The Most Advanced 35mm Rangefinder Cameras Ever
Technological landmarks that defined the species. Part 1: Leicas
By Jason Schneider
The most important 35mm still camera evermade may well be the first Leica I, Model A officially announced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925. It wasn’t a rangefinder camera of course, but this scale-focusing ultra-compact beauty with a fixed eyelevel optical finder, a 1/20-1.500 sec plus T focal plane shutter and a non-interchangeable 50mm f/3.5 collapsible Elmar lens set forth the basic parameters of almost all subsequent 35mm rangefinder camaras. While the Leica A was neither the first 35mm still camera nor the first to adopt the 24 x 36mm format as some Leica ads of the ’70s proclaimed, (the U.S.-made Simplex of 1914 gave a choice of 18 x 24mm or 24 x36mm formats!), it did provide such key features as a horizontal 35mm format orientation, automatic frame positioning, frame counting, and shutter cocking when you wind the film to the next exposure, a top-mounted shutter speed dial, and even a top-mounted cold shoe for an accessory rangefinder. Such features seem pedestrian today, but they were cutting edge nearly a century ago and soon became standard on practically all focal-plane shutter 35s.
Leica I, Model A of 1925 with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat. A scale focusing classic, it established the basic form factor and features of the rangefinder 35.
The Leica II (Model D): The first rangefinder Leica
While the exquisitely spartan Leica I, Model A is rightly hailed as a technological and historical landmark, it also provided the basis for Oskar Barnack’s second greatest masterwork, Leica’s first interchangeable lens, coupled rangefinder camera, the Leica II (Model D) of 1932. Building upon thebasic chassis of the Leica I, the Leica II replaced the simple optical finder with a small optical unit consisting of a high-magnification (1.5x) rangefinder and a centrally placed 50mm optical viewfinder, added a standardized 39mm Leica screw mount on the front, and most important, incorporated a spring-loaded rangefinder coupling arm within the top of the mount.A roller on the end of the coupling arm mates with a precision metal cam on the back of each lens, so the armmoves in and out as the lens is focusedensuring that the rangefinder images coincide only when the lens is infocus. This simple, elegant system was so effective that it was used on all subsequent screw mount Leicas until the last Leica IIIg rolled off the production line in 1960. Amazingly, the Leica II is virtually the same size as the “precision miniature” Leica A and only a tad heavier with 50mm f/3.5 lens, a remarkable achievement. It’s notable that the farmore audacious and complex Contax I introduced by Zeiss-Ikon in 1932 to compete with the Leica never achieved the Leica’s success despite having a bayonet lens mount, aremovable back, a vertical “metal slat” focal plane shutter with speeds to 1/1000 sec, and a glorious line of Zeiss lenses designed by the great Ludwig Bertele. Its downfall: its shutter was notoriously unreliable despite numerous attempts to fix it.
Leica II of 1932, shown here with nickel finished bright ware, was Leica's first interchangeable lens rangefinder camera. Image courtesy Leitz Auction.
The Leica M3 of 1954: The greatest Leica ever?
Widely hailed as the finest interchangeable-lens 35mm rangefinder camera ever made, the Leica M3 was the most advanced practical rangefinder 35 of its day, and the first new-from-the-ground-up Leica in nearly 40 years. The most significant advances in the M3 are a magnificent long base (68.5mm) nearly life-size (0.92x) combined range/viewfinder with true projected, parallax-compensating, auto-indexing framelines for 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm lenses, the superb M-type bayonet mount, a two-stroke film-advance lever (later versions provide single-stroke operation), and a hinged back section to facilitate cleaning, shutter checking, and aligning the film. A translucent light-collecting window in between the rangefinder and viewfinder windows provides illumination for the bright, crisp white finder framelines, and a frameline-selector lever below the front viewfinder window lets you visualize the effect of mounting other lenses. But merely enumerating its outstanding features hardly does justice to this exquisitely refined machine. The integration of its various components is brilliant. It’s rubberized, 1-1/1000 sec plus B, cloth focal plane shutter is whisper quiet. Its rounded contours mold seamlessly to your hands, and its shutter release, wind lever, and focusing mount operate withsilky precision. Within a few years, leading Japanese manufacturers, notably Nikon, and Canon, produced splendid rivals to the Leica M3 with multi-frame range/viewfinders and much more, but none ever equaled, much less surpassed the Leica in terms of overall excellence of design.
The first production Leica M3, Serial No 700,001with 50mm f/2 collapsible Summicron. It sired all future M-series Leicas including the latest digital Leica M11.
Perhaps the greatest tribute to the Leica M3 (and its rare pro version the original MP) are the legacy of memorable images it has produced in the hands of top photojournalists, and the fact that it still endures. The current Leica MP is really nothing more than an upgraded M3 with additional finder frame lines and built in TTL metering, and the recently discontinued M7 is basically anupgraded M3 with built-in autoexposure.
Leica M3 cutaway reveals its inner beauty. Its elegantly complex commendably straightforward design changed the trajectory of future rangefinder 35s.
The Leica M3 is a fantastic user collectible, but very hard to find in mint or near-mint condition. The single-stroke version of mid-60’s, with more rugged, durable wind and shutter mechanisms, a larger exit pupil for enhanced finder brightness, and serial number above 1,100,000, is especially prized (and more expensive), and early two-stroke models in average condition are more affordable. Favored lenses are the collapsible 50mm f/2 Summicron, the Dual-Range 50mm f/2 Summicron, which gets down to 19 inches and comes with an optical range/viewfinder adapter affectionately known as goggles, and the rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron which is more common, hence less costly. Any Summicron, or the 50mm f/2.8 collapsible Elmar in good condition is likely to be an outstanding performer, but collectors should assure that lens and body are of similar vintage. A pristine, functional, single-stoke M3 with rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron lens currently runs $2000 and up, but a two-stroke model with lens and body in average condition can be found for $1,000-$1,500. Still, many feel the M3 hype is a bit overdone. Sure, it’s a very important camera in design, but shooting them side by side with the M’s that followed leaves the M3 in last place. M3 finders are a bit long in tooth and have often not aged well. Add to that film loading is a bit of a pain compared to the M4 and later cameras. Plus, the rewind lever most of the M’s that followed is Barnack sent compared to that awkward slow rewind knob the dead head M3 fanboys love to foolishly praise to prove how minimal they are!
