As a purely mechanical camera, the Leica M-A is a precision instrument that has been so dramatically reduced to the essentials that it opens up entirely new creative horizons for photographers. It may have no monitor, no exposure meter, and no battery, but what it does have is a mechanical quality that makes Leica’s 100 years of experience instantly tangible. Photographers can read the shutter speed and aperture directly from the camera and lens and so concentrate fully on their subject. The acoustic signature of the shutter release of a Leica M-A is a delight that immediately reveals the precision-engineered excellence of its origin.