M2

• Code names - 10800 KOOHE (body only) - 10308 (body only w/ self-timer) - 10300 = (body only w/o selftimer) - 1964 catalog

KEZOO = KOOHE + ELMAM (Elmar (III) f= 5 cm 1:3.5)

KIHOO 10333 = KOOHE + ELMOM (Elmar f= 5 cm 1:2.8)

KIOOL 10336 = KOOHE + SOMNI (Summicron (II) f= 5 cm 1:2)

KOOIW = KOOHE + SOOIA (Summarit f= 5 cm 1:1.5) - 1958 catalog

• Production era - 1957-1968 > 93,221 assigned numbers (per list below) including ca. 82,000 chrom, 1851 black, 5900 self-timer
• Variants - Vorlaufwerk - w/ self timer, Luftwaffe - German air force (gray), ELC - E.Leitz Canada, NASA - US space program, KS-15 (4) Vietnam era camera w/ M4 rapid loading system for US Army (issue of 874 per lockesboy, M-2R - KS-15 civilian version per greenspun
• Manuals & brochures
  • M1 M2 1963 Instructions (in Brief) IX/63/FLX/B.pdf Courtesy of Joe Chan
  • M2 1963 Instructions IX/63/FLX/B.pdf Courtesy of Joe Chan
  • 1960 M2 Instructions.pdf (in German)
  • M-Series Factory Tips.pdf Craftsman's Monty Witt
  • NY Leitz Repair Training Program.pdf Courtesy of John Giordano
  • 1954 M-catalog.pdf (in German)
  • 1964 M-catalog.pdf Courtesy of Mike Butkus

Comment

• The M2 was the second in Leica's line of M-bayonet cameras and was sold alongside the M3 as a lower cost variant. Sold between 1958 and 1966 (although production is known to have begun in 1957), the M2 featured redesigned rangefinder optics with a finder magnification of 0.72, which allowed for the inclusion of 35mm brightlines - a first for a Leica rangefinder (the full range of brightlines were 35, 50 and 90 mm). The M2 also differed from the M3 in using a top casing lacking the former model's ornate frames around the various windows, an external, manually reset exposure counter, and (initially at least) the deletion of the delayed action self timer.
• There were a number of variations to the M2 produced during its production run, and at least two further versions sold after production had officially ceased. Initially the M2 was launched with a push-button rewind release, but this proved unpopular and was replaced within the first year of production with a lever. The self-timer was also offered as an option during the first year (M2 X), before becoming standard equipment later in the camera's lifespan. Additionally versions of the M2 were sold together with the Leicavit rapid winder and marketed as the MP2 (a replacement for the discontinued Leica MP).
• In 1969 a limited run of M2s with the rapid loading system from the M4 were made available to the public, sold as the Leica M2-R. These cameras had been developed for the US military, and were effectively being sold as army surplus through Leica dealerships.
• The M2 became the basis for all subsequent M-series film cameras.
• On the street - €EU 850 in 2015
• Reviews
  • Wikipedia Leica M2
  • Camerapedia Leica M2
• Forum discussion
  • JCB's a little...M2
  • [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
  • [6] [7]
  • [8] [9] [10]
  • [11]
  • [12] [13]
  • [14] [15]
  • [16]
  • [17] [18]
  • [19]
  • [20] [21]
  • [22] Betriebsk.
  • [23]

M2 Serial Numbers

^^ Cameras 956865 & 956889 are M2 (button rewind)