Leica M2, shown here with rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron lens has 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm frame lines and a manual frame counter. It's a timeless classic.
The Leica M2 – the M3’s little brother was more successful with its progeny as its 0.72x magnification finder became the standard that was most used by the M’s that followed, to this day. It’s not often in manufacturing high-end products that the so-called economy version turns out to be more influential than the top-of-the line model.
The Leica M4: Most flexible classic Leica M?
The Leica M4, the direct descendant of the landmark M3 and the simplified M2, commenced production in November 1966. It combined the features of both of its predecessors and added a few of its own, all aimed at enhancing convenience and flexibility. Its superb 0.72x range/viewfinder provides projected, parallax-compensating frame lines for 35 mm, 50 mm, 90 mm and 135mm lenses and it incorporates a self-zeroing frame counter like the one in the M3. The M4 also has a more conveniently angled plastic-tipped film-wind lever, more contemporary looking self-timer and frame line-selector levers, and an ingenious angled film rewind crank in lieu of the traditional pullout knob on the M3 and M2. It also employs a fixed, 3-slotted take-up shaft instead of a removable spool to make film loading quicker and more convenient. The M4 put all the M features together for the first time – except for the meter. It’s a wonderful camera to shoot and have more a quality feeling about it than the subsequent, less expensively made Leica M4-2 and M4-P.
Leica M4: Combining features of the M3 and M2 it has frame lines for 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm lenses and an ingenious canted rewind crank. Nice!
After the M4’s scheduled successor, the M5, debuted in 1971, production of the M4 was briefly halted, but the larger, costlier M5 didn’t sell very well despite its built-in TTL metering, and M4 production was quickly resumed. In 1975 a special Leica 50th Anniversary edition was offered, and production of the M4 ceased shortly thereafter—a glorious finale for a truly great Leica M. In 1977 Leica launched the updated M4-2, based on the M4's body, but deleting the self-timer and using a streamlined production process to reduce manufacturing costs. The original Leica M4 is considered by many to represent the high point in the evolution of the Leica M, due to its exquisite range/viewfinder design and its unsurpassed mechanical quality. According to official stats a total of 60,691 Leica M4 cameras were made, 47,522 in chrome, 6,775 in black chrome, 4,899 in black lacquer, and a mere 31 in olive lacquer for the military. There were 650 Made-in-Canada M4s, 1750 Jubilee (50 Jahre) cameras, and 50 black KE-7A units, considered M4 variants. Serial numbers start at 1175001 (1967) and end at 1443170 1975) but there may be gaps in the sequence. Heinrich Janke and Hans-Kurt Uellenberg are credited as the M4s principal designers.
Well-worn Leica M4 in black enamel with 50mm f/2 collapsible Summicron. According to Leica-Wiki fewer than 5,000 of these beauties were made.
To say that the Leica M4 is an exceptional user-collectible is an understatement, and considering their unique status, M4s are surprisingly affordable. Clean, functional examples are trending on eBay at $750-$1,100 in chrome or black (body only) or about $1,500 with lens and/or coupled meter. Mint ones and 50 Jahre models easily fetch twice that much, and factory olive military models, even well used ones, start at about 12 grand.
Note: The Leica M4-P built from 1980 to 1986 (serial numbers 1543351 to 1692950) was the successor to the Leica M4-2 of 1977, the main difference being a six-frame viewfinderoffering the following frame combinations: 35/135mm, 50/75mm, and 28/90mm. The 28mm and 75mm frames were added to accommodate newer lenses. Leica M4-Ps and 4-frame-line M4-2s were both built in Midland, Canada, a cost saving measure by Leica to offset the financial crunch following the disappointing introduction of the M-5. Many Leica aficionados are critical of the M4-2 and M4-P because they represent a departure from the ultra-precise, fully adjustable mechanics of the previous Leica M1, M2, M3,and M4, which allowed tweaking of the adjustments to bring the mechanicals back into spec. The M4-2 and M4-P used a less expensive method of construction using highlyprecise mechanical assemblies that would simply be replaced when they wore out. The materials in these newer cameras were much stronger and didn’t wear as quickly, but some Leica fans don't believe the mechanics are as smooth or quiet as those in previous models.
The Leica M5: A Magnificent Disaster
The Leica M5 of 1971-1975 was the first rangefinder Leica with coupled, TTL, match-needle, selective area (semi-spot) metering, the first M to display selected shutter speeds in the finder, and the first and only Leica that allowed you to set intermediate shutter speeds between ½ and 1/1000 sec. It was also the last Leica M to offer a mechanical self-timer (with a choice of 5- or 10-sec delay), and the last with fully adjustable rangefinder calibration, prior to cost-cutting measures introduced with the M4-2. It had a 0.72x viewfinder with true projected, parallax-compensating, auto-indexing frame lines for 35, 50, 90, and 135mm lenses, employed an ingenious semaphore-mounted CdS meter cell that came into position behind the lens and swung out of the way just before the shutter fired, had the largest shutter-speed dial of any Leica, conveniently overhanging the front of the camera for access by your index finger, and an improved quick-loading system.
Leica M5 in black with matching 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lens. Leica fans rejected its large ungainly form factor, but it's a superb shooter with a very good meter.
