Leica M-A (Typ 127)

The Leica M-A strips the Leica M camera back to its essentials: film, shutter, aperture and focus.

There's no light meter, no automatic exposure and no battery. Exposure is set entirely by the photographer, either using an external meter or your own judgement. The mechanical shutter runs from 1 second to 1/1000 sec, while focusing is handled through Leica's classic coupled rangefinder.

The 0.72× viewfinder gives you bright-line frames for 28, 35, 50, 75, 90 and 135mm lenses, with automatic parallax correction as you focus. Pair it with an M-mount lens and what you're left with is a remarkably direct way of shooting 35mm film.

Introduced in 2014, the M-A was deliberately designed as a modern continuation of Leica's fully mechanical M cameras. The clean front, including the absence of the familiar red Leica logo, reflects that stripped-back approach.

This Sydney Super 8 example comes with box and paperwork, although the supplied box has a non-matching serial number. 

Best for

• Leica M photographers
• Experienced film photographers
• Street photography
• Documentary photography
• Travel
• Manual photography
• Photographers comfortable using an external light meter
• Leica collectors
• Anyone wanting a completely mechanical Leica M body

What to expect

The M-A is deliberately uncomplicated, but that doesn't mean effortless.

There is no built-in exposure meter. You'll need to determine exposure yourself or use a handheld meter, then manually set aperture and shutter speed. There are no batteries because there are no electronics needed to operate the camera.

The shutter is mechanical and runs from 1 second to 1/1000 sec plus Bulb. Film advance and rewind are also manual.

Focusing is through Leica's 0.72× coupled rangefinder, with a bright central field used to align the split or superimposed images. The effective rangefinder base is 49.9mm.

It's a camera that puts almost every photographic decision back in the photographer's hands.

Developing

The Leica M-A uses standard 35mm / 135 film.

Processing depends on what you load:

Colour negative: C-41
Traditional black and white: Standard black and white processing
Colour reversal / slide: E-6

Film advance and rewind are completely manual. Once you've finished the roll, rewind it into the cartridge before removing the baseplate and taking the film out.