Leica MP (2003–2023)

Name: Leica MP
Brand: Leica

The Leica MP, introduced in 2003, is a 35mm rangefinder that Leica pitched to traditionalists as a return to the classic feel of the M3, with modern reliability. It shares its size with the M6, but its look and all-mechanical shutter go back to the 1954 M3. It is a completely manual camera. No aperture-priority, no auto mode, and even the meter is switched on by hand with a small switch on the back. The MP was made in Germany at the same Wetzlar factory as the M7, and it came in black paint and silver chrome finishes.

The MP is mechanically timed from 1/1000 to 1 second plus bulb, with flash sync at 1/50. The meter is a modern silicon cell, center-weighted TTL, covering ISO 6 to 6400. The viewfinder has 0.72x magnification and a 38.5mm rangefinder base. The shutter is a vertical-travel metal blade type. The camera takes two LR44/SR44 button batteries, weighs 580g body-only, and has no self-timer. The advance lever is often described as exceptionally quiet, and the shutter as smooth. The meter's LEDs can be dim in low light, though, and film loading is trickier than on later models. There is no exposure compensation dial.

The name invites confusion with the original 1956 MP, a motorized M3 variant. The 2003 camera has nothing to do with that earlier model, despite the shared heritage cues. At launch, the body listed for $2,195, or $3,295 with a 50mm f/2 Summicron. Period coverage in HiFI-Stereo (August 1995, p.73) treated it as a purist's instrument for people who wanted the mechanical essence of the M system without electronics. Leica discontinued the MP in 2023 after a twenty-year run, and mint examples from 2003 now trade around $2,800 - $3,500 on the secondary market. Leica also offered "a la carte" customization options during its production life.

Film: 35mm, Leica M mount
Shutter: mechanical, 1/1000–1s + B
Metering: TTL center-weighted, manual on-switch
Flash sync: 1/50s
Batteries: two LR44/SR44
Weight: 580g (body only)
Dimensions: 138 × 77 × 38mm