The M5 was obviously intended to redefine the M system and take it to a new level of sophistication and convenience for a broad spectrum of users. And while it had its idiosyncrasies (such as an unconventional bottom mounted rewind crank, and two side-mounted neck strap lugs for a vertical-only hang (a third was later added in response to vociferous complaints), it was quite successful from an engineering standpoint. Unfortunately, it was a marketing disaster, and its poor sales almost spelled the end of the M system. Leica fans rejected it because it didn’t look and feel like their beloved Leica Ms. Its die-cast body was too large and heavy, and they abhorred its inelegant “brutalist industrial” styling. As a result, total M5 production was only 33,420 units—23,150 in black and 10,270 in silver, including 1,750 50[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary Jubilee models.
Once reviled and sold at bargain prices, the Leica M5 has finally been rediscovered and rehabilitated, and it’snow appreciated for its sterling virtues, not as a thing of beauty but as a solid shooter’s camera. Clean non-Anniversary M5 bodiesare currently offered at prices in the $750-$1,200 range at the leading online auction sites They’re great user-collectibles!
Leica CL: It’s an NRL (not a real Leica), but is a cute M-mount compact
A collaborative project between Leica and Minolta, the Leica CL was conceived as a more compact, lightweight, lower pricedM-mount rangefinder 35 aimed at expanding the M-series market. It debuted in April 1973, was later released on the Japanese market as the Leitz Minolta CL and was discontinued in 1976 after a run of only 3 years. Leica claimed that the CL, made in Osaka, Japan by Minolta, was dropped due to poor sales, but some insiders say it was really because it cut into the sales of full-size Leica Ms!
The Leica CL is the only Leica with a vertically running cloth-curtain focal plane shutter providing speeds of ½ to 1/1000 sec. Its CdS meter cell, mounted on a semaphore arm that pivots directly in front of the shutter, provides through-the-lens match-needle TTL metering, a design cribbed from the Leica M5. The shutter is mechanical, and the shutter speeds, set with a conveniently placed vertical dial, are visible in the finder. The finder also has parallax-compensating frame lines for 40mm, 50mm and 90mm lens. The 40mm frame line is always visible and the 50mm and 90mm frame lines are automatically selected when you mount these lenses.
The Leica CL in black with 40mm f/2 Leitz Wetzlar Summicron lens. A nice compact M-system camera made by Minolta, it isn't as robust as a real Leica M.
The actual base length of the CL’s rangefinder is 31.5 mm but the viewfinder magnification is only 0.60x, resulting in an effective base length (EBL) of a mere 18.9 mm, too short for accurate focusing with lenses longer than 90mm and some fast lenses at full aperture. The CL was offered with two lenses, both specially designed for it: the “normal” LeitzSummicron-C 40mm f/2, and the Leitz Elmar-C 90mm f/4. A super-rare LeitzElmarit-C 40mm f/2.8 was also produced. The lenses sold with the Leitz Minolta CL were labeled Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2, and the made in Germany Minolta M-Rokkor 90mm f/4.
Approximately 65,000 black Leica CLs (including 3,500 with special 50 Jahremarkings for Leica's 50th anniversary in 1975), were delivered to Leica by Minolta, and about 20,000 Leitz Minolta CLs were also produced, bringing the grand total to roughly 85,000 cameras made between 1971 to about 1976. While the CL isn’t as robust as a full-sized Leica M (shutter and metering problems are common), While the Leica CL, like the Leica M5, was a technological dead end, it’s a nicely made, high-performance machine that’s a great walk-around compact for Leica aficionados. You can acquire a clean, functional Leica or Leitz Minolta CL for $350-550 (body only), and or $650-850 with 40mm lens. Models with the 50 Jahre logo run from $650, and up to $1,500 or so.
The Leica M6: Leica’s first TTL meter in a classic M body
The original Leica M6, now known as the Leica M6 “Classic”or the Leica M6 “Non-TTL”, was manufactured by Leica in Germany for nearly 14 years, from 1984 to 1998. The successor to the meter-less Leica M4-P, the M6 features an ingenious off-the-shutter-curtain TTL CdS cell metering system with no moving parts and an LED readout array in the viewfinder. The M6 TTL introduced in 1998 added TTL flash metering and a giant shutter speed dial that turns intuitively in the same direction as the LED metering arrows in the viewfinder. All standard issue M6s employ top and bottom plates made of lighter, less expensive magnesium alloy instead of the heavier, costlier machined brass plates that were used on the Leica M3, M2, and M4. While the M6 was reasonably successful in terms of sales, neither the M6 TTL nor the Leica M7 that debuted in 2002 was met with much fan enthusiasm.
Leica M6 Non-TTL with 50mm f/1.4 Summiulux lens. It was the first Leica with TTL metering in a classic M form factor. The M6 TTL added TTL flash metering.
Snazzy 150 Jahre Limited Edition Leica M6 in platinum finish and eye-catching custom covering is an awesome user-collectible for well-heeled Leicaphiles.
The Leica M7: Aperture priority AE in a classic M
The Leica M7 of 2002-2018 was the first and only Leica M to provide aperture priority autoexposure: the user sets the lens aperture manually, and the camera chooses the proper-exposure shutter speed, which is read oiut in the finder. Manual exposure is also available. The M7’sshutter is electronically controlled, but mechanical speeds of 1/60 and 1/125 of a second are available if the battery fails. Unlike the M6 TTL whose "off" position only disables the meter, the M7 features a switch on the shutter release, which prevents both metering and the shutter from firing. The shutter release is responsive to two distinct levels of pressure: the first detent locks the exposure reading, the second fires the shutter.
