Leica III Camera

This is the Leica III. Built with a top shutter speed of 500th of a second, the Leica III was made in 1933, and was produced in vast numbers by Leitz until it was superceded in 1936 by the IIIa.The only addition to the IIIa was an increase to the maximum shutter speed, which leapt to a speedy 1000th of a second.
The Leica III doesn't have a flash synch (it's a Leica, who needs twinkie lights!) and its shutter speed runs from 1/500th down to T. The dial on the front you can see is for the slow shutter speeds running from a 20th of a second to T.

Lenses

Summaron (SOONC) 35/3.5
This has been my favourite lens with the Leica III. It's wonderfully compact, has good resolution, and makes a great one lens light weight kit when travelling. I took this and the 50 Summar with me overseas for 2 months and they performed very well. The only thing i can't stress enough with the thread mount lenses is to not only use a hood--but make sure you get the right hood!

Summar (SUMUS) 50/2.0
The Summar is a relatively high speed lens and is possibly the best buy of the LTM's. It doesn't have the best contrast and beware of flare. The uncoated ones are notoriously soft, so you're more than likely to come across a number of these with cleaning marks. If you can afford it, i'd recommend picking up a Summitar, which is heavier, but is also a more modern lens design. Now, having said that-the Summar is lighter and the lens is superb for fast glass that was designed in1936! Until a recent assignment i considered parting with my DR-Summicron. I don't use 50mm a great deal and i thought the Summar would hold me over until later. I was wrong, but it did cross my mind for a while!

1.

This book is probably going to be the future benchmark reference for information about using non-Leitz lenses on your Leica. Well worth the purchase.

2. Check out the Cosina company for recent additions in LTM lenses and meter's

3. Stephen Gandy's Camera Quest site is an excellent archive of all things Leica

4. Camera Guild has a site which illustrates a lot of LTM equipment. Most of the LTM photos are borrowed from there until i manage to take some of my own.

5. Peter Grisaffi has solved my problem of the missing Leica III window (Thank you, Peter!). As well as being a great Birthday present giver, Peter does excellent work with repairs to Leicas, and has an interesting page detailing the 1946 British Intelligence investigation of the Leitz Works

6. Other books about using Leicas that have helped me immensely are as follows:

'The Leica Collectors Guide: 1925-1960' compiled by D.R. Grossmark; published by Hove Camera Photo Books
'The Leica Book' by Theo Kisselbach; published by Heerling Verlag, Trans. F. Bradley
'The Leica and Leicaflex Way' by Andrew Matheson; published by Focal Press Limited.
'Leica Manual and data book' by Willard D. Morgan; published by Morgan and Morgan

The last two books are comprehensive and excellent. Depending on what model of camera you have the information will vary. If you can find one that includes pertinent information about your camera--great! If not, it is still going to give you a lot of information you will need if you are going to go further with Leica. I hate to say it, but you will.