Leica M3

Released in 1954, the Leica M3 introduced the bayonet lens mount and combined rangefinder/viewfinder that became the gold standard for 35mm photography. Its build quality was so absurd that cameras made 70 years ago still sell for thousands and shoot flawlessly. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, and virtually every legendary street photographer of the 20th century shot with one. The M3 didn't just set the bar — it became the bar.