Leica M7 in black with 0.72x finder and 50mm f/2 Summicron-M lens. A great Leica M with aperture priority AE it was under-appreciated until it was discontinued!
The M7 was also the first Leica M series to provide DX contacts for auto film speed and exposure compensation via what had been the film speed reminder dial on the back of Leica cameras since the Leica M3. The M7 offered viewfinders with magnifications 0.58x, 0.72x (28 mm) and 0.85x (35 mm), and multicoated optics to reduce flare. The Leica M7 is a very nice camera indeed, but it proved to be a technological dead end and never enjoyed robust sales despite its long production run. Now that it’s gone it’s finally appreciated as the classic it is. Result: a pristine M7 body in black or chrome will set you back $3,500-$5,000.
The exceptional M6J: M3 style in a limited edition M6
The Leica M6J was a limited “collector’s” edition of the M6 introduced at Photokina 1994 to commemorate the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary of the first Leica M, the M3 of 1954. It was constructed using custom fabricated brass bottom and top plates, the latter incorporating the M3’s elegantly contoured outer frames around the front viewfinder and rangefinder windows. Using brass also made it easier to engrave the exquisite Long-L script Leica logo on the camera’s top. Other M6J styling licks include faithful reproductions of the M3’s chrome frame line selector lever and lens removal button, and a classic ‘50s style chrome Leica lens cap. Thetelltale sign that this is not an M3: the discreet round milled edge, leather textured battery cover directly below the small rewind switch.
The Leica M6J shown with its special edition 50mm f/2.8 collapsible Elmar was a gorgeous limited production homage to the Leica M3. It"s expensive!
Each M6J set included an M6J camera, a matching and an optically “improved” version of the coveted collapsible 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M lens, complete with a vintage style focusing tab and engraved with the same serial number as the camera. The set also came with a matching leather ever-ready case, an elegant wooden presentation box (morbidly called a casket in the official release) and a certificate of authenticity. Only 1,640 M6J sets were produced, 40 sets for each of 4 decades, as indicated by individual inscriptions on each camera. Officially, the “J” stands for “Jubilee” but some say it’s simply short for “Jahre” (year, in German), or that it’s a tacit nod to Japan, home of some of the most fanatical Leica lovers and collectors on earth. In any event, the 1,640 M6J sets were eagerly snapped up by collectors the world over.
From a technical perspective, the most significant feature of the M6J is its 0.85x magnification range/viewfinder, the closest in effective base length (EBL) and inherent focusing accuracy to the M3’s 0.92x finder that was last made in 1966. It also provided a 35mm parallax-compensating frame line in addition to the 50mm, 90mm and 135mm frame lines, something the M3 never had (but no 75mm frame line).
Sadly, the majority of Leica M6Js are still entombed in their “caskets”—not too surprising since a complete M6J set in mint or near mint condition currently fetches about $12,000- $16,000.
The new Leica MP: The closest New M thing to an M3 you can still buy brand new
Dismissed by one wag as “the new minimalist traditionalist camera with ridiculous film rewind knob to fool Leica minimalist snob buyers” the current Leica MP (not to be confused with the rare limited-edition pro photojournalist Leica MP of 1956-1957 or the discontinued 24 MP digital Leica M-P, Type 240) is really a very adept 35mm rangefinder camera that’s basically an “M3-ized” M6 with a 6-frame line finder and other cool features. Retro components include brass top and bottom plates, a classically contoured solid forged film wind lever, an M3-style frame line selector lever, and the previously mentioned rewind knob. On top there’s that Long-L Leica script logo, on the back the traditional hinged flap and bottom loading system has been retained, and the camera is compatible with the Leica Motor-M, the Leica Winder-Mm the motorized Winder 4-P and 4-2, and the Leicavit trigger winder.
Current Leica MP in chrome (left) and black, both with 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lenses. With M6 features and M3 style, this built-in-meter M is a modern classic.
The MP’s bright line finder displays auto-index frame lines in 3 groups of 2 depending on the lens in use—28 and 90mm, 35 and 135mm, and 50 and 75mm. It was in initially available in finder magnifications of 0.58c, 0.72x, and 0.85x, but now only the 0.72x version is now being sold. It employs a silicon cell TTL metering system that reads the light reflected off a 12mm metering spot on the first shutter curtain, which corresponds to 13% if the full film format. LED readouts coupled to the aperture and shutter speed are used to set the exposure Except for the metering system the camera is entirely mechanical, with a cloth focal plane shutter providing shutter speeds of 1-1/1000 sec plus B ( the latter also serving as a meter off position) and flash sync at 1/50 sec or slower. The MP is currently offered at $5.695.00 in black or silver, and if you want essentially the same camera without the meter, opt for the Leica M-A and save a blistering 100 bucks.
All Leica M cameras, whether analog or digital, are glorious anachronisms steeped in mid-20[SUP]th[/SUP]-century technology and defiantly old fashioned—just like, say, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle or an Airstream trailer. The wave of the present and future is destined to be dominated by mirrorless cameras that don’t require separate optical finders with elaborate mechanical frame line systems to achieve accurate viewing with any lens, and they provide far greater framing precision. On the other hand, the classic M range/viewfinder still has its charms, is a joy to shoot with, andstill has a few tricks up its eyepiece, like letting you preview the effects of switching lenses or the ability to track a moving object before it enters the frame. That, and the Leica mystique, and the unsurpassed quality of its breathtakingly expensive M lenses are likely to propel the Leica M forward into the remainder of the 21[SUP]st[/SUP] century without breaking a sweat. And of course, Leica has also embraced the mirrorless camera in several formats and is poised to release the Leitz Leica Phone 2, an Android smartphone with a 43MP 1-inch sensor and a Summicron lens! Indeed, according to Leica, they’ve just had the most profitable year in the company’s history, and you don’t achieve that by merely recycling timeless classics.
