How rare is an M2

[nee_sung]

with a press-in rewind button rather than the usual short "r" stick, at the same

position?

 

Thank you all in advance. :-)

[eliot_rosen1]

All early M2s had the button rewind. It is not rare at all. Hope this helps.

[al_kaplan1]

I don't know what the production figures were but they're hardly rare. That's how they made them for the first year or so. I still have one in daily use that I bought second hand back in 1971. They're pretty sturdy cameras!

[johnmarkpainter]

KEH always has a few in stock.

[Bill Blackwell Images]

There were about 85,000 Leica M2 cameras produced between 1957 (926001) and 1967 (1165000). There were approximately 24,000 M2 cameras produced with the button RW. Perhaps 20% of these units were produced with a self timer. From 970261 all M2s were produced with the lever RW.

 

See Lager, Leica An Illustrated History, Vol. 1, pgs. 199-208

 

and look here:

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/mtype.htm

[frank_scheitrowsky1]

24,000 M2 cameras produced with the button RW. Perhaps 20% of these units were produced with a self timer.

 

Bill has it right: these are the "rare" ones. <5000

[stuart_vu]

Indeed, it's a rare one.<div></div>

[vinay_patel]

The M2 button rewind was changed shortly after introduction to one that stays in when pushed until the advance lever is stroked and then it pops out. The early ones that have to be held in constantly while rewinding are the rarest (especially since many were later converted over for convenience), however this is an instance where rarity doesn't equate to monetary value. The non-locking button is the least desirable of M2s and tends to sell for less than the others. Except of course if it were mint in the original packaging.

[eliot_rosen1]

If you want to know about a really rare variety of the M2, the first 50-100 M2s were a little different from the bult production. These M2s had several very early features, including the rewind button without the protective collar and a flat frame illuminator window like that of the M3 (the bulk production M2s had a ridged frame illumionator window, as did all other Ms than the M3).

[vinay_patel]

The M2 rangfinder (there were 2 distinct varieties but both the same general layout, only the later one could be retrofitted with M4-M6 frame line masking)uses a diagonally placed mirror to introduce the framelines to the mix. The prismatic illumination window is to even out the illumination on the side of the framelines with the farther light path. The M3 has a straight light path through the frame mask so a flat glass is fine. I saw an M2 not long ago with a flat illumination window, but behind it was some kind of corrugated piece. I'm not sure if that was OEM or DIY. The M6J and MP3 have flat windows and M6 rangefinders, so there must be a part behind it to even the illumination.

[eliot_rosen1]

Vinay is right in that besides the M3 and the very early M2s, there were a few special edition Ms (eg., M6J, MP3) that had flat frame illumination windows. I had always thought that the ridged frame illuminator windows (as seen on most Ms, including the bulk production M2s) were simply to gather more light, but Vinay may be correct here.

 

In any event, only the very early production M2s with the flat window and lacking the collar around the rewind button are worth a substantial premium over the regular production M2s (just as the earliest M3s which were different from the bulk production are worth a significant premium). If your M2 is not within the first 50-100 cameras and does not have these features, it is not considered rare to a collector.

[stephen_w.]

...were simply to gather more light...

 

Makes sense: more surface area.

[lee hamiel]

Reminds be of the expo-discs for digital white balance with the prismatic surfaces to collect light from all angles. Probably twice the real estate on the window as opposed to flat for the M bodies. I guess I could do the math or someone has already.

 

For reference - my son has an early M2 that is mint with both the push button rewind along with the self-timer - he has to hold the button in during rewind.

 

He usually uses his M7/M6 without being overly careful & uses them as tools even though they were new & does not mind a ding or a scratch if that's what happens - with the M2 however - he has used it carefully & although it's not a high dollar rare M body he wants to keep it that way.

[nee_sung]

>>uses his M7/M6 without being overly careful & uses them as tools<<

 

That's my kind of guy.

 

Actually I'm really not that interested in the rarity of the M2. It's just that the shop told me that it's rare and that they were selling it to me at a bargain price, that spurred my interest, because I never knew that Leica made such a rewind button.

 

My philosophy towards used Leica's is to find the most battered and ugly, but functionally OK model (not perfect, because I can always CLA it), buy it for dirt cheap, and then batter it some more!

 

To me, that is the greatest repect one can pay towards the Leica, to use it to make great photos.

[35mmdelux]

we got a nice bridge we would love to sell you. its rare because its painted in red.