Leica M4-P

Just before Christmas I brought myself a new to me camera. A Leica M4-P Body. Why I hear you ask? I’m going to confess to having a bit of a hang-up when it comes to cameras. Redundancy is the word. I tend to go places to photograph them, and especially if it’s a distance, I like to have two working bodies. So I can run colour in one and B/W in the other, or indeed I suspect that is going to become more a case of 100 in one and 400 in another. The main reason though, is that if one packs up or jams, I just keep photographing with the other. Having two bodies means I only have to carry one set of lenses too.

The second reason that I brought it was that it was a very good deal, especially looking at the current online prices! I also sold off a few cameras that I’m just not using. So gone is my Olympus OM-1n with it’s 50mm f1.8, a Zukio 50mm Macro, and the standard 135mm. Gone also is the Olympus Mju:II, and a couple of other compact auto’s. The OM1 although a lovely camera, is the only OM in my arsenal, and the Mju is at all time high (stupid) price, it’s in perfect condition but they are prone to fail, and if it did, I’d be annoyed that I “lost” that value of camera – many are just not repairable, and if they are they are not worth the cost! That, and I just don’t use it – it’s a waste. So that reduced further the already good price! I therefore reduced the number and bulk of cameras into one! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it – not that I need one!

The Leica M4 in it’s various forms, (there was also a M4-2), are usually the cheapest of the M’s and were mainly made in Canada. Leica snobs often talk it down, but I’m going to go against the grain and say that I like it just as much as the M6, and I may even be controversial and say that I think I even prefer the feel of the wind on! Heresy!! I also had an opportunity to purchase an M3, I’m tempted to say “as well” although I couldn’t have justified both, so was only ever going to be an “either/or” and I’m going to annoy the Leica purists even further by saying that although the M3 is often quoted as being “one of the best 35mm cameras ever” I like the M4-P more! Going off topic a bit, The M3’s viewfinder is often lauded and has big rounded corners. So I ask those purists “When did the 35mm format ever have rounded corners?” Then there is the pain inducing rewind knob – a pain in the fingers and else where! My biggest dislike with the M3 is the take up spool. What happens if you loose/drop the take up spool? Especially now in 2024! I went for the M4-P!

So for a quick rundown on the camera: The M4-P was apparently manufactured between 1980 and 1986. The main addition to the prior M4-2 are frame-lines for the 28mm and 75mm lenses meaning that two are displayed at the same time in the viewfinder. Using my Zeiss 35mm seems the perfect combo, the view is big and while the smaller 135mm “lines” are displayed too, they are really just the corners and frankly until I came to write this I didn’t even realise that was the case! The rangefinder focus, is also clear and bright. The layout and operation is exactly the same as my M6, so I can swap from one to the other without a thought. The only real difference is the lack of any meter. The body also came with a half leather case which is rather nice to have, and a spare “proper” Leica body cap, that I used to replace the plastic no brand on my M6! That’s it I have two Leica M’s – no more needed!!