Technological landmarks that defined the species. Part 1: Leicas
By Jason Schneider
The most important 35mm still camera evermade may well be the first Leica I, Model A officially announced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925. It wasn’t a rangefinder camera of course, but this scale-focusing ultra-compact beauty with a fixed eyelevel optical finder, a 1/20-1.500 sec plus T focal plane shutter and a non-interchangeable 50mm f/3.5 collapsible Elmar lens set forth the basic parameters of almost all subsequent 35mm rangefinder camaras. While the Leica A was neither the first 35mm still camera nor the first to adopt the 24 x 36mm format as some Leica ads of the ’70s proclaimed, (the U.S.-made Simplex of 1914 gave a choice of 18 x 24mm or 24 x36mm formats!), it did provide such key features as a horizontal 35mm format orientation, automatic frame positioning, frame counting, and shutter cocking when you wind the film to the next exposure, a top-mounted shutter speed dial, and even a top-mounted cold shoe for an accessory rangefinder. Such features seem pedestrian today, but they were cutting edge nearly a century ago and soon became standard on practically all focal-plane shutter 35s.
Leica I, Model A of 1925 with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat. A scale focusing classic, it established the basic form factor and features of the rangefinder 35.
The Leica II (Model D): The first rangefinder Leica
While the exquisitely spartan Leica I, Model A is rightly hailed as a technological and historical landmark, it also provided the basis for Oskar Barnack’s second greatest masterwork, Leica’s first interchangeable lens, coupled rangefinder camera, the Leica II (Model D) of 1932. Building upon thebasic chassis of the Leica I, the Leica II replaced the simple optical finder with a small optical unit consisting of a high-magnification (1.5x) rangefinder and a centrally placed 50mm optical viewfinder, added a standardized 39mm Leica screw mount on the front, and most important, incorporated a spring-loaded rangefinder coupling arm within the top of the mount.A roller on the end of the coupling arm mates with a precision metal cam on the back of each lens, so the armmoves in and out as the lens is focusedensuring that the rangefinder images coincide only when the lens is infocus. This simple, elegant system was so effective that it was used on all subsequent screw mount Leicas until the last Leica IIIg rolled off the production line in 1960. Amazingly, the Leica II is virtually the same size as the “precision miniature” Leica A and only a tad heavier with 50mm f/3.5 lens, a remarkable achievement. It’s notable that the farmore audacious and complex Contax I introduced by Zeiss-Ikon in 1932 to compete with the Leica never achieved the Leica’s success despite having a bayonet lens mount, aremovable back, a vertical “metal slat” focal plane shutter with speeds to 1/1000 sec, and a glorious line of Zeiss lenses designed by the great Ludwig Bertele. Its downfall: its shutter was notoriously unreliable despite numerous attempts to fix it.
Leica II of 1932, shown here with nickel finished bright ware, was Leica's first interchangeable lens rangefinder camera. Image courtesy Leitz Auction.
The Leica M3 of 1954: The greatest Leica ever?
Widely hailed as the finest interchangeable-lens 35mm rangefinder camera ever made, the Leica M3 was the most advanced practical rangefinder 35 of its day, and the first new-from-the-ground-up Leica in nearly 40 years. The most significant advances in the M3 are a magnificent long base (68.5mm) nearly life-size (0.92x) combined range/viewfinder with true projected, parallax-compensating, auto-indexing framelines for 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm lenses, the superb M-type bayonet mount, a two-stroke film-advance lever (later versions provide single-stroke operation), and a hinged back section to facilitate cleaning, shutter checking, and aligning the film. A translucent light-collecting window in between the rangefinder and viewfinder windows provides illumination for the bright, crisp white finder framelines, and a frameline-selector lever below the front viewfinder window lets you visualize the effect of mounting other lenses. But merely enumerating its outstanding features hardly does justice to this exquisitely refined machine. The integration of its various components is brilliant. It’s rubberized, 1-1/1000 sec plus B, cloth focal plane shutter is whisper quiet. Its rounded contours mold seamlessly to your hands, and its shutter release, wind lever, and focusing mount operate withsilky precision. Within a few years, leading Japanese manufacturers, notably Nikon, and Canon, produced splendid rivals to the Leica M3 with multi-frame range/viewfinders and much more, but none ever equaled, much less surpassed the Leica in terms of overall excellence of design.
The first production Leica M3, Serial No 700,001with 50mm f/2 collapsible Summicron. It sired all future M-series Leicas including the latest digital Leica M11.
Perhaps the greatest tribute to the Leica M3 (and its rare pro version the original MP) are the legacy of memorable images it has produced in the hands of top photojournalists, and the fact that it still endures. The current Leica MP is really nothing more than an upgraded M3 with additional finder frame lines and built in TTL metering, and the recently discontinued M7 is basically anupgraded M3 with built-in autoexposure.
Leica M3 cutaway reveals its inner beauty. Its elegantly complex commendably straightforward design changed the trajectory of future rangefinder 35s.
The Leica M3 is a fantastic user collectible, but very hard to find in mint or near-mint condition. The single-stroke version of mid-60’s, with more rugged, durable wind and shutter mechanisms, a larger exit pupil for enhanced finder brightness, and serial number above 1,100,000, is especially prized (and more expensive), and early two-stroke models in average condition are more affordable. Favored lenses are the collapsible 50mm f/2 Summicron, the Dual-Range 50mm f/2 Summicron, which gets down to 19 inches and comes with an optical range/viewfinder adapter affectionately known as goggles, and the rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron which is more common, hence less costly. Any Summicron, or the 50mm f/2.8 collapsible Elmar in good condition is likely to be an outstanding performer, but collectors should assure that lens and body are of similar vintage. A pristine, functional, single-stoke M3 with rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron lens currently runs $2000 and up, but a two-stroke model with lens and body in average condition can be found for $1,000-$1,500. Still, many feel the M3 hype is a bit overdone. Sure, it’s a very important camera in design, but shooting them side by side with the M’s that followed leaves the M3 in last place. M3 finders are a bit long in tooth and have often not aged well. Add to that film loading is a bit of a pain compared to the M4 and later cameras. Plus, the rewind lever most of the M’s that followed is Barnack sent compared to that awkward slow rewind knob the dead head M3 fanboys love to foolishly praise to prove how minimal they are!
