Leica M Camera Buyers Guide! (Film Ms)

Matthew Osborne Photography / Mr Leica

December 2016

How did this post come about?

Leica M Camera Buyers Guide? When I think back to buying my first analogue film Leica M camera I’m not sure how I decided to buy the particular camera I did. Lots and lots of research I guess but I don’t really remember finding any information that summarised in simple terms how each Leica M camera is different or perhaps best suited my needs. It doesn’t help that Leica M cameras all look pretty much identical to the untrained eye too! In this post I try to list some of the main differences between each Leica M camera which might hopefully make it easier for you if you are looking to buy a Leica M film camera. Please note I have only covered Leica M film cameras and it does not include Leica digital cameras.

Leica M Camera Timeline

Here are all the major Leica M film cameras released from oldest to newest (excluding special edition cameras and showing the approximate release date/ production start date).

Leica M3 (1954)
Leica M2 (1958)
Leica M4 (1967)
Leica M5 (1971)
Leica M4-2 (1977)
Leica M4-P (1981)
Leica M6 Classic (1984)
Leica M6 TTL (1998)
Leica M7 (2002)
Leica MP (2003)
Leica M-A (2014)

Generally speaking the higher the M number the more recent the camera was released (with the exception of the Leica M2 that was built after the Leica M3, the M4-2 and M4-P that were released after the M5 and with the Leica MP and M-A being the most recent).

Common Featurers to all Leica M Film Cameras

*to my knowledge for the cameras covered in this article

Maximum shutter speed 1/1000
Flash sync speed 1/50
Rangefinder focusing system
Uses 35mm film
Leica-M bayonet mount lenses (or L39/M39/LSM/LTM Leica screw mount via adapter)

Leica M Camera Buyers Guide

Framelines – bright lines in the viewfinder for composition

Leica M3 – 50,90,135 (individual framelines – so only see one at a time)
Leica M2 – 35,50,90 (individual framelines – so only see one at a time)
Leica M4 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
Leica M5 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
Leica M4-2 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
Leica M4-P – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)
Leica M6 Classic – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)
Leica M6 TTL – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)
Leica M7 – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)
Leica MP – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)
Leica M-A – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs – see 2 framelines at a time)

Viewfinder magnification / options

Leica M3 – 0.91x (most magnified viewfinder)
Leica M2 – 0.72x
Leica M4 – 0.72x
Leica M5 – 0.72x
Leica M4-2 – 0.72x
Leica M4-P – 0.72x
Leica M6 Classic – 0.58x / 0.72x / 0.85x (0.58x is for use with winder lenses)
Leica M6 TTL – 0.58x / 0.72x / 0.85x (0.58x is for use with winder lenses)
Leica M7 – 0.58x / 0.72x (0.58x is for use with winder lenses)
Leica MP – 0.72x /
Leica M-A – 0.72x

Rangefinder focusing

Leica M3 – 1m to infinity (close focus goggles allow focusing from 0.478m)
Leica M2 – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M4 – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M5 – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M4-2 – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M4-P – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M6 Classic – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M6 TTL – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M7 – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica MP – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)
Leica M-A – 0.7m to infinity (can use lenses with close focus goggles)

Battery required to take a photo?

Leica M3 – No – N/A
Leica M2 – No – N/A
Leica M4 – No – N/A
Leica M5 – No – Battery only needed for light meter
Leica M4-2 – No – N/A
Leica M4-P – No – N/A
Leica M6 Classic – No – Battery only needed for light meter
Leica M6 TTL – No – Battery only needed for light meter
Leica M7 – Yes&No – Can use at 1/60 & 1/125 only without battery
Leica MP – No – Battery only needed for light meter
Leica M-A – No – N/A

Brass or zinc top plate/ base plate (brass dents / zinc cracks)

Leica M3 – Brass
Leica M2 – Brass
Leica M4 – Brass
Leica M5 – Brass
Leica M4-2 – Brass
Leica M4-P – Brass (earlier cameras) Zinc (later cameras)
Leica M6 Classic – Zinc
Leica M6 TTL – Zinc (Mostly)
Leica M7 – Brass
Leica MP – Brass
Leica M-A – Brass

