POPSCI.COM/ SPRING 2020 79The M3 found immediate success with photojournalists because
of its speedy shooting. Instead of using two viewfinders— one for
focusing and another for composing— the M3 featured a large, bright
eyepiece to handle both. The “bayonet” lens mount let photographers
save still more time by swapping glass with a twist and click rather
than screwing it on and off. Leica employs the same system today,
and modern M bodies work with almost any lens from the line’s his-
tory. The M3 also ditched the finicky film-advance knob of the era in
favor of the simple thumb lever you now find on almost every camera
that uses that wonderful medium. Leica still offers a 35mm film ver-
sion that’s entirely mechanical and capable of enduring conditions
that would brick most digital devices. It sells replacement parts too,
because most people who shoot with one see no need to “upgrade.”BORN 1954