Leica M2, shown here with rigid 50mm f/2 Summicron lens has 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm frame lines and a manual frame counter. It's a timeless classic.
The Leica M2 – the M3’s little brother was more successful with its progeny as its 0.72x magnification finder became the standard that was most used by the M’s that followed, to this day. It’s not often in manufacturing high-end products that the so-called economy version turns out to be more influential than the top-of-the line model.
The Leica M4: Most flexible classic Leica M?
The Leica M4, the direct descendant of the landmark M3 and the simplified M2, commenced production in November 1966. It combined the features of both of its predecessors and added a few of its own, all aimed at enhancing convenience and flexibility. Its superb 0.72x range/viewfinder provides projected, parallax-compensating frame lines for 35 mm, 50 mm, 90 mm and 135mm lenses and it incorporates a self-zeroing frame counter like the one in the M3. The M4 also has a more conveniently angled plastic-tipped film-wind lever, more contemporary looking self-timer and frame line-selector levers, and an ingenious angled film rewind crank in lieu of the traditional pullout knob on the M3 and M2. It also employs a fixed, 3-slotted take-up shaft instead of a removable spool to make film loading quicker and more convenient. The M4 put all the M features together for the first time – except for the meter. It’s a wonderful camera to shoot and have more a quality feeling about it than the subsequent, less expensively made Leica M4-2 and M4-P.
Leica M4: Combining features of the M3 and M2 it has frame lines for 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm lenses and an ingenious canted rewind crank. Nice!
After the M4’s scheduled successor, the M5, debuted in 1971, production of the M4 was briefly halted, but the larger, costlier M5 didn’t sell very well despite its built-in TTL metering, and M4 production was quickly resumed. In 1975 a special Leica 50th Anniversary edition was offered, and production of the M4 ceased shortly thereafter—a glorious finale for a truly great Leica M. In 1977 Leica launched the updated M4-2, based on the M4's body, but deleting the self-timer and using a streamlined production process to reduce manufacturing costs. The original Leica M4 is considered by many to represent the high point in the evolution of the Leica M, due to its exquisite range/viewfinder design and its unsurpassed mechanical quality. According to official stats a total of 60,691 Leica M4 cameras were made, 47,522 in chrome, 6,775 in black chrome, 4,899 in black lacquer, and a mere 31 in olive lacquer for the military. There were 650 Made-in-Canada M4s, 1750 Jubilee (50 Jahre) cameras, and 50 black KE-7A units, considered M4 variants. Serial numbers start at 1175001 (1967) and end at 1443170 1975) but there may be gaps in the sequence. Heinrich Janke and Hans-Kurt Uellenberg are credited as the M4s principal designers.
Well-worn Leica M4 in black enamel with 50mm f/2 collapsible Summicron. According to Leica-Wiki fewer than 5,000 of these beauties were made.
To say that the Leica M4 is an exceptional user-collectible is an understatement, and considering their unique status, M4s are surprisingly affordable. Clean, functional examples are trending on eBay at $750-$1,100 in chrome or black (body only) or about $1,500 with lens and/or coupled meter. Mint ones and 50 Jahre models easily fetch twice that much, and factory olive military models, even well used ones, start at about 12 grand.
Note: The Leica M4-P built from 1980 to 1986 (serial numbers 1543351 to 1692950) was the successor to the Leica M4-2 of 1977, the main difference being a six-frame viewfinderoffering the following frame combinations: 35/135mm, 50/75mm, and 28/90mm. The 28mm and 75mm frames were added to accommodate newer lenses. Leica M4-Ps and 4-frame-line M4-2s were both built in Midland, Canada, a cost saving measure by Leica to offset the financial crunch following the disappointing introduction of the M-5. Many Leica aficionados are critical of the M4-2 and M4-P because they represent a departure from the ultra-precise, fully adjustable mechanics of the previous Leica M1, M2, M3,and M4, which allowed tweaking of the adjustments to bring the mechanicals back into spec. The M4-2 and M4-P used a less expensive method of construction using highlyprecise mechanical assemblies that would simply be replaced when they wore out. The materials in these newer cameras were much stronger and didn’t wear as quickly, but some Leica fans don't believe the mechanics are as smooth or quiet as those in previous models.
The Leica M5: A Magnificent Disaster
The Leica M5 of 1971-1975 was the first rangefinder Leica with coupled, TTL, match-needle, selective area (semi-spot) metering, the first M to display selected shutter speeds in the finder, and the first and only Leica that allowed you to set intermediate shutter speeds between ½ and 1/1000 sec. It was also the last Leica M to offer a mechanical self-timer (with a choice of 5- or 10-sec delay), and the last with fully adjustable rangefinder calibration, prior to cost-cutting measures introduced with the M4-2. It had a 0.72x viewfinder with true projected, parallax-compensating, auto-indexing frame lines for 35, 50, 90, and 135mm lenses, employed an ingenious semaphore-mounted CdS meter cell that came into position behind the lens and swung out of the way just before the shutter fired, had the largest shutter-speed dial of any Leica, conveniently overhanging the front of the camera for access by your index finger, and an improved quick-loading system.
Leica M5 in black with matching 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lens. Leica fans rejected its large ungainly form factor, but it's a superb shooter with a very good meter.
