m comparison

[back alley]

it seems to me that the m2 and the m3 are the most popular m cameras being used today. and they seem to have come down in price.

but the m4 seems to command a higher price but is it as popular/recognized as a classic as much as the m2/m3?

or is it more expensive simply because it's 'newer'?

joe

 

[visiondr]

I happen to believe the M4 is more expensive because it's a better tool. Better (faster) rewind, better (faster - less hassle) film loading, great finder and just as well built. Yeah, newer too. Still, mine's from 40+ years old.

 

[ZebGoesZeiss]

IMHO: It's the best one. It combines all the virtues of the older M2/M3 with the more modern film loading and rewind crank. My first Leica was a M3, but it was the M4 that made me a believer 🙂

 

[vrgard]

I know others prefer the M2, but unless you need the greater magnification of the M3, I still prefer the M4. It's got the best all around viewfinder & framelines (provides all I need while remaining clear of "frameline clutter"), easy to load, easy to rewind (although that isn't a big deal to me either way), and still built the old fashioned way.

-Randy

 

[FrankS]

I only ever got an M2 and M3 becasue the M4 was more expensive. It is the ultimate classic Leica M IMO. (I find the M6 more useful (meter) and the M5 most interesting though.)

 

[FX trading]

In time, I believe the MP will be seen as the best of the lot- it combines M3/M4 feel, metering, and probably even greater reliability. However, unfortunately, this is allied to a higher purchase price.

I believe the M3 to be more far more desireable for unmetered photography due to it's rangefinder, charming quirks and style- and also likely to provide a far better financial return in the long-term.

 

[rover]

There were significantly fewer M4 made compared to the other two. I think the evolution of the features, rewind, film loading are evolutions, not striking changes. Its changes and relative lower numbers command a higher price.

The 4 is next on my list. I may have to sell my 6 though to get it.

 

[waileong]

Our bartender explains everything in detail on his site.

 

[Krosya]

While I enjoyed M3 when I had it, best Leica for me has been M6. As a tool that is, not an emotional artifact. There are other cameras I prefer even more, like Hexar RF. But if I ever was starting out again in RF field and wanted to have Leica - M6 would be it hands down. I think many pro Leica users would agree with this choice....

 

[xayraa33]

For a Leica M user on the move the M4 was the first really super convenient M Leica still with that silky smoothness and fit and finish of the M2 and M3.
the later M4-2 , M4-P are as convenient , but have a reputation of lacking the other two qualities for some people.

 

[thomasw_]

But Joe, as you shoot the 35 focal length a lot, the M2 might be more up your alley 🙂

The plastic tips on the levers of the M4 are not as pleasing to me as the all-metal M3/M2/MP levers.

 

[craygc]

An M2 modified with the M4 type film loader...

 

[aizan]

i think leica shooters who started out with an m6 tend to value the m4 the most. it's the "classic" m6.

also, the plastic tipped lever is so uniquely leica it has a certain appeal.

the mp, it seems to me, appeals to the older and newer generations of m users who started out with the m3 and m2.

 

[Ororaro]

M4P!

It's a M4, has more framelines, and it accepts a winder. Steel gears to boot! Undestructible... and it's cheaper!

😀

 

[tomasis]

My first M I bought was M4 then I switched out to M3. Actually I'd like to have top body from M4 placed on M3. But MP exists as such camera so it is a choice there. The question is how MP vf 0,85x competes with M3 regarding VF functioning and readability.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Less M4's made, but also the mystique of "Leica at the top of their game" for quality. Seeing them under $1,000 is rare.

I have an early M2 from 1958, an M3DS from 1957, and an M3SS "just under 1m". I also owned an M3 over the 1.1M mark. All of them were CLA'd and in top condition. No difference in handling between the two M3SS's, but the one over the 1M mark would get a lot more money. The M2 finder is bright and crisp, no signs of breakdown.

An M4 in the same condition would cost what the M3SS and M2 cost together. The M3 has a quick-load, and I keep a spare spool for the M2 and M3DS. Pre-thread it, so it becomes a drop in.

 

[varjag]

There are deals on M4 if you are patient. I certainly got one on mine, $820 for chrome body in good condition with store warranty. Not as shiny looking now a year later, but I agree with many here it's a sweet camera to use.

 

[back alley]

my first leica was a brand new m4-p that i eventually sold because i had a mental block shooting without a built in meter.
while i still prefer a swing back on a camera i sometimes think of getting another m4-p, for old times sake.

 

[Paul C. Perkins MD]

M4 = Apex of the classic built M-cameras
M2 = Next
M3 = Why?

 

[dadsm3]

M4 = Apex of the classic built M-cameras
M2 = Next
M3 = Why?

Why? M3's were the flagship model and priced so. M2's were considerably cheaper. They're not identical cameras in more than just the viewfinder mag.