C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-35mm
The Voigtländer Bessa R3M Olive is a limited-edition variant of the standard R3M, released by Cosina in approximately 2007. The camera is mechanically identical to the black R3M - same 1.0x viewfinder magnification, same fully mechanical shutter (1s-1/2000s), same Leica M-bayonet mount - distinguished by its olive-drab body finish. Like all R3M bodies, the shutter operates across its full speed range without batteries; the match-needle TTL meter uses SR44 cells as a guide only.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The R3M in military olive - a limited-edition 1:1 finder Bessa for collectors and 50mm devotees.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M bayonet |
| Years | 2007 (limited edition) |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/2000s + B, vertical-travel metal blades |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | TTL SPD match-needle, EV 1-19 |
| Modes | Manual only |
| Viewfinder | Optical brightline, 1.0x; 40/50/75/90mm framelines |
| Mechanical fallback | Yes - full speed range without battery |
| Dimensions | ~136 x 81 x 33 mm |
| Battery | 2x SR44 / LR44 (meter only) |
Cosina introduced the Bessa R3M in 2006 as the mechanical complement to the R3A (2004). Within its first two years, Cosina produced at least one special-finish variant in olive drab - a recurring strategy in the Bessa line, which had previously seen chrome and silver treatments applied to the R2-series. The olive finish placed the R3M visually in the tradition of military-issue and press-use rangefinders, echoing the look of certain Soviet and Japanese cameras of the Cold War era.
The standard R3M remained in production through approximately 2015; the olive variant was not a long-run product. Surviving examples now trade at a premium over standard black R3M bodies in comparable condition.
The Olive R3M is valued on two axes: photographic and collectible. Photographically it delivers exactly what the standard R3M does - a 1:1 mechanical M-mount rangefinder for dedicated 50mm shooters - without compromise or addition. The finish changes nothing functional.
Collectibly, the olive drab finish is uncommon enough that mint-boxed examples attract attention among Cosina-Voigtländer collectors. The Bessa line was not a prestige product in the way that Leica editions are, so its limited-run variants carry a smaller premium relative to standard models than equivalent Leica specials, but they do carry a meaningful one.
Full Leica M bayonet compatibility. All Leica M, Zeiss ZM, Voigtländer M-mount, and LTM-adapted lenses fit. Natural pairings for the 1.0x finder: Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH, Nokton Classic 50/1.5 SC, Color-Skopar 50/2.5; Zeiss ZM Planar 50/2, C-Sonnar 50/1.5; Leica Summicron 50/2. The 40mm frameline suits the Nokton Classic 40/1.4. No 35mm frameline is provided; wide-angle work requires an accessory finder.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Voigtländer Bessa R3M Olive
Image coming soon