Leica II1932

History

Released 1932 as Leica's first rangefinder camera. Earlier Leica I (1925) and Compur (1929) bodies relied on guesswork or external accessories for focus. The II's coupled rangefinder synchronized lens focus with a measured distance reading — a workflow innovation that defined 35mm photography for the next 60 years.

Why It Matters

The Leica II is one of the most historically significant cameras ever made. Before it, 35mm photography was a 1920s amateur curiosity; after it, 35mm became the dominant photojournalism format. Combined with Oskar Barnack's Leica I (1925), the II established 35mm photography's templates — small-form-factor cameras, fast handling, candid imagery — that defined press photography until the iPhone era.

For 2026 buyers, used Leica II bodies at $500–1,200 are accessible pre-war Leica history. They're shooters' cameras as much as collectors' — the slow shutter top of 1/500s is the only meaningful limitation for film practice.

Lenses & Accessories

Leica Screw Mount lenses (any era). Pre-war kit: Elmar 50/3.5, Hektor 50/2.5. Post-war LTM lenses also mount. External accessory shoe-mounted finders for non-50mm framing.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Robert Capa — D-Day landings (1944) shot on Contax II / Leica III variants of the era.
• Henri Cartier-Bresson — early career on Leica II / III.
• Walker Evans — American Photographs (1938) shot on Leica II.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Leica II
• Wikipedia: Leica II