Every film Leica M takes the same lenses, loads the same film and focuses the same way. What changes between the models is the finder, the loading, whether there's a meter, and the price. I sell all of them, and the right one for you depends on which lens you'll use most and how much you care about a built-in meter. Here is the whole line in one place, with the honest trade-offs.
The short answer
Buy an M3, M2 or M4 if…
- You're happy metering with a phone app or a shoe-mount meter
- You want the best-built, best-value M for the money
- You shoot 50mm (M3) or 35mm (M2, M4) most of the time
- You'll budget for a service and then own it for decades
Buy an M6, MP or M-A if…
- You want a meter in the camera (M6, MP) and a modern finder with 28mm frames
- You'd rather pay more and skip the service question for now
- You want the newest mechanicals and the easiest resale
- You'd like a camera still supported by Leica with new parts
The line-up
| Model | Years | Finder and frames | Meter, loading, notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3 | 1954–1966 | 0.91x, the largest and brightest; 50 / 90 / 135 frames | No meter. Removable spool loading. Early bodies double-stroke, later single-stroke |
| M2 | 1957–1967 | 0.72x; 35 / 50 / 90 frames | No meter. The 35mm shooter's M3. Simpler, often cheaper |
| M4 | 1967–1975 | 0.72x; 35 / 50 / 90 / 135 frames | No meter. Rapid-load tulip spool and the angled rewind crank; the handling template for every M since |
| M5 | 1971–1975 | 0.72x; 35 / 50 / 90 / 135 frames, with a meter readout in the finder | Built-in TTL meter on a swinging arm. Bigger, heavier body. The odd one out, and a sleeper |
| M4-2, M4-P | 1978–1987 | 0.72x; M4-P adds 28 and 75 frames | No meter. Canadian-built, hot shoe, motor-ready; the bridge to the M6 |
| M6 classic | 1984–1998 | 0.72x (0.85x late option); 28 / 35 / 50 / 75 / 90 / 135 | Built-in LED meter, two arrows in the finder. The default film M for most people |
| M6 TTL | 1998–2002 | 0.58x, 0.72x or 0.85x; same frames | Adds TTL flash metering and a third LED; taller top plate, shutter dial turns the other way |
| M6 (2022 reissue) | 2022–present | 0.72x, modern coated finder; same frames | MP-style mechanicals and finder with M6 classic looks; sold new today |
| MP | 2003–present | 0.58x, 0.72x or 0.85x; improved flare-resistant finder | Built-in meter, brass top plate, M3-style rewind knob. The best-built metered M |
| M-A | 2014–present | 0.72x; same finder as MP | No meter, no battery, nothing electronic. A new-production M4, in effect |
M3, M2 and M4: the meterless classics
The M3 is the one that started it all and, for a 50mm shooter, it still has the best finder Leica ever made. The 0.91x magnification gives you a huge, bright view with a rangefinder patch that is easy to focus even with a 90 or a 135. The cost is that there are no 35mm frame lines; you either use the goggled 35mm lenses or guess. Early bodies need two strokes of the advance lever per frame, which some people love and most don't. The M2 answers the 35mm problem with a 0.72x finder and 35 / 50 / 90 frames,, and it is often the better value of the two. If you want both lenses on one body, the M2 is the pick.
The M4 took the M2's finder, added the 135 frame, and fixed the two things everyone complained about: loading and rewinding. The tulip-shaped take-up spool means you drop the leader in and close the back, and the angled rewind crank replaced the slow M3 knob. In the hand, an M4 is the modern M experience without a meter. Check what each has actually sold for on our value pages: M3, M4, and the M5.
Then there is the M5, the odd one. It was Leica's first M with a built-in meter, a CdS cell on an arm that swings in front of the shutter, and to fit it Leica made the body taller and wider and moved the shutter dial to overhang the front. The M community hated it in 1971 and it sold badly, which is why it is the least expensive way into a metered, mechanical M today. If the size doesn't bother you, it is a superb camera.
"A film M is a 50-year purchase. The service history matters more than the serial number."
M6: the one most people want
The M6 ran from 1984 to 2002 and it is the most common film M on the market for a reason. It is an M4-P with a built-in meter: two red arrows in the finder, a battery under a small cap on the front, and nothing else electronic. The shutter still fires without a battery. The classic M6 (1984–1998) is the smaller, lighter one; the M6 TTL (1998–2002) added TTL flash metering, a third LED as a correct-exposure dot, and a taller top plate, with the shutter speed dial reversed to match the direction of the meter arrows. Both came in 0.72x, with 0.85x available and 0.58x on the TTL for wide-angle shooters and glasses wearers.
The classic M6 finder is prone to flaring out in backlight, which is the thing to know before you buy one. It is fixable with an upgraded finder optic, and the MP and the 2022 reissue don't have the problem. Speaking of which: Leica brought the M6 back in 2022 with the MP's mechanicals and modern finder inside the classic M6 look. It is sold new today, which has pulled used M6 prices up with it. See what M6 bodies really go for on the Leica M6 value page.
MP and M-A: the current mechanical Ms
The MP, launched in 2003, is the M6 built the way Leica wished it had built the M6: brass top plate, the flare-resistant finder, an M3-style rewind knob, and a finish that brasses beautifully. It has a meter. The M-A, from 2014, is the same camera with the meter removed entirely; there is no battery and nothing to fail. Both are still in production, so parts and service are not a question. Used, they cost more than any other film M except rare collector variants, and they hold value accordingly.
CLA, and what “serviced” means
Every M body in this article except the newest MPs and M-As is old enough to need a clean, lubricate and adjust at some point. Lubricants dry, slow shutter speeds start to drag, the rangefinder drifts, and the finder gets hazy. A full CLA from a reputable independent technician runs roughly $300–$600 depending on the body and what's found inside; Leica's own service costs more and takes longer.
“Recently serviced” on its own is not a fact. Ask who did it, when, and for a copy of the invoice. A body with a dated CLA from a known technician in the last five years is worth paying more for, because that is money you won't spend. A body with no history should be priced as though it needs one. Our guide to checking a used rangefinder covers how to find the problems yourself in ten minutes.
Price tiers
Ranges shift, and condition moves any of these by a bracket, but as a map: a user-grade M2 or M3 is roughly $1,200–$2,200, and a clean, serviced M3 or M4 roughly $1,800–$3,000. The M5 sits around $1,500–$2,500. An M6 classic is roughly $2,800–$4,000, with the TTL a little above that and black-paint or special finishes well beyond. A used MP or M-A runs roughly $4,500–$6,000, and the 2022 M6 holds close to its new price. Use the value pages for current sold prices before you commit to a number.
Whichever you pick, buy from someone who has shot it. The film M bodies on Aperture.market are listed by photographers you can meet locally, test in daylight, and buy with no commission on either side.