Leica M4-2

Leica M4-2

The Leica M4-2 is a 35mm M-mount rangefinder camera introduced by Ernst Leitz Canada in the late 1970s. It revived the classic Leica M body concept after the commercially difficult Leica M5 period and became the bridge between the original Leica M4 and the later Leica M4-P and M6 [1].

The camera is based on the Leica M4 layout but was redesigned for more efficient production. It retained the quick-loading system, angled rewind crank, manual film advance, mechanical shutter and 0.72x rangefinder-viewfinder, while removing the self-timer and adding a hot shoe and motor-winder compatibility. This made the M4-2 a simpler, more production-oriented Leica M body than the earlier Wetzlar-built M4 [1][2].

The M4-2 has no built-in light meter and requires no battery for operation. Exposure is fully manual, and the horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter provides speeds from 1 second to 1/1000 second plus B. Flash synchronization is available at 1/50 second. The viewfinder displays bright-line framelines for 35mm, 50mm, 90mm and 135mm lenses, matching the traditional four-frame M4 layout rather than the later six-frame M4-P finder [1].

In handling, the M4-2 is close to the M4 but has a more utilitarian character. The top plate normally carries a large Leitz engraving rather than the earlier flowing Leica script, and the standard finish is black chrome. Collectors often view it as a transitional camera, less refined than the M4 but historically important because it helped keep the mechanical Leica M line alive before the M4-P and M6 [2][5].

History

Development and Launch

The M4-2 was developed after Leica faced weak reception for the M5 and rising production costs for traditional hand-assembled M cameras. The model returned to the compact M4-style form but with simplified manufacturing and assembly. Pilot and early serial records begin in late 1977, while regular production is generally associated with 1978 to 1980 [1][3].

Production Evolution

Leica Wiki lists the M4-2 production era as 1978 to 1980, with approximately 15,000 black cameras and approximately 1,000 gold cameras [1]. CameraQuest lists standard M4-2 serial batches from 1480001 to 1533350, plus earlier pilot or overlapping production references. Most standard M4-2 cameras were black chrome and marked as Ernst Leitz Canada production [3].

Serial Number Batches

M4-2 serial numbers are non-contiguous. Leica Wiki lists assigned blocks including 1468001 to 1468100, 1480001 to 1482000, 1502001 to 1508000, 1525351 to 1527200, 1527701 to 1528150 and 1528651 to 1533350 for standard or black M4-2 production [1]. CameraQuest lists the main regular production blocks from 1480001 to 1533350 [3]. The broad visible range should therefore not be treated as one continuous production run.

Special Variants

The most famous special version is the Leica M4-2 Gold, made in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of Oskar Barnack’s birth in 1879. CameraQuest lists 1,000 gold M4-2 bodies with matching 50mm f/1.4 Summilux lenses, in serial blocks 1527201 to 1527700 and 1528151 to 1528650. Two additional gold M4-2 bodies are recorded in factory records in 1993, with serial numbers 1932001 and 1932002 [4].

Collector Notes

The M4-2 should be distinguished from the earlier M4 and later M4-P. Compared with the M4, the M4-2 lacks a self-timer, usually has a black chrome finish, adds a hot shoe, and supports motorized winding. Compared with the M4-P, it retains the older four-frame finder for 35mm, 50mm, 90mm and 135mm lenses, while the M4-P adds 28mm and 75mm framelines [1][2].

Collectors should check the model engraving, serial-number block, hot shoe, absence of self-timer, winder compatibility, finder framelines and body finish. Early production reputation was mixed, and later servicing history can matter for usability. As a collector camera, the M4-2 is significant because it marks Leica’s transition from traditional Wetzlar-era production toward the Canadian-built late mechanical M bodies that led directly to the M4-P and M6.

Sources

• [1] Leica Wiki. M4-2. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/M4-2
• [2] Leica Wiki. Leica M4. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/M4
• [3] CameraQuest. Leica M's Sorted by Model and Serial Number. https://www.cameraquest.com/mtype.htm
• [4] CameraQuest. Leica M4-2 Gold. https://cameraquest.com/M42Gold.htm
• [5] 35mmc. Leica M4-2 Review, The Overlooked M. https://www.35mmc.com/15/02/2019/leica-m4-2-review/