Precision components (brass) or cheaper components (steel/plastics)

Leica M3 – Brass gears (Least cheap components)
Leica M2 – Brass gears (Some cheap components)
Leica M4 – Brass gears (More cheap components)
Leica M5 – Steel gears (More cheap components)
Leica M4-2 – Steel gears (Even more cheap components)
Leica M4-P – Steel gears (Even more cheap components)
Leica M6 Classic – Steel gears (Even more cheap components)
Leica M6 TTL – Steel gears (More cheap components)
Leica M7 – Steel gears (More cheap components)
Leica MP – Brass gears (Some cheap components)
Leica M-A – Brass gears (Least cheap components)

Hotshoe or coldshoe (for flash photography)

Leica M3 – Cold shoe (can still use a flash via sync cable)
Leica M2 – Cold shoe (can still use a flash via sync cable)
Leica M4 – Cold shoe (can still use a flash via sync cable)
Leica M5 – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica M4-2 – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica M4-P – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica M6 Classic – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica M6 TTL – Hotshoe & TTL flash with SF-20 unit
Leica M7 – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica MP – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)
Leica M-A – Hotshoe (can use common flash such as Nikon)

Built-in light meter

Leica M3 – No
Leica M2 – No
Leica M4 – No
Leica M5 – Yes
Leica M4-2 – No
Leica M4-P – No
Leica M6 Classic – Yes
Leica M6 TTL – Yes
Leica M7 – Yes
Leica MP – Yes
Leica M-A – No

Film rewind mechanism

Leica M3 – Rewind nob (slower)
Leica M2 – Rewind nob (slower)
Leica M4 – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica M5 – Rewind ratchet on base plate
Leica M4-2 – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica M4-P – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica M6 Classic – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica M6 TTL – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica M7 – Rewind crank (faster)
Leica MP – Rewind nob (slower)
Leica M-A – Rewind nob (slower)

Film loading separate take-up spool insert

Leica M3 – Yes (slower to load)
Leica M2 – Yes (slower to load)
Leica M4 – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M5 – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M4-2 – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M4-P – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M6 Classic – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M6 TTL – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M7 – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica MP – No (has quick loading film mechanism)
Leica M-A – No (has quick loading film mechanism)

Viewfinder condenser / prism (risk of being unable to focus without it)

Leica M3 – Yes
Leica M2 – Yes
Leica M4 – Yes
Leica M5 – Yes
Leica M4-2 – No condenser removed – risk of flare/ ghosting/difficulties to focus
Leica M4-P – No condenser removed – risk of flare/ ghosting/difficulties to focus
Leica M6 Classic – No condenser removed – risk of flare/ ghosting/difficulties to focus
Leica M6 TTL – No condenser removed – risk of flare/ ghosting/difficulties to focus
Leica M7 – Yes
Leica MP – Yes
Leica M-A – Yes

Small Print

*Please note

The information is sourced from personal experience and a range of websites
There are many many Leica M camera variants/ specials that may not fit the above
Leica cameras continued to evolve so some traits may overlap from last/next model
Information is simplified and generalised but there is full detail on other websites
I own Leica M3s, M2, M4-P, M6 Classic and have not used other models
Non-factual comments such as ‘faster’,’slower’,’cheaper’ is a generalisation
This review does not include the M1 or MD models
External viewfinders are available if you want to use a lens wider than the frameline
Some camera lenses have close focus goggles such as the Leica Summicron 50mm DR
The Leica M3 can be used a 35mm lens using 35mm focusing goggles

**Mistakes

If I have omitted some obvious information or have classed a camera incorrectly (being for the majority of cameras produced for that model as I know there are lots of camera variants) please let me know and I can update it.

***Enjoyable

I hope you find this very simplified guide of some help. I enjoyed researching the information and I now know how to distinguish the difference between my Leica M2 and Leica M3 at a glance from the front! The Leica M3 has a plain frameline illumination window and the Leica M2 has a fresnel type illumination window (vertical stripes in the window next to the viewfinder window). 🙂

Matt

Tag: film leica

Leica M Camera Buyers Guide!