loss. Lens Care Any high-quality lens can yield its best performance only if the two outside glass surfaces are perfect condition. And it is much better to keep them clean than to keep cleaning them. A light yellow filter (with black-and-white film) or a colourless ultraviolet filter (for colour shots), left permanently on the lens, will protect the surface against outside influences (e.g. fine sand at the seaside). The lens hood, too, guards the lens against accidental contact with your fingers, and against splashes of water in rainy weather. To remove dust from the lens surface use a soft camel's hair brush, or in an emergency, a clean linen rag previously washed with pure soap. (Other washing or cleaning agents may leave harmful chemical residues.) 16 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals DualThe 50mm Dual-Range SUMMICRON This version of the 50mm SUMMICRON lens has two focusing ranges; 1. The normal 1 range from infinity to 3 /2 feet (1 meter); 2. The close-up range from about 35 to 19 inches (88 to 48 cm) from the film-plane. An optical finder attachment fits onto the top of the lens mount for use within the near range. This adapts the coupled range-viewfinder for close-up focusing. The lens thus acts at the same time as a close-up focusing mount with parallax compensation. The lens is inserted into the LEICA M3 -- without finder attachment -- in the usual way, by aligning the red dots on mount and body opposite each other, and turning clock-wise to lock. Focusing between infinity and 31/2, feet (1 meter). Over this range the lens is used like any other LEICA lens. At 31/2 feet (1 meter) the focusing movement is limited by a stop. Focusing between 35 and 19 inches (88 and 48 cm). The distances are measured from the back of the camera to the subject. Set the focusing mount of the lens to its near limit of 3/2 feet (1 meter), as shown in Fig. 1, pull outwards, and move it across the stop into the 35 inch (88 cm) position (Fig. 2). The lens remains locked in this position until the optical finder attachment is fully pushed home in its special fitting, thus releasing the focusing movement for the close-up range (Fig. 3). Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals EverIn its Ever-Ready Case the LEICA M3 is protected against the weather and minor knocks, yet is always ready for action. The lid of the ever-ready case is pivoted so that it is well out of the way even for upright shots, and cannot obstruct the lens. LEICA filters improve tonal rendition in black-and-white pictures. The yellow and orange filters, for example, yield pictorial cloud effects. The LEITZ polarizing filters subdue disturbing reflections from glass, water, and polished surfaces (other than metal ones) and increase the contrast of clouds against the sky. They are also useful in color photography. All filters for the LEICA M3 screw into the front mount of the camera lens. For special purposes two filters can even be used together (though with some risk of vignetting, if a wide lens aperture is used). Lens Hoods protect the lens against direct rays of strong light sources that might give rise to flare, and also against rain and snow. Hold the lens hood so as to press in the two spring clips, place it over the lens and let it engage. Lens hood and filter can be combined; provided the correct hood is used for the lens, it will not cause vignetting (shading of the corners of the negative). If you use the ever-ready case for the LEICA M3, the lens hood may be reversed over a number of LEICA lenses, and special lens hood caps are provided to protect the front surface of the lens. 18 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals Before fitting the LEICAMETER "MC," set the shutter speed dial of the LEICA M 3 to "B." Then rotate the milled setting ring of the exposure meter in the direction of the arrow as far as it will go. The index line on the ring should coincide with the index line on the meter housing, as shown clearly in the illustration at the bottom of page 21. Now lift up the ring and continue turning in the direction of the arrow. The triangular index mark on top of the meter will then be opposite one of the figures between 4 and 120. The LEICAMETER "MC" is a novel type of accessory exposure meter which couples with the focal plane shutter of the LEICA M 3. You therefore have the choice of using your LEICA camera either with the coupled exposure meter to ensure correct exposures every time, or without the meter in the usual way. Full details of the many applications of the LEICAMETER "MC" are given in the special instructions issued by the manufacturers, Metrawott AG. of Nuremberg. 19 Not For Resale ­ Free Download at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/manuals The exposure meter helps you a great deal in avoiding incorrect exposures, especially with color film which needs very accurate exposure. But the instrument is equally valuable for black-and-white films, for it ensures perfect negatives of uniform quality that are easy to enlarge. Next push the LEICAMETER "MC" into the accessory shoe of the camera as far as it will go. Turn the milled setting ring of the exposure meter backwards again against the direction of the arrow until it audibly engages in the shutter speed dial of the camera. The camera is now coupled with the exposure meter. To remove the LEICAMETER "MC", uncouple the milled setting ring from the shutter speed dial by setting it to "B", lifting up, and turning in the direction of the arrow (see illustration on the right) until the triangular index mark is opposite one of the figures between 4 and 120. 20