How to choose a film Leica M rangefinder

I'm often asked, "Which Leica M should I buy?". My usual response is to run down the features of the various models and compare this to what the photographer is looking for in a camera. At this point, it generally becomes clear which M is right.

Once you've made the decision to purchase a Leica M, you're confronted with a bewildering assortment of models released over the past 60 years. In order to streamline the decision making process, I've summarized the decision making process into a handy dandy flow chart. This chart includes all of the major Leica M models made since 1954, but excludes the Leica CL and Leitz Minolta CLE. The chart also excludes non-Leica M compatible rangefinders such as the Zeiss Ikon, Konica RF, and the Voigtlander Bessa cameras; these are fine cameras, but for the purpose of this post, I'm assuming you're looking for a camera made by Leica. Finally, I've not included more specialist M cameras, like the M1 and MDa, which lack a viewfinder, rangefinder, or both.

I've also not considered price as a factor. For example, the Leica M6 and MP are very similar cameras with respect to their actual features, but the MP costs 2-3x what the M6 does on the used market. That difference in price is more or less due to minor usability and aesthetic differences, and this is not captured in this chart. Suffice it to say, you should decide on your budget before choosing an M camera (or any other camera, for that matter)

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Source (http://mfphotography.ca)

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