Leica M mount

The Leica M mount is a camera lens mount introduced in 1954 with the Leica M3, and a range of lenses. It has been used on all the Leica M-series cameras and certain accessories (e.g. Visoflex reflex viewing attachment) up to the current film Leica M-A and digital Leica M10 cameras.

Leica M mount
Leica M3 and M Mount 50mm lens
TypeBayonet
External diameter44 mm
Tabs4
Flange27.8 mm
ConnectorsFocal lens indicator for frame selection in the viewfinder

This lens mount has also been used by Epson, Ricoh, Minolta, Konica, Cosina Voigtländer, Rollei, Carl Zeiss AG and Rollei Fototechnic on some of their cameras.[1]

Overview

The Leica M mount was introduced in 1954 at that year's Photokina show, with the Leica M3 as its first camera. The 'M' stands for Messsucher or rangefinder in German. This new camera abandoned the M39 lens mount in favour of a new bayonet mount. The bayonet mount allowed lenses to be changed more quickly and made the fitting more secure. Other innovations introduced by the M3 included a single window for the viewfinder (for composition) and the rangefinder (for focussing). With a double-stroke film advance lever (later models have a single-stroke lever). The M3 was a success and over 220,000 units were sold, by the time production ended in 1966. It remains the best-selling M mount camera ever made. The M3 uses 135 film (or 35 mm film), with the canister being loaded behind a detachable bottom plate. The M3 was followed by many other M mount cameras, released over 40 years, with many of the basic concepts remaining in these designs. With the introduction of the Through-the-lens metering (TTL) in the Leica M5 and the digital Leica M8 being the most notable innovations since then.[2]

The lenses for the M mount were also introduced in 1954 and were based on the earlier M39 thread mount. Almost all M mount lens are Prime lens. These lenses are divided by Leica based on their maximum aperture number (also known as f-number). They are distinguished by their names:[2]

Name f-number
Noctilux f/0.95 or f/1.0 or f/1.2 or f/1.25
Summilux f/1.4
Summicron f/2
Summarit f/2.5
Elmarit f/2.8
Elmar, Super Elmar f/2.8 or f/3.4 or f/3.8 or f/4
Summaron f/3.5 or f/5.6
Hektor f/4.5

M Mount camera bodies

Film cameras

Image Name Year Exposure Notes
Leica M3 1954 – 1966 Manual   First bayonet M mount camera

  220,000 produced in Germany

Leica M2 1957 – 1968 Manual   Around 82,000 produced in Germany

  Around 1,500 produced in Canada

Leica M1 1959 – 1964 Manual   Around 9,431 produced
Leica M4 1964 – 1975 Manual   Redesigned film loading and film winding

  Introduction of the "red dot"

  Versions: Leica MDa, Leica M4-2, Leica M4-P

Leica M5 1971 – 1975 Manual
TTL metering
  Redesigned body

  First M mount with electronic Through-the-lens metering (TTL)

Leica M6 1984 – 2002 Manual
TTL metering
  Basically the M4 with TTL metering

  Leica M6 (1984 – 1998)

  Leica M6 TTL (1998 – 2002): Better viewfinder and electronic flash capability

Leica M7 2002 – 2018 Manual
TTL metering
Aperture priority semi-automatic
  Electronically controlled, requires battery to operate fully

  Electronic shutter control and semi-automatic mode

Leica MP 2003 – present Manual
TTL metering
  Vintage design

  Removal of the "red dot"

Leica M-A[3] 2014 – present Manual   Rerelease of the M3 design

  Manual exposure only

Professional

Image Name Year Sensor Notes
Leica M8[4] 2006 – 2009 10 megapixels with CCD sensor   First digital M mount camera

  3936 x 2630 Max resolution

  2.5″ inch screen

Leica M9[5] 2009 – 2012 18 megapixels with CCD sensor   5212 x 3472 Max resolution

  2.5″ inch screen

Leica M9-P[6] 2011 – 2012 18 megapixels with CCD sensor   Removal of the "red dot", otherwise same as the Leica M9

  5212 x 3472 Max resolution

  2.5″ inch screen with sapphire crystal LCD glass

Leica M (Typ 240)[7] 2012 – 2017 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   5952 x 3976 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen

  Capable of capturing Full HD 1080p video

Leica M-P (Typ 240)[8] 2014 – 2017 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   Removal of the "red dot", otherwise same as the Leica M (Typ 240)

  5952 x 3976 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen with sapphire crystal LCD glass

  Capable of capturing Full HD 1080p video

Leica M10[9] 2017 – present 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   5952 x 3992 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen

  Wi-Fi capability

Leica M10-P[10] 2018 – present 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   Removal of the "red dot", otherwise same as the Leica M10

  5952 x 3992

  3″ inch screen

  Wi-Fi capability

Entry

Image Name Year Sensor Notes
Leica M-E (Typ 220)[11] 2012 – 2015 18 megapixels with CCD sensor   5212 x 3472 Max resolution

  2.5″ inch screen

Leica M (Typ 262)[12] 2015 – 2019 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   5952 x 3976 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen

Leica M-E (Typ 240)[13] 2019 – present 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   5976 x 3992 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen

  Capable of capturing Full HD 1080 video

Monochrom

Image Name Year Sensor Notes
Leica M Monochrom[14] 2012 – 2015 18 megapixels with CCD sensor   5212 x 3472 Max resolution

  2.5″ inch screen

  Black-and-white version of the M9

Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)[15] 2015 – 2020 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   5952 x 3968 Max resolution

  3″ inch screen with sapphire crystal LCD glass

  Black-and-white version of the M (Typ 240)

  Capable of capturing Full HD 1080 video

Leica M10 Monochrom [16] 2020 – present 41 megapixels with CMOS sensor   7864 x 5200 Max resolution

  3" inch screen TFT LCD monitor

  Black-and-white version of the M10

  Dedicated ISO dial with ISO 160 to ISO 100.000

No display

Image Name Year Sensor Notes
Leica M-D (Typ 262)[17] 2016 – 2018 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   No Rear LCD Screen

  The only control on the body is via the shutter speed and ISO dials

Leica M10-D[18] 2018 – present 24 megapixels with CMOS sensor   7840 x 5184 Max resolution

  No Rear LCD Screen

Increased resolution

Image Name Year Sensor Notes
Leica M10-R[19] 2020 – present 40 megapixels with CMOS sensor   3" inch screen TFT LCD monitor

  The only control on the body is via the shutter speed and ISO dials

Other manufacturers

M mount lenses

Summary of Leica M lenses
Speed Name 21mm 24mm 28mm 35mm 50mm 75mm 90mm 135mm
f/5.6 Summaron Y
f/4.0
Super-Angulon Y
Macro Elmar Y
Elmar YY
Tele-Elmar Y
Tri-Elmar ASPH 16-18-21mm
28-35-50mm
f/3.8 Elmar ASPH. Y
f/3.5 Summaron Y
f/3.4 Super-Elmar ASPH. Y
Apo-Telyt Y
f/2.8 Elmar Y
Elmarit YYYY
Elmarit ASPH. YYY
Tele-Elmarit Y
f/2.5 Summarit YYYY
f/2 Summicron YYY
Summicron ASPH. YY
APO Summicron YYY
f/1.4 Summilux YYY
Summilux ASPH. YYY YYY
f/1.25 Noctilux ASPH. Y
f/1.2 Noctilux Y
f/1 Noctilux Y
f/0.95 Noctilux ASPH. Y

Other manufacturers

See also

References

  1. "Leica M Mount in the Leica Glossary". apotelyt.com. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  2. Taylor, David (2014). Leica M Typ 240 Expanded Guide. United Kingdom: Ammonite Press. ISBN 1781450390.
  3. "Leica M-A Details". us.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  4. "Leica M8: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  5. "Leica M9: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  6. "Leica M9-P: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  7. "Leica M Typ 240: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  8. "Leica M-P (Typ 240): Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  9. "Leica M10: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  10. "Leica M10-P: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  11. "Leica M-E Typ 220: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  12. "Leica M (Typ 262): Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  13. "Leica M-E (Typ 240): Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  14. "Leica M-Monochrom: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  15. "Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246): Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  16. "Leica M10 Monochrom: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  17. "Leica M-D (Typ 262) Review". Imaging Resource. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  18. "Leica M10-D: Digital Photography Review". www.dpreview.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  19. "Details // Leica M10-R // Leica M-System // Photography - Leica Camera AG". uk.leica-camera.com. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
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