Anecdotal Accounts regarding Reliability of Things Made During the 1980s...

[Phil_F_NM]

The later M4-P top plates were zinc, not the M4-2. The change in M4-P occurred after the 70th anniversary model.

Phil Forrest

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I am aware ...

Actually you are not...

Here old myth about M4-2 less quality materials and plastic comes again.
Peter M, time to read this https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2592518&postcount=17
It is never late. 🙂

I sold M4-P and keeping M4-2, btw.


PS. Keep on beating old horse, it helps to keep prices low.
M4-2 is bad camera! Because Peter M told so. LOL.

 

[Richard G]

Actually you are not...

Here old myth about M4-2 less quality materials and plastic comes again.
Peter M, time to read this https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2592518&postcount=17
It is never late. 🙂

I sold M4-P and keeping M4-2, btw.


PS. Keep on beating old horse, it helps to keep prices low.
M4-2 is bad camera! Because Peter M told so. LOL.

Loved my M4-2 bought in 1986 and treated hard for ten years, my least babied camera ever. It’s Canadian Summicron is still glued to my Monochrom.

 

[Huss]

Actually you are not...

Here old myth about M4-2 less quality materials and plastic comes again.
Peter M, time to read this https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2592518&postcount=17
It is never late. 🙂
.

A lot of inaccuracies in that link.
"The flash sync fastenings in the bottom plate are plastic and not hi quality metal like in M4-2."
Not true. My M4-2's are plastic and they snapped right off, just by snagging my sweater. Also the RF flare badly as it is not the same quality as the M4.
I had the exterior lens coated by Youxin and it is now much better.

Either way, I still love it as it feels great to use, and has an excellent uncluttered finder.

 

[Robert Lai]

I don't know why the M4-2 is so maligned when it is actually built very well. Furthermore, it saved the entire Leica rangefinder line from extinction. I believe somewhere in the middle of M4-2 production, the condenser lens was taken out of the rangefinder path, leading to flare problems. Earlier M4-2 have the same RF as the M4. I had DAG check my M4-2 when he overhauled it, and he said that it's the M4 type RF.


The plastic flash plug mounts are the main weakness, but surely by now these have been upgraded!