Simple camera make street photographers happier

I wake up in the morning and wonder why every Leica camera is still the same as it was. I can’t understand how life goes on the way it does.

There are so many new cameras, but so little time. I’ve been using my M2-R since I got my M3 and M2, and it was my third M camera. Now I’m sure that the M2-R is the “best” Leica ever.

The Leica M3 was released in 1954, and the Leica M2 in 1957. The Leica M2-R was released in 1969. These M2-Rs, with the rapid loading system from the M4, had been developed for the US military and were effectively being sold as army surplus through Leica dealerships.

When shooting with the M2 on the street, it has framelines for 35mm, and there are no other framelines inside or outside for 35mm lenses. Compared to the 50mm, the 35mm is better for full-body shots. By stepping 2 meters away, you can capture an entire person’s body in a shot. The 35mm lens is often called the “storyteller’s lens.”

Compared to the M3, the M2 had a less expensive top plate to produce, a 0.72x finder, and a manual film counter. The early versions had no self-timer and just a button to rewind the film, instead of the lever like on the M3.

The M2’s finder is clear, and its design is simple. A simple camera is thought to make street photographers happier. However, being simple is not for the faint-hearted; it takes a lot of courage.

I need three things: a Leica camera, film, and light.

The bright sun burns my film, and the silver that cannot be washed away is my most loyal friend.

My original intention for buying the first Leica M was to have a robust tool.

I bought a second Leica M with a body for the second lens.

I bought a third Leica M because I had sold a lens.

I bought subsequent Leica M cameras for “preservation,” and I can only explain it this way.

Leica released the M3 first and then the M2. Why wasn’t the publishing order M1, M2, M3? Asking the right question often solves half of the problem, but what about the other half of the answer?

Here are my guesses:

The previous generation of Leica M cameras was the Oscar Barnack series, which did not have a built-in auto-zero counter. So Leica Labs first produced the Leica M1 without focus and an external counter. Then Leica developed the viewfinder focusing structure, leading to the M2. Finally, the Leica team designed the auto-zero counter and a more complicated viewfinder with 0.91 magnification. This resulted in the M3 being released first, which was so popular that the M2 was later released. The above is purely fictitious, just my guess.

The M2’s viewfinder has three wireframes for 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm, with only one wireframe appearing at a time. This is one of the main reasons why many people love the M2.