Leica M4

The Leica M4, produced from 1967 to 1975 in Wetzlar, Germany, is often cited by collectors as the finest-made M body in the company's history. It introduced two practical improvements that all later Ms inherited: a rapid-load film take-up spool (no more threading the film leader through multiple slots) and an angled rewind crank in place of the M3/M2's knob. It also added a fourth set of framelines — 35mm joined the existing 50, 90, and 135 — giving it coverage for all the focal lengths a rangefinder photographer would commonly use.

The M4 was the last M body made entirely in Wetzlar before production complexity and economic pressures led to changes. Photographers who handle both a Wetzlar M4 and a later body often comment on a certain tactile authority in the M4 — fit, finish, and the feel of the controls. Whether this is measurable or partly mythological is debated, but the M4's reputation for build quality is consistent across decades of collector opinion. It is a camera that rewards use.