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 M2 (1957) was Leica's response to working photographers who'd asked: "Why no 35mm frame line in the M3?" The M2 keeps the M3 body and shutter unchanged but swaps the high-magnification finder for a 0.72× finder showing **35, 50, 90 mm** frame lines (no 135 mm). That makes 35mm lenses native, parallax-corrected, no goggles needed. Build is identical; cosmetics simpler (the frame counter is now exposed rather than auto-resetting).
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.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The "press" M. Same body as the M3, but with a 0.72× finder that includes 35mm frame lines — and built down to a price.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M |
| Years | 1957–1968 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/50s |
| Meter | None (clip-on Leicameter optional) |
| Frame lines | 35, 50, 90 mm |
| Finder magnification | 0.72× |
| Weight | 580 g |
| Battery | None |
Released 1957 as the "second M," intentionally cheaper and simpler than the M3 to widen the M user base. 88,000 units made before the M4 took over in 1968. The M2 was the body of choice for photojournalists who shot 35mm primarily — Time/Life press kits, the AP, and Magnum picture editors recommended M2 bodies for documentary work. A late variant with self-timer is identifiable from the lever on the front.
If the M3 is "the wide normal/portrait camera," the M2 is "the wide-angle camera." The 35mm frame line and lower magnification gave reportage photographers room to compose, see context, and move close — the visual language of photojournalism after 1957. The M2 also became cheaper used than the M3 because of lower production numbers and slightly less collectible appeal — that's now reversed slightly as 35mm-frame-line bodies became more practical for daily shooting.
Same M-mount system as M3. Common pairings: Summicron 35/2 (V1 8-element, the "King of Bokeh" came later in V4), Summilux 35/1.4, Summicron 50/2, Elmarit 90/2.8. Same Leicameter MR-4, Leicavit, accessory shoe magnifier ecosystem.
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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