SN Start	SN End	Product	Year	Batch
926001	926200	Leica M2	1957	200
929001	931000	Leica M2 (black)	1958	2000
931001	933000	Leica M2 with smaller window*	1958	2000
935513	937500	Leica M2 (chrom)	1958	2500
937501	937620	Leica M2	1958	2500
937621	937650	Leica M2 ELC	1958	30
937651**	940000**	Leica M2	1958	2350**
940001	942900	Leica M2 (chrom)	1958	2900
942901	943000	Leica M2 ELC	1958	100
944001	946000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1958	2000
946001	946300**	Leica M2	1958	300**
946301	946400	Leica M2 ELC	1958	100
946401**	946900**	Leica M2	1958	500**
946901	947000	Leica M2 ELC	1958	100
947001	947500*	Leica M2	1958	500
947501*	948000	Leica M2 with self timer* (chrom)	1958	500
948501	948600	Leica M2 ELC	1958	100
948601**	949100**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1958	500**
949101	949400**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1958	300
949401**	950000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1959	600
956501^^	957000	Leica M1^^	1959	[500]
959501**	960200**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1959	700**
960201**	960500	Leica M2	1960	300**
960501	961500	Leica M2 (black)	1959	1000
961501**	961700**	Leica M3 ELC	1959	200**
961701**	966500**	Leica M3	1959	4800**
967501	968350	Leica M2	1959	850
970001	971500	Leica M2 (black+ELW.chrom)	1959	1500
975001	975800**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1959	800**
975801**	976100**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1960	300**
976101**	976500	Leica M2 (chrom)	1959	400**
982001	982150**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1960	150**
982151**	982900**	Leica M2	1959	750**
982901**	983500**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1959	600**
983501**	984000	Leica M2	1959	500**
987201	987300	Leica M2 ELC	1960	100
988351	988650	Leica M2	1960	300
988651	989250	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1960	600
989251	989650**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk (ELW.chrom)	1960	400**
989651**	989800**	Leica M2 (ELW.chrom)	1960	150**
989801	990500	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1960	700
990501**	990750	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert (ELW)	1960	250**
993751	995000**	Leica M2	1960	1250**
995001	995100	Leica M2 ELC	1960	100
995101	995400	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk	1960	300
995401**	996000	Leica M2	1960	600**
1004001	1005100**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk (chrom)	1960	1100**
1005101**	1005350**	Leica M2 Vorlaufwerk (ELW.black)	1960	250**
1005351	1005450	Leica M2 ELC	1960	100
1005451**	1005750**	Leica M2	1960	300**
1005771**	1007000**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1960	1230**
1005751	1005770	Leica M2 Luftwaffe (gray)	1960	20
1011001	1014000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1960	3000
1017501	1017900**	Leica M2	1961	400**
1017901	1018000	Leica M2 ELC	1961	100
1018001**	1020100**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1961	2100**
1020101	1020200	Leica M2 ELC	1961	100
1020201**	1022000	Leica M2	1961	1800**
1022001**	1022700**	Leica M3	1961	700**
1028601	1031800	Leica M2 (chrom+black)	1961	3200
1031801**	1032000**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1961	200**
1036001	1036050	Leica M2 ELC	1961	50
1036351	1037950**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1961	1600
1037951	1038000	Leica M2 ELC	1962	50
1043001	1043800**	Leica M2	1962	800
1043801**	1044000	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1962	200**
1048001	1050000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1962	2000
1050501	1055000	Leica M2 (ELW.black+chrom)	1962	4250
1053101**	1053250**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1962	150**
1053251**	1054900**	Leica M2 (ELW.chrom)	1962	1650**
1054901	1055000	Leica M2 ELC	1962	100
1060501	1061700**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1962	1200**
1061701	1061800	Leica M2 ELC	1962	100
1061801**	1063000	Leica M2 (ELW.chrom)	1962	1200**
1068001	1070000	Leica M2	1963	2000
1074501	1077000	Leica M2	1963	2500
1085501	1088000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1963	2500
1093501**	1093750**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1964	250**
1093751	1093800	Leica M2 ELC	1964	50
1098301	1099800**	Leica M2	1964	1500**
1099801	1099900	Leica M2 ELC	1964	100
1099901**	1100000	Leica M2	1964	100**
1102901*	1103000*	Leica M2	1965	100*
1103001**	1104900**	Leica M2	1965	1900**
1104901	1105000	Leica M2 ELC	1965	100
1107001	1109000	Leica M2 (chrom-NASA+black)	1965	2000
1112001	1114975**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1965	2975**
1130001	1130300**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1965	300**
1130301	1132900**	Leica M2 (chrom)	1965	2600**
1132901	1133000	Leica M2 ELC	1965	100
1138901	1139000	Leica M2 ELC	1966	100
1142001	1145000	Leica M2 (chrom)	1966	3000
1161421	1162400*	Leica M2 (chrom)	1966	980*
1162451*	1163770	Leica M2 (chrom+KS-15)	1966	1320*
1163771**	1164046**	Leica M2 mot (chrom+KS-15)	1966	276**
1164047	1164550*	Leica M2 (KS-15)	1966	504*
1164551*	1164845	Leica M2	1966	295*
1164941	1165000	Leica M2	1967	60
1207000**	1207000**	Leica M2 Schwz Lackiert	1968	1**
1248201	1250200	Leica M2-R rapid loading* (Chrom)	1969-70	2000
Total	assigned	serial numbers	1957-1970	93,221

. * Serial numbers and batch total from Gandy's List
** Serial numbers from Serial Numbers Leica Cameras with computed batch total.
Unmarked SN's match between both lists and Gandy's batch total was used without recalculation.
ELC - Ernst Leitz Canada
Schwz Lackiert - Black Lacquer
Vorlaufwerk - Self Timer