Circa 1933-39. The Model F was Leica's first slow shutter speed capable focal plane shutter equipped body. As one of Leica's earliest models of any duration it was subject to a great many evolutionary changes during its short approximate six year life span, the first two of which as Leica's flagship. The model shown is a particularly beautiful and largely unrecognized but highly collectible variation. Early vulcanite was deliberately produced deficient carbon black color which results in a very nice brownish coloration which coordinates extremely well with the early nickel plated knobs and controls.

It has been published on some websites that the carbon deficient derived brown effect probably comes from the fading effect of the camera body having been on display and exposure to UV light. This is nonsense as carbon black, the source of black coloration in black vulcanized rubber, does not fade. The brown color effect is delightful and would appear to be very deliberate. The illustration below displays a brown Leica III (Model F) adjacent to an earlier vintage black vulcanite and chrome Leica II.