Leica M5 Review - The odd one out from the 1970s

In this episode, Jules, Greg and I review the Leica M5, the first Leica M rangefinder with through-the-lens metering and the last to be built entirely by hand in Wetzlar using the traditional “adjust and fit” method.
The M5 is the odd one out in the Leica M line-up. It polarized the Leica community when first introduced in 1971 due to its different design, larger size and weight as well as technical features and continues to do so until today. A commercial failure in the 1970s, it brought Leica to the brink of bankruptcy and contributed to updated, cheaper production methods from then on.

The M5 could be had for very little money for a long time and was then rediscovered by Japanese collectors in the 1990s. When I started out shooting film, prices were still relatively inexpensive, around 500 or 600 Euros at the time and I once almost bought one. By now, the M5 has become much more expensive, typically running between 1.400-1.800 Euros in good to great condition.

In this video, we’ll take a closer look at what makes the M5 so special and why, maybe, it might just be the right M for your needs.

Gear used:
Leica M5
35mm LeicSummicron-M
50mm Leica Summicron-M

Films used:
Fuji Acros 100 II
Fuji Provia 100F
Fujicolor C200

All films were developed and scanned by my trusted Carmencita Film Lab in Spain:

[Wmpa]

I didnt buy a M5 a couple of years ago because of all the bashing and negativity against it… and now I cant afford one because of the hype. Real fun hobby we got…

[randyshanofsky]

This is, by far, the most informative and best produced video on the M5! Thank you Max and friends for this gem!

[robertwilson]

I carried a Leica IIIF with collapsible 3.5 Elmar for years as my everyday camera but though I could estimate outdoor exposures adequately, I really needed a meter for indoor exposures. In 1974 I tried the new CL with built-in metering and traded my screw mount in for it. At the time the M5 was out, but I didn’t seriously consider it because of both size and price - the CL was $399 with lens, whereas an M5 with lens would have been $1200 or more. After a couple of years carrying the CL and acquiring some M mount lenses, I happened on a used M5 for a reasonable price so I added it. Though it’s a bit bulky to carry all the time, it replaced much of my medium format shooting because of its smoothness and the optical quality. With an F2 Summicron and slow speed films, it will permit enlargements to 16x20 with amazing sharpness, yet handles quickly enough for candid street shooting or even sports photos. The shutter release is like a fine rifle trigger - so smooth and precise! I also used the M5 for shooting in courtrooms, church services and anywhere that an SLR would have been annoyingly loud. Several CLAs later it still functions as well as the day I bought it almost 50 years ago.

[highlander]

The M5 has been my daily carry for a few years now, and it is the best user camera, everything is right where it needs to be, the build quality is outstanding, the light meter is insanely accurate, albeit quirky, but once you are used to how it meters you absolutely love it. She is not the prettiest Leica out there, but she is a user, not a shelf queen.

[CalumetVideo]

I have the Leica M3 and M5, mine is earlier with the lower serial number. I understand it’s better to get a later model from 135000 and higher as there were issues with the early shutter roller breaking. I understand this shutter roller is hard to find now. I love my M5 and everything works great including the viewfinder.

[ye_liyan]

Hi Max! Just want to say thank you so much for your thorough review on M5! I watched this one times after times. And finally, finally yesterday I pulled the trigger on a two-lug M5 in a near mint condition for 1050 euros. I think I will enjoy this camera a lot, all thanks to the details you provide here!

[studiosnch]

I own one, bought at a lower-than-market price from a friend who's saving to buy a car, and I've been using it with my LTM glass (specifically the 45mm f2.8 and 50mm f2 Super Rokkors, and the "Japanese Summilux" Canon 50mm f1.4, alongside the Industar-61 L/D 55mm f2.8) fitted with an LTM-M mount adapter. And honestly, this setup has served me well and has taught me the beauty of the M system – without giving in to the fad of the M system.

Additionally, the M5 is not a camera that you choose to use, the M5 is a camera that chooses you to use it, and to those it chooses, it blesses them with a unique M shooting experience that's never replicated anymore: easy shutter wheel access, a center-the-needle exposure indicator, well-balanced size (allows for use of heavier lenses without upsetting the camera's center of gravity), and lower-then-usual price due to low demand.

Howver should you buy or use one, know that it is the hardest M camera to be maintained: its parts are rare candies and only a few repair facilities accept to repair the body. Nonetheless, being the last camera built using the adjust-and-fit method of construction, the M5 is a sturdy body that demands to be used and loved for years to come.

[walterglover]

We're so richly rewarded after a bit of a break. Thanks! Back in the 70s I wanted to buy an M5 and the dealer steered me of it in favour. of the Canadian-built M4 -2 because of the "mechanical thumb" (winder) much to my enduring chagrin.

[BM-dicu]

I've got an M5 arriving today, the first Leica I've used since a brief fling with an M3 about 10 years ago. It's design and features really appealed to me, especially the shutter dial and the shutter display in the viewfinder. Can't wait to get shooting with my oddball!

[MrDCB]

Your videos are still some of the best on Youtube! Just got a M5 thanks in part to you. Keep up the amazing work!

[danbuchman]

An excellent episode. I particularly enjoy your analysis of the paths taken and not. A very thoughtful and interesting discussion. Not just technical, but also philosophical, who can’t appreciate that?
Finally, I appreciate your description of the tactile feel when using the camera. Many reviewers get caught up in the specs. The quiet shutter is such a pleasure.
Well done.

[jonmnelson]

I own an M5 and love it. I enjoy having something different, but it’s every bit a Leica and is a joy to use. Great review.

[joefaracevideos]

Thanks Jules, Greg and Max for another wonderful video. They continue to make inform and inspire me with my own film photography,

[justinkingery]

Love the review. One correction: the classic Dual-Range (DR) Summicron 50mm f/2 is compatible with the M5. However, you must remove a screw in the goggles and take off the plastic black buffer that protrudes out the back of the goggles. That black piece sits on top of the earlier M camera bodies for additional stabilization. I did this with my own M5 and DR Summicron, and it close focuses like a gem.

Love the channel and love the Leica M5. I for one am very glad that much of the Leica community rejects this beautiful, phenomenally built camera; it made mine a lot cheaper!

[ldbass]

Wonderful video! Mine will arrive this weekend.

[markorchard]

BRILLIANT VIDEOS AS ALWAYS!!! I am disabled and usually sleep by but last night I watched you videos to 1am and awoke needing to take photos. I do not understand why you do not have more subscribers.

[ductritran]

I love the M5 more than others M, I sold all my M film cameras from M3 to M7 but keep my two M5 and never regretted .

[davidmilton]

Once again a fantastic episode. the Leica M5 being shot outside the famous BMW site was great, however perhaps you should have shot the episode in Stuttgart with the Porsche factory, as the Leica M series cameras is perhaps analogous to the Porsche 911 - it too was meant to be overhauled with the Porsche 928, which was more advanced car (like the M5), but everyone still wanted the air-cooled 911!

[FerrariSpyder]

Wow at the images, those black and white photos are beautifully done. Great video!

[ReimannPembroke]

I actually really like the utilitarian look of the M5! Great video as always man!