Since the introduction of the rangefinder system in 1954, Leica M film cameras have been considered by many photographers to be the perfect tool for capturing the fascination of a moment discreetly, quietly and without hesitation. And of course in uncompromising quality. Today, it is the digital Leica M-E that embodies the philosophy of the M-System in its purest form. It concentrates exclusively on essential photographic functions, yet remains simple and intuitive to use. At the same time, it is a part of the most compact full-format camera system available and enjoys access to lenses acknowledged as the best in the world. A camera created to let the world discover the fascination of M-Photography.
Discretion and unobtrusiveness are particular strengths of the M-System. For instance, the Leica M-E's shutter action is extremely quiet. At the same time, the combination of camera and lens is more compact than any other full-format camera system - a reason why M-Photographers often go unnoticed and simply blend into the scenery.
Concentration on the essentials is part of the M-System philosophy. This also applies to the Leica M-E: it consciously declines to offer everything that is technically possible, but rather limits itself to what is essential to photography. These essentials include the M-typical rapid manual focusing with the viewfinder/rangefinder and the focusing ring of the lens, but also the option of selecting automatically determined or manually set shutter speeds.