Leica's first coupled-rangefinder body — the Model D, 35mm screw mount, cloth shutter, 1932.
The Leica II, known as the Model D, was introduced in 1932 and was the first Leica to include a built-in coupled rangefinder. It sits early in the Barnack screw-mount line and was the model that made accurate rangefinder focusing a standard Leica feature rather than an accessory add-on.
It is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera taking interchangeable 39mm screw-thread lenses, with a horizontal-travel cloth focal-plane shutter and no built-in meter. Focusing uses a separate rangefinder window distinct from the viewfinder window, so composing and focusing are done through two eyepieces. The shutter is entirely mechanical and needs no battery to fire.
It suits photographers and collectors who want the first coupled-rangefinder Barnack body for scale-quiet street and reportage use. The twin-window layout means you focus in one window and frame in another, a workflow that is slower than later single-window Leicas but historically important.
Check rangefinder patch contrast and vertical alignment through the focusing window, as faded or misaligned patches are common on pre-war bodies. Inspect the cloth curtains for pinholes and capping, test slow speeds, and look for finder haze in both windows. Confirm the screw mount is clean and the film transport works smoothly.