^ Postkamera - in 24 x 36 and 24 x 27 versions for Post Office telephone meter reading with a fixed focus Summaron f= 3.5 cm 1:2.8 lens Postkameras formerly assigned to MD are now assigned to M3 per research done by Pierre Jeandrain. Update: A reader just sent me another way of determining the production year of Leica cameras and lenses: just got to this website, and type the serial number. Unmarked SN's match between both lists and Gandy's batch total was used without recalculation.
** Serial numbers from Serial Numbers Leica Cameras with computed batch total. * Serial numbers and batch total from Gandy's List The Leica M System 1960 (M3) Leicaphilia.
estimation notches in rangefinder, like with M2, from 1958 Change of 'dog-ear' to rivetless modern strap lugs somewhere around 1960. Double-stroke wind-on replaced with single-stroke in 1958 # 914251. Modern shutter speeds from 1957 # 854001. 1958 two notches added to range finder frame in viewfinder to indicate depth of field jcb No frame selector lever 1955 # 785891. Many changes of small detailsĀ : lug shape / size / position throughout production run. Variants - 1958 single stoke -ss film transport lever replaced double stroke -ds from # 915521.Production era - 1954-1966 233,209 assigned numbers (per list below) including 1320 in black and 214 in olive green.IMARO = IGEMO + ELMAR-M ( Elmar (III) f= 5 cm 1:3.5) ISUMO = IGEMO + SOOIC-M ( F = 5 cm 1:2 Summicron II) ISUMO-N = IGEMO + SOOIC-M ( F = 5 cm 1:2 Summicron II)-DR near focusing range ISUMO-S = IGEMO + SOOIC-M ( F = 5 cm 1:2 Summicron II)-Rigid ISAIO = IGEMO + SOOIA-M ( F = 5 cm 1:1.5 Summarit) 10330 = M3 J (black paint version made for Japanese market)