Pixiq

Introduced at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, West Germany, in 1954, the Leica M3 quickly became a favorite of photojournalists for its nearly silent operation. Many of its features were improvements over previous models: the lens mount changed to bayonet-type; shutter speeds were on a single dial; the viewfinder automatically compensated for aiming errors resulting from the distance between the taking lens and the viewer (parallax); the film was advanced and the shutter cocked by means of a lever that required two quick strokes; and a hinged door on the camera’s back simplified film loading. Costing $288 for the body alone, adding a faster lens like the 50mm f/1.5 Summarit brought the total to $469.