[Review & Sample Photos] Leica M3 × Collapsible Summicron 50mm f/2 | Film Snapshots with a Classic Camera and Lens from the 1950s

Walking through the city, there are moments when you suddenly want to point your camera at an ordinary scene. People coming and going, light falling on buildings, the expression of the city just beyond a slight change in your line of sight. You don't have to go anywhere special; things you want to preserve in photos are close at hand.

What we introduce this time is the combination of the film rangefinder camera "Leica M3" and the first-generation "Summicron 50mm f/2 collapsible (collapsible Summicron)."

The M3 appeared in 1954. The first-generation Summicron 50mm f/2 debuted in a screw-mount version the year before, and an M-mount version compatible with the M3 was also released in 1954.

Combining two pieces of equipment born in almost the same era, you search for compositions with your own eyes, focus, and release the shutter. Built around five sample photos, this article introduces the 50mm standard angle of view and the joy of taking photos with a mechanical Leica.

Leica M3 | An Approx. 0.91x Viewfinder Made for Seeing at 50mm

The Leica M3 is a 35mm film rangefinder camera introduced in 1954. It is known as the first M-series Leica to adopt the Leica M mount.

One of its greatest features is its high-magnification viewfinder of approximately 0.91x. It has frame lines for 50mm, 90mm and 135mm, and is designed so that with a 50mm lens like this one, it is easy to check the shooting area in the viewfinder.

Focusing uses the rangefinder method of aligning the double image in the center of the viewfinder. It is not a system where you see the image directly through the lens, but you can focus while observing the movement of the subject and its surroundings.

The M3 has neither a built-in light meter nor autofocus. You decide the exposure, focus, release the shutter, and advance to the next frame with the winding lever. It is a camera where you move through the whole shooting process with your own hands.

It takes effort, but being able to enjoy those operations is exactly the appeal of a mechanical Leica.

Summicron 50mm f/2 Collapsible | The Appeal of the First Summicron, Packed into a Small Barrel

The Summicron 50mm f/2 collapsible is an early model of the Summicron, which has a long history as Leica's standard lens. An L39 screw-mount version appeared in 1953, and an M-mount version was added in 1954.

As the name "collapsible" suggests, the lens barrel can be retracted for compact storage when not in use. When shooting, you pull out the barrel and lock it, and its classic metal appearance is also striking.

The lens construction is 7 elements in 6 groups. It is also known for its so-called "air lens" design, with an air space between the front elements.

The 50mm focal length is a standard angle of view that neither takes in the surroundings broadly like a wide angle nor pulls in distant objects like a telephoto. Depending on what you photograph, your own movement as the photographer, getting closer or stepping back, is directly linked to the composition of the photo.

The maximum aperture is f/2. Opening the aperture creates bokeh depending on the distance to the background, while stopping down makes it easier to keep the information in the background in the frame. The actual rendering of an old lens also depends on the condition of the individual copy, so it is important to look at sample photos as you get to know it.

Sample Photo Review | Everyday Life Captured with the Leica M3 and 50mm

When shooting with just one 50mm lens, you naturally start thinking about how much of the scene in front of you to include in the frame. Step back a few paces when you want to capture more, and move a little closer when you want to make your subject stand out. That way of managing distance is also part of the fun of a prime lens.

Sample ① | Choosing the Scene in Front of You from a 50mm Perspective

The 50mm standard lens is not a focal length where everything fits in the frame just by pointing the camera. That is exactly why you end up thinking about "what you want to preserve" from the scene in front of you.

What to include in the frame, and what to deliberately leave out. Just looking through the viewfinder and changing your position slightly changes the impression of the photo. The M3's 50mm frame lines are a reliable guide for that kind of composition.

Sample ② | Walking the City with Light and Shadow in Mind

What is interesting when photographing the city on film is paying attention to the direction of light and the differences in brightness. The same thing looks very different in the parts where light falls and the parts in shadow.

Because the Leica M3 does not set exposure automatically, you set the aperture and shutter speed by using an external light meter or judging the brightness of the surroundings. If the brightness does not change much, you can basically keep the settings and concentrate on composition.

Sample ③ | Bringing Subject and Background Together with the Sense of Distance of 50mm

When using 50mm, you find yourself thinking not only about the distance to the subject but also about the distance between the subject and the background.

Both the background bokeh created when you open the aperture and the surrounding information that remains when you stop down a little are each part of the photo. Do you isolate just the subject, or show it as a single scene including the background? The photographer's intent shows in the choice of settings and position.

Sample ④ | Waiting for the Moment Inside the Viewfinder

In snapshot photography, even if you stand in the same place, the scene you see changes over time. Once you have roughly decided your composition, waiting for the moment you want to release the shutter is also an enjoyable way to shoot.

Unlike film cameras with motorized film advance, the M3 is wound by hand for each frame. It is not about the speed of continuous shooting but about the feeling of choosing a single frame at your own timing. Being able to savor that difference is one of the interesting things about mechanical cameras.

Sample ⑤ | Preserving a Familiar Scene in a Single Photo

The appeal of film photography does not lie only in special subjects. Even in places you normally pass by, walking with a camera makes you pay attention to light, shapes and the sense of distance.

When you keep shooting with a single 50mm lens, there is the joy of changing your photos through your own position and composition, without relying on different focal lengths. The small collapsible Summicron is a lens you will want to take out on such city walks.

Making Each Photo with Your Own Hands: A Shooting Experience Unique to the Leica M3

Film cameras with motorized advance have the advantage of letting you take the next shot at a brisk tempo. The Leica M3, on the other hand, is a camera where you operate the winding lever after releasing the shutter and prepare for the next frame with your own hands.

Not only deciding the aperture, shutter speed and focus yourself, but even the operation of advancing the film is in your hands.

With more effort involved, the rhythm of shooting changes too. Look through the viewfinder, find what you want to shoot, release the shutter, and on to the next frame.

The operations themselves, until you finish taking a single photo, become the time spent taking photographs.

The combination of the Leica M3 and the collapsible Summicron has that appeal of a mechanical film camera. Precisely because there are few convenient functions, you can enjoy the parts the photographer thinks through and chooses on their own.

Things to Check Before Using a Collapsible Summicron

With a collapsible lens, you pull out the barrel and lock it in its set position before shooting. Normal shooting is not possible while it is retracted, so check this before raising the camera.

Also, since the Leica M3 has no built-in light meter, one option for checking exposure is to use an external light meter. The lens's minimum focusing distance is about 1m, so it is not suited to shooting extremely close to subjects.

With used equipment that has been in use for many years, the accuracy of the shutter and rangefinder, the collapsing and locking action of the lens, and the condition of the glass are also points to check for each individual copy.

Summary | Photographing Today's City with a Combination from More Than 70 Years Ago

The Leica M3 and the Summicron 50mm f/2 collapsible. Both are essential pieces of equipment in any discussion of 1950s Leica.

Think about composition with the approx. 0.91x viewfinder, and set focus by aligning the double image. Once you release the shutter, prepare for the next frame with the winding lever.

Through that series of operations, you can fully savor the feeling that you are the one taking the photograph.

Both the 50mm angle of view and the compactness of the collapsible lens fit naturally into the time spent shooting as you walk through the city.

Even without going somewhere special, there are moments you want to capture in ordinary everyday life.

Why not take a Leica M3 loaded with your favorite film and look at your usual city with slightly different eyes?

The Camera and Lens Used

See the Summicron 50mm f/2 collapsible listings here

Five Star Camera carries a wide variety of used cameras and lenses, including film cameras and vintage lenses. Enjoy the individual character of each piece of equipment and find your favorite camera or lens.