Leica M3

In the novel Goldfinger, James Bond uses a Leica M3 to capture the cheating methods of Auric Goldfinger. In the words of Ian Fleming, James Bond "(...) went to his suitcase and extracted an M3 Leica, an MC exposure meter, a K2 filter and a flash holder." (Ian Fleming, Goldfinger, Signet Books, 1959, chapter four, page 29).

Released in 1954, the Leica M3 is to date the most successful M model, with over 220 000 sold.

Trivia
The Leica M3 camera has been voted the top gadget of all time by the gadget experts at ebay.co.uk and Stuff magazine (read more).

Minox, the company that made the spy camera seen in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, made a small digital version of the Leica M3, read more about this camera in the Spy Gadgets section.

Recommended books about Leica:

Leica General Catalogue for 1961: Models M1, M2, M3 and their accessories
Available on Amazon.com

Leica Camera Repair Handbook
Available on Amazon.com