Description
The Leica III g which was produced from 1957 to 1960 was the last model of the classic Leica screw mount cameras and is considered by many Leica collectors and users as the culmination of this series.
Introduced three years after the market launch of the Leica M3, the III g combined the previously familiar operating concept of Leica’s screw mount cameras with some of the new features of the Leica M series. This includes the viewfinder with frame lines for 50mm and 90mm focal length and the film reminder disc on the back of the camera. The film spool of the III g was identical to the spool used in the M3 (from 1957).
In the short manufacturing period of just three years, a total of approximately 41,458 cameras were manufactured, including approx. 1,780 units assembled at the Leitz Canada factory in Midland, Ontario.
Within regular production, there were only minor externally visible changes in detail. Affected were, for example, transport button, shutter speed wheel (short-time button) and accessory shoe. Also internally, there were changes during the construction period, e.g. the fixing/mounting process for the top plate of the III g.
Probably the rarest and most sought-after variant of the Leica III g is the black painted version for the Swedish army. Only 125 cameras were made on special order in 1960.
The offered Leica III g is technically and cosmetically in very good condition. It comes the year 1957 and already has some features of the later models.
Total production: approx. 41.458 units (incl. Leitz Canada IIIg models)
Rarity: R5
Rarity forecast: R5
