C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Leica II (1932) was the first Leica with a **coupled rangefinder** — earlier Leica I bodies required external rangefinders for accurate focus. Same Barnack body design as later III-series, brass with vulcanite, mechanical horizontal-cloth shutter, Leica Screw Mount. No flash sync. Maximum shutter 1/500s; the IIIa (1935) added 1/1000s. Production ran 16 years through WWII; ~50,000 units made.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The first Leica with a coupled rangefinder. 1932. The body that established 35mm photography's modern workflow.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica Screw Mount |
| Years | 1932–1948 |
| Shutter | 1/20s – 1/500s + B + Z, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | None |
| Meter | None |
| Modes | Manual |
| Weight | 540 g |
| Battery | None |
Released 1932 as Leica's first rangefinder camera. Earlier Leica I (1925) and Compur (1929) bodies relied on guesswork or external accessories for focus. The II's coupled rangefinder synchronized lens focus with a measured distance reading — a workflow innovation that defined 35mm photography for the next 60 years.
The Leica II is one of the most historically significant cameras ever made. Before it, 35mm photography was a 1920s amateur curiosity; after it, 35mm became the dominant photojournalism format. Combined with Oskar Barnack's Leica I (1925), the II established 35mm photography's templates — small-form-factor cameras, fast handling, candid imagery — that defined press photography until the iPhone era.
For 2026 buyers, used Leica II bodies at $500–1,200 are accessible pre-war Leica history. They're shooters' cameras as much as collectors' — the slow shutter top of 1/500s is the only meaningful limitation for film practice.
Leica Screw Mount lenses (any era). Pre-war kit: Elmar 50/3.5, Hektor 50/2.5. Post-war LTM lenses also mount. External accessory shoe-mounted finders for non-50mm framing.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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