Leica M rangefinder

What it is

The Leica M is a system of rangefinder cameras and interchangeable lenses made in Wetzlar. It began with the M3, introduced in 1954, which brought the new M bayonet lens mount. Today Leica makes both digital and film M cameras, along with a long line of M-mount lenses.

How it works

Unlike a single-lens reflex camera, a rangefinder does not show the photographer the image through the taking lens. Instead, the viewfinder shows the scene directly, with a superimposed second image from a separate window. Turning the lens focus ring brings the two images together, and when they align the subject is in focus. The M3 combined the rangefinder and viewfinder into one bright window and added frame lines that adjust for parallax. The quick-change bayonet replaced earlier screw mounts.

Why it stands out

The M system has had a long life because its strengths suit a particular kind of photography: the cameras are compact, quiet and unobtrusive, and the viewfinder lets the photographer see what is happening just outside the frame. That made it a favourite tool of documentary and street photographers. Its continuity is also unusual in consumer technology: lenses made in the 1950s can still be mounted on the latest digital M bodies. Leica's earlier Leica I, presented in 1925, had already done much to popularise 35 mm photography.

Where you meet it

You see the results of Leica M cameras in many classic images of twentieth-century photojournalism and street photography. Today they are used by professional photographers, enthusiasts and collectors, and the cameras and lenses are sold through Leica stores and specialist dealers around the world.