M3
- Cameras
- 1954–1966
- $1.2k–$3k
- Secondhand only
Speeed’s take
The camera that introduced the M bayonet mount, still used on Leicas seventy years later — Canon has changed mounts about five times in the same span. Also the first camera with a parallax-corrected viewfinder and integrated rangefinder, so the frame lines shift as you focus. Buy one that's been used, not babied.
“These things were freaking tanks. There are tons of used M3s available today in perfect working condition — not because they've been babied and meticulously preserved, because the M3 is practically bulletproof.”
