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 M4 (1967) was Leica's attempt to ship one body that did everything the M2 and M3 had done separately. It uses a 0.72× finder with **35, 50, 90, 135 mm** frame lines — the four-frame-line layout that became the default for every later Leica M. It also added the **rapid-loading** spool (no more loose take-up spool to thread; just slot the leader into the body and close). Cosmetic refinements: angled rewind crank instead of the M3's vertical knob, reshaped self-timer lever.
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 mechanical M's last hurrah from Wetzlar. Combines the M3's polish with the M2's wide-friendly finder — and adds rapid loading.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M |
| Years | 1967–1975 (Wetzlar production); 1974–1975 brief Canada production tail |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/50s |
| Meter | None |
| Frame lines | 35, 50, 90, 135 mm |
| Finder magnification | 0.72× |
| Weight | 560 g |
| Battery | None |
Released 1967, the last "classic" Wetzlar-built M before Leica moved much production to Canada. Roughly 60,000 made — well below the M3's 226,000 — partly because the M5 (1971, with built-in meter) was meant to be the replacement and partly because the camera market was shifting to SLRs. The M5 flopped commercially; Leica brought back the M4 design as the M4-2 (Canada, 1977) and then the M4-P (1981). A 50-year-anniversary engraved variant appeared in 1975.
The M4 is what most M aficionados consider "peak Leica." German manufacture, mechanical, no electronics, all four working frame lines, rapid loading. After Leica shifted production to Canada and started cutting cost on M4-2 (no self-timer, simpler advance gears), the original M4 acquired the "real Leica" mystique. Used prices reflect it: a clean Wetzlar M4 costs as much as an M6.
For shooters who want a meterless M that's daily-usable (rapid loading saves time), the M4 is the choice over an M2 or M3.
All M-mount lenses. Same as M2/M3. Leicavit, Motor M (1976, M4 only — the first motorized Leica M).
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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