It also appears they designed the camera for the professional, changing the viewfinder to accommodate the field of view of a 35mm lens, with framelines for 50 and 90mm, a set of framelines better suited for many professionals. The camera also accepts the trigger wind baseplate, and a small batch were fitted with electric motor drives, and are marked M2M in front of the serial number.
In 1966 the US Army ordered M2 cameras with the rapid loading system found on the M4. Designated as M2S, these cameras bear no special markings, and any M2 can use an M4 baseplate and have this feature. Civilian versions of the M2S were sold as M2R, which was marked in front of the serial number.
One batch of 20 cameras were finished in gray paint for the German Air Force, but are listed in the statistics as black cameras.
Production started at 926,001, and ended at 1,165,000
Year | Chrome | Black | Motor | Canadian |
1957 | 200 | -0- | -0- | -0- |
1958 | 15,970 | 500 | -0- | 430 |
1959 | 7715 | -0- | -0- | -0- |
1960 | 10,930 | 270 | -0- | 300 |
1961 | 9100 | 200 | -0- | 250 |
1962 | 9450 | 350 | -0- | 250 |
1963 | 7000 | -0- | -0- | -0- |
1964 | 3800 | 250 | -0- | 150 |
1965 | 9475 | 300 | -0- | 200 |
1966 | 8049 | -0- | 276 | -0- |
1967 | 60 | -0- | -0- | -0- |
1968 | -0- | 1 | -0- | -0- |
Total | 81,749 | 1871 | 276 | 1580 |