<s>
The	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
series	O
of	O
high-end	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
35	O
mm	O
format	O
film	O
cameras	O
were	O
introduced	O
by	O
Leitz	O
Camera	O
in	O
1964	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
camera	O
body	O
was	O
paired	O
with	O
the	O
new	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	I-Algorithm
series	O
of	O
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
model	O
of	O
the	O
cameras	O
were	O
sold	O
by	O
Leitz	O
;	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
Standard	O
,	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
and	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL2	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Late	O
into	O
the	O
market	O
with	O
high	O
prices	O
and	O
limited	O
range	O
of	O
lenses	O
and	O
accessories	O
,	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
sales	O
were	O
below	O
expectations	O
and	O
production	O
ended	O
in	O
1976	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
R	O
mount	O
lenses	O
continued	O
and	O
were	O
paired	O
with	O
the	O
new	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R3	I-Algorithm
that	O
was	O
developed	O
in	O
cooperation	O
with	O
Minolta	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
the	O
Minolta	B-Algorithm
XE	I-Algorithm
bodies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1964	O
Leitz	O
introduced	O
its	O
first	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
also	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
Standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
a	O
response	O
,	O
albeit	O
reluctantly	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
rising	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
Benser	O
's	O
opinion	O
that	O
the	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
system	O
would	O
soon	O
rise	O
in	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Asahi	B-Algorithm
Pentax	I-Algorithm
in	O
1957	O
,	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
F	I-Algorithm
and	O
the	O
Canonflex	B-Algorithm
in	O
1959	O
,	O
all	O
from	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
date	O
its	O
leading	O
product	O
;	O
the	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
M	I-Algorithm
mount	I-Algorithm
series	I-Algorithm
was	O
a	O
rangefinder	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
,	O
a	O
format	O
long	O
abandoned	O
by	O
its	O
competitors	O
in	O
the	O
Far	O
East	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
began	O
in	O
1958	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
prototype	O
was	O
shown	O
in	O
1963	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
featured	O
a	O
shutter	O
speed	O
range	O
of	O
1	O
second	O
to	O
1/2000	O
a	O
second	O
,	O
a	O
CdS	O
exposure	O
light	O
meter	O
(	O
but	O
not	O
through-the-lens	O
metering	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
range	O
of	O
lenses	O
with	O
quick	O
change	O
bayonet	O
(	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	I-Algorithm
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
was	O
minimal	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
camera	O
body	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
M	I-Algorithm
.	O
The	O
viewfinder	O
featured	O
display	O
indicators	O
for	O
the	O
shutter	O
speed	O
setting	O
and	O
the	O
light	O
meter	O
reading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1968	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
was	O
introduced	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
SL	O
standing	O
for	O
selective	O
light	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
featured	O
TTL	O
metering	O
with	O
a	O
5%	O
selective	O
measurement	O
of	O
the	O
subject	O
field	O
,	O
corresponding	O
with	O
the	O
diameter	O
of	O
the	O
circle	O
of	O
the	O
micro	O
prism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
meant	O
that	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
was	O
the	O
first	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
with	O
selective	O
TTL	O
metering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
1972	O
to	O
1974	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
MOT	O
were	O
produced	O
in	O
black	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
few	O
in	O
silver	O
chrome	O
,	O
with	O
'	O
MOT	O
 '	O
engraved	O
on	O
the	O
top	O
plate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL	I-Algorithm
(	O
including	O
the	O
SL	O
MOT	O
)	O
sold	O
over	O
70,000	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL2	I-Algorithm
was	O
introduced	O
in	O
1974	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL2	I-Algorithm
MOT	O
was	O
also	O
introduced	O
,	O
all	O
in	O
black	O
paint	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1976	O
due	O
to	O
limited	O
success	O
,	O
high	O
cost	O
of	O
production	O
and	O
other	O
financial	O
constraints	O
,	O
Leitz	O
discontinued	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
fact	O
,	O
Leitz	O
was	O
losing	O
money	O
on	O
each	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
SL2	I-Algorithm
sold	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
high-cost	O
manufacture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	I-Algorithm
lenses	O
were	O
not	O
able	O
to	O
compensate	O
for	O
this	O
loss	O
and	O
the	O
entire	O
product	O
line	O
became	O
unsustainable	O
for	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
fortunate	O
partnership	O
back	O
in	O
1971	O
with	O
Minolta	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
save	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	I-Algorithm
lens	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1976	O
the	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R3	I-Algorithm
was	O
introduced	O
(	O
designed	O
and	O
produced	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
Minolta	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R3	I-Algorithm
started	O
a	O
new	O
series	O
of	O
camera	O
,	O
which	O
on	O
the	O
whole	O
were	O
a	O
lot	O
cheaper	O
and	O
more	O
electronically	O
innovative	O
than	O
the	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
series	O
,	O
whilst	O
maintaining	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	I-Algorithm
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leica	O
did	O
not	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
market	O
until	O
1997	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
digital	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
S-System	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