The M5 was obviously intended to redefine the M system and take it to a new level of sophistication and convenience for a broad spectrum of users. And while it had its idiosyncrasies (such as an unconventional bottom mounted rewind crank, and two side-mounted neck strap lugs for a vertical-only hang (a third was later added in response to vociferous complaints), it was quite successful from an engineering standpoint. Unfortunately, it was a marketing disaster, and its poor sales almost spelled the end of the M system. Leica fans rejected it because it didn’t look and feel like their beloved Leica Ms. Its die-cast body was too large and heavy, and they abhorred its inelegant “brutalist industrial” styling. As a result, total M5 production was only 33,420 units—23,150 in black and 10,270 in silver, including 1,750 50[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary Jubilee models.
Once reviled and sold at bargain prices, the Leica M5 has finally been rediscovered and rehabilitated, and it’snow appreciated for its sterling virtues, not as a thing of beauty but as a solid shooter’s camera. Clean non-Anniversary M5 bodiesare currently offered at prices in the $750-$1,200 range at the leading online auction sites They’re great user-collectibles!
Leica CL: It’s an NRL (not a real Leica), but is a cute M-mount compact
A collaborative project between Leica and Minolta, the Leica CL was conceived as a more compact, lightweight, lower pricedM-mount rangefinder 35 aimed at expanding the M-series market. It debuted in April 1973, was later released on the Japanese market as the Leitz Minolta CL and was discontinued in 1976 after a run of only 3 years. Leica claimed that the CL, made in Osaka, Japan by Minolta, was dropped due to poor sales, but some insiders say it was really because it cut into the sales of full-size Leica Ms!
The Leica CL is the only Leica with a vertically running cloth-curtain focal plane shutter providing speeds of ½ to 1/1000 sec. Its CdS meter cell, mounted on a semaphore arm that pivots directly in front of the shutter, provides through-the-lens match-needle TTL metering, a design cribbed from the Leica M5. The shutter is mechanical, and the shutter speeds, set with a conveniently placed vertical dial, are visible in the finder. The finder also has parallax-compensating frame lines for 40mm, 50mm and 90mm lens. The 40mm frame line is always visible and the 50mm and 90mm frame lines are automatically selected when you mount these lenses.
The Leica CL in black with 40mm f/2 Leitz Wetzlar Summicron lens. A nice compact M-system camera made by Minolta, it isn't as robust as a real Leica M.
The actual base length of the CL’s rangefinder is 31.5 mm but the viewfinder magnification is only 0.60x, resulting in an effective base length (EBL) of a mere 18.9 mm, too short for accurate focusing with lenses longer than 90mm and some fast lenses at full aperture. The CL was offered with two lenses, both specially designed for it: the “normal” LeitzSummicron-C 40mm f/2, and the Leitz Elmar-C 90mm f/4. A super-rare LeitzElmarit-C 40mm f/2.8 was also produced. The lenses sold with the Leitz Minolta CL were labeled Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2, and the made in Germany Minolta M-Rokkor 90mm f/4.
Approximately 65,000 black Leica CLs (including 3,500 with special 50 Jahremarkings for Leica's 50th anniversary in 1975), were delivered to Leica by Minolta, and about 20,000 Leitz Minolta CLs were also produced, bringing the grand total to roughly 85,000 cameras made between 1971 to about 1976. While the CL isn’t as robust as a full-sized Leica M (shutter and metering problems are common), While the Leica CL, like the Leica M5, was a technological dead end, it’s a nicely made, high-performance machine that’s a great walk-around compact for Leica aficionados. You can acquire a clean, functional Leica or Leitz Minolta CL for $350-550 (body only), and or $650-850 with 40mm lens. Models with the 50 Jahre logo run from $650, and up to $1,500 or so.
The Leica M6: Leica’s first TTL meter in a classic M body
The original Leica M6, now known as the Leica M6 “Classic”or the Leica M6 “Non-TTL”, was manufactured by Leica in Germany for nearly 14 years, from 1984 to 1998. The successor to the meter-less Leica M4-P, the M6 features an ingenious off-the-shutter-curtain TTL CdS cell metering system with no moving parts and an LED readout array in the viewfinder. The M6 TTL introduced in 1998 added TTL flash metering and a giant shutter speed dial that turns intuitively in the same direction as the LED metering arrows in the viewfinder. All standard issue M6s employ top and bottom plates made of lighter, less expensive magnesium alloy instead of the heavier, costlier machined brass plates that were used on the Leica M3, M2, and M4. While the M6 was reasonably successful in terms of sales, neither the M6 TTL nor the Leica M7 that debuted in 2002 was met with much fan enthusiasm.
Leica M6 Non-TTL with 50mm f/1.4 Summiulux lens. It was the first Leica with TTL metering in a classic M form factor. The M6 TTL added TTL flash metering.
Snazzy 150 Jahre Limited Edition Leica M6 in platinum finish and eye-catching custom covering is an awesome user-collectible for well-heeled Leicaphiles.
The Leica M7: Aperture priority AE in a classic M
The Leica M7 of 2002-2018 was the first and only Leica M to provide aperture priority autoexposure: the user sets the lens aperture manually, and the camera chooses the proper-exposure shutter speed, which is read oiut in the finder. Manual exposure is also available. The M7’sshutter is electronically controlled, but mechanical speeds of 1/60 and 1/125 of a second are available if the battery fails. Unlike the M6 TTL whose "off" position only disables the meter, the M7 features a switch on the shutter release, which prevents both metering and the shutter from firing. The shutter release is responsive to two distinct levels of pressure: the first detent locks the exposure reading, the second fires the shutter.
Leica M7 in black with 0.72x finder and 50mm f/2 Summicron-M lens. A great Leica M with aperture priority AE it was under-appreciated until it was discontinued!
