The Leica M4 And Still Fabulous

It’s been half a century since the release of the Leica M4 – an underrated classic that helped save the company. Geoff Harris tells fascinating story.

- Geoff Harris

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of a particularly interesting Leica range finder, the Leica M4. The M4 might not have the iconic status of the M3 (much of which is down to Cartier-Bresson’s patronage), but in many ways it’s a more convenient camera to use, and there are lots of examples around in great condition. ‘If the M4 had appeared in 1954, it would have the same reputation as the M2 or M3,’ says Leica’s director of product management Stefan Daniel. ‘It’s a more usable and better handling camera in many ways, as the film is much faster to load and rewind.’

So, if you’ve always wanted a vintage Leica film camera, but would like something a bit more unusual and quirky than an M3 or M6, it is great value for money – and, of course, takes a wide range of compatible lenses, the quality of which is legendary. The M4 employs a dual-image range finding device to help you focus and offered support for a wider range of lenses than its predecessor; rather more challenging for the modern photographer is the lack of any built-in metering. The relatively bulky and unloved M5, introduced in 1971, was the first Leica range finder to offer through-the-lens (TTL) metering.

So to get usable shots, you need a good working knowledge of the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and film speed, rather than relying on automated electronics. To make the process somewhat easier, many M4 owners buy a separate handheld light meter, and then enter the settings. While the lack of metering may seem a pain, over time it makes you sharper at working out the correct exposure settings for a range of lighting conditions. You are likely to end up a more technically confident photographer than somebody who relies on their histogram.