35mm Rangefinder Cameras

if you want a compact and quiet system yet with interchangable lenses (for example for travel or documentary photography)

Leica are the classic manufacturer of 35mm rangefinder cameras. They invented today's film format standard, 35mm. Their M6 is the most recent camera in a long line of history. Leica rangefinder cameras have to be divided into today's "M" series which have the M bayonet mount, and the older screw-mount Leicas (known in Japan as Barnack-Leicas referring to Oskar Barnack) which had the famous M39 LTM (Leica thread mount).

Today's other manufacturers of 35mm rangefinder cameras include Contax (G bayonet) and Voigtländer (Leica M bayonet as well as M39 LTM). The Ukrainian FED factory in Kharkov is the only one which still produces in the tradition of the many famous Soviet rangefinders (Leica-II copies FED and Zorki, Contax-II copy Kiev). Here the Soviet products also offer a cheap, excellent, and reliable alternative to Western products.

advantages: small, quiet, flexible
disadvantage: most currently available systems very expensive