Leica M3

A Leica M3 with a 50mm Summicron, the rangefinder many people still picture when they hear the word Leica. It was first shown at Photokina in Cologne in 1954 and introduced the bayonet mount that Leica's M cameras use to this day. The big change you notice through the eyepiece: one large, bright window for both framing and focusing, with frame lines that switch to match the lens you mount. Earlier Leicas made you squint through separate windows and twist lenses onto a screw thread. About 227,000 were made up to 1967, so a working M3 is not rare, and a serviced one remains a joy to shoot with a 50mm lens.