Leica M4

The M4, introduced in 1967, is the direct successor of the M3

Leica M3

The Leica M3 is a 35 mm rangefinder camera by Leica AG, introduced in 1954. It was a new starting point for Leitz, which until then had only produced screw-mount Leica cameras that were incremental improvements to its original Leica...

 and M2

Leica M2

The Leica M2 is a 35 mm rangefinder camera by Ernst Leitz GmbH of Wetzlar, Germany, introduced in 1957. Around 82,000 M2s were produced between 1957 and 1968...

, featuring framelines for 35mm, 50mm, 90mm and 135mm lenses in a 0.72 magnification viewfinder. It has the frame counter of the M3, with automatic reset after reloading.

Three ergonomic modifications were introduced in the M4:

• a different, angled film advance lever, as well as slightly different rewind, self-timer and frame selection levers
• a crank for rewinding the film, that replaced the telescopic knob of the M3
• a faster loading system that does not need a removable spool

Production of the M4 ceased in 1975.

Leica M4-2, Leica M4-P

Production of the M4 was wound down in 1972, in favour of the Leica M5

Leica M5

The Leica M5 is a 35 mm camera by Leica Camera AG, introduced in 1971. It was the first Leica rangefinder camera to feature through-the-lens metering...

, which had been introduced in 1971. However, the relatively bulky and expensive M5 met with a cool reception, and sales did not live up to Leica's expectations. Production of the M4 was therefore restarted in 1975, for Leica's 50th Anniversary, and in 1977 the company launched the updated M4-2, which was based on the M4's body, but with a streamlined production process that reduced manufacturing cost. The M4-2 added a hot shoe and motor drive compatibility as standard, but removed the self timer.

The M4-2 was followed in 1981 by the M4-P, which added framelines for 28mm and 75mm lenses. The range continue with the Leica M6

Leica M6

The Leica M6 is a rangefinder camera manufactured by Leica from 1984 to 1998.The M6 combines the silhouette of the Leica M3 with a modern, off-the-shutter light meter with no moving parts and LED arrows in the viewfinder. Informally referred to as the M6 "Classic" to distinguish it from the "M6...

in 1984, which was essentially an M4-P with TTL light metering. The M6 finally ceased production in 1998, although Leica released a special edition with a high-magnification finder in 1998.