The Leica M3 I found in a thrift shop in Cincinnati - worth restoring or just a shelf piece?

I was down in Cincinnati last weekend and found a beat up Leica M3 in a thrift shop for $80. The shutter fires but the rangefinder is fogged and the curtain has a pinhole. My buddy says it's a total waste of time and money to fix, but I think even if I spend $300 on a CLA it's still a classic piece worth saving. On the other hand, you can get a working Canon P for the same money and have change left over. What do you folks think - is there a line where a camera body is too far gone, or do you always try to resurrect the classics?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy82015d ago

Whoa, $80 for a Leica M3?! That's insane!

felix41415d ago

Whoa, $80 for a Leica M3" - man, that still hurts my soul you found that deal.

martin.riley15d ago

Wait, you found an M3 for 80 bucks and you're asking if it's worth fixing? Honesty, that's a no-brainer. Ngl, I've seen beat-to-hell M3s go for five times that price just for parts. The rangefinder fog and pinhole curtain are annoying but super common issues. A good CLA guy can clean the rangefinder and patch that curtain for way less than 300 if you shop around. Even if you spend 300, you're still getting a working Leica for under 400 bucks. That's a steal in my book. Your buddy probably just doesn't get why people shoot film, don't listen to him.