The M7 was also the first Leica M series to provide DX contacts for auto film speed and exposure compensation via what had been the film speed reminder dial on the back of Leica cameras since the Leica M3. The M7 offered viewfinders with magnifications 0.58x, 0.72x (28 mm) and 0.85x (35 mm), and multicoated optics to reduce flare. The Leica M7 is a very nice camera indeed, but it proved to be a technological dead end and never enjoyed robust sales despite its long production run. Now that it’s gone it’s finally appreciated as the classic it is. Result: a pristine M7 body in black or chrome will set you back $3,500-$5,000.
The exceptional M6J: M3 style in a limited edition M6
The Leica M6J was a limited “collector’s” edition of the M6 introduced at Photokina 1994 to commemorate the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary of the first Leica M, the M3 of 1954. It was constructed using custom fabricated brass bottom and top plates, the latter incorporating the M3’s elegantly contoured outer frames around the front viewfinder and rangefinder windows. Using brass also made it easier to engrave the exquisite Long-L script Leica logo on the camera’s top. Other M6J styling licks include faithful reproductions of the M3’s chrome frame line selector lever and lens removal button, and a classic ‘50s style chrome Leica lens cap. Thetelltale sign that this is not an M3: the discreet round milled edge, leather textured battery cover directly below the small rewind switch.
The Leica M6J shown with its special edition 50mm f/2.8 collapsible Elmar was a gorgeous limited production homage to the Leica M3. It"s expensive!
Each M6J set included an M6J camera, a matching and an optically “improved” version of the coveted collapsible 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M lens, complete with a vintage style focusing tab and engraved with the same serial number as the camera. The set also came with a matching leather ever-ready case, an elegant wooden presentation box (morbidly called a casket in the official release) and a certificate of authenticity. Only 1,640 M6J sets were produced, 40 sets for each of 4 decades, as indicated by individual inscriptions on each camera. Officially, the “J” stands for “Jubilee” but some say it’s simply short for “Jahre” (year, in German), or that it’s a tacit nod to Japan, home of some of the most fanatical Leica lovers and collectors on earth. In any event, the 1,640 M6J sets were eagerly snapped up by collectors the world over.
From a technical perspective, the most significant feature of the M6J is its 0.85x magnification range/viewfinder, the closest in effective base length (EBL) and inherent focusing accuracy to the M3’s 0.92x finder that was last made in 1966. It also provided a 35mm parallax-compensating frame line in addition to the 50mm, 90mm and 135mm frame lines, something the M3 never had (but no 75mm frame line).
Sadly, the majority of Leica M6Js are still entombed in their “caskets”—not too surprising since a complete M6J set in mint or near mint condition currently fetches about $12,000- $16,000.
The new Leica MP: The closest New M thing to an M3 you can still buy brand new
Dismissed by one wag as “the new minimalist traditionalist camera with ridiculous film rewind knob to fool Leica minimalist snob buyers” the current Leica MP (not to be confused with the rare limited-edition pro photojournalist Leica MP of 1956-1957 or the discontinued 24 MP digital Leica M-P, Type 240) is really a very adept 35mm rangefinder camera that’s basically an “M3-ized” M6 with a 6-frame line finder and other cool features. Retro components include brass top and bottom plates, a classically contoured solid forged film wind lever, an M3-style frame line selector lever, and the previously mentioned rewind knob. On top there’s that Long-L Leica script logo, on the back the traditional hinged flap and bottom loading system has been retained, and the camera is compatible with the Leica Motor-M, the Leica Winder-Mm the motorized Winder 4-P and 4-2, and the Leicavit trigger winder.
Current Leica MP in chrome (left) and black, both with 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lenses. With M6 features and M3 style, this built-in-meter M is a modern classic.
The MP’s bright line finder displays auto-index frame lines in 3 groups of 2 depending on the lens in use—28 and 90mm, 35 and 135mm, and 50 and 75mm. It was in initially available in finder magnifications of 0.58c, 0.72x, and 0.85x, but now only the 0.72x version is now being sold. It employs a silicon cell TTL metering system that reads the light reflected off a 12mm metering spot on the first shutter curtain, which corresponds to 13% if the full film format. LED readouts coupled to the aperture and shutter speed are used to set the exposure Except for the metering system the camera is entirely mechanical, with a cloth focal plane shutter providing shutter speeds of 1-1/1000 sec plus B ( the latter also serving as a meter off position) and flash sync at 1/50 sec or slower. The MP is currently offered at $5.695.00 in black or silver, and if you want essentially the same camera without the meter, opt for the Leica M-A and save a blistering 100 bucks.
All Leica M cameras, whether analog or digital, are glorious anachronisms steeped in mid-20[SUP]th[/SUP]-century technology and defiantly old fashioned—just like, say, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle or an Airstream trailer. The wave of the present and future is destined to be dominated by mirrorless cameras that don’t require separate optical finders with elaborate mechanical frame line systems to achieve accurate viewing with any lens, and they provide far greater framing precision. On the other hand, the classic M range/viewfinder still has its charms, is a joy to shoot with, andstill has a few tricks up its eyepiece, like letting you preview the effects of switching lenses or the ability to track a moving object before it enters the frame. That, and the Leica mystique, and the unsurpassed quality of its breathtakingly expensive M lenses are likely to propel the Leica M forward into the remainder of the 21[SUP]st[/SUP] century without breaking a sweat. And of course, Leica has also embraced the mirrorless camera in several formats and is poised to release the Leitz Leica Phone 2, an Android smartphone with a 43MP 1-inch sensor and a Summicron lens! Indeed, according to Leica, they’ve just had the most profitable year in the company’s history, and you don’t achieve that by merely recycling timeless classics.
