When people are talking about Leica M camera, the Leica M3 or the Leica M6 always catch all the attention. However, there are more than that.
Leica M7
When people are buying a new Leica film body, they often forget about the Leica m7 and go for either the Leica m3 or m6.
But wait a second, Leica m7 is no doubt a good option as well. It is the only Leica film body with auto exposure mode (aperture-priority mode). If you are focusing on photography experience, this film body is your perfect option. You put that camera on its auto mode, then the only thing you need to do is to set the lens at its right aperture, focus and shoot. You can save up so much time to simply compose and shoot photos.
So you can now use your precious and superb Leica lenses on an auto Leica body to snap some nice pictures really efficiently.
Leica M5
The Leica M5, some of the Leica purist will see this camera as one of the darkest Leica history. But in terms of the camera itself, is it that bad?
Let's get to the practicality of the camera. By that time, there were huge competitions in the camera market, Japanese companies were mass producing cameras with cheaper cost but more superior features. Leica was forced to do a move, a stunning move to fight back. Therefore, they have decided to put out a new design language and made a new efficient & better camera that can compete with those advanced SLR that were made in Japan.
This camera has more features and well designed to allow users to use the camera in an efficient way. Its ergonomic was also changed. Before we talk about all of those, Leica M5 is in fact the first Leica rangefinder body with through-the-lens metering, which allows users to accurately meter light without an external device or even by eye. Features on the camera were also modded, such as the mega shutter speed dial, the camera lugs on one side. All of these were designed to enhance the overall shooting experience in terms of practicality. It might not have the good old Leica camera look, but it is definitely one of the best design Leica rangefinder body.
Leica M4
Leica M4 is also a great option. It has a classic Leica camera look, it was made with solid brass, it has most of the framelines that a photographer will need. Bonus, it is also a cheaper alternative to get into the Leica rangefinder world. Except the part that it doesn't have a lightmeter, it is also a great Leica film camera to invest in.