Canon LTM Canon 7 vs 7s

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
conradyiu

conradyiu

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I have already a Canon 7 in good working condition and cosmetically good. If you were me, will you try to buy a 7s and sell the 7? Any great differences in using them?

I am not a collector, I use my 7.

Thanks
Conrad
 
So when you are a user, and the selenium meter of your 7 works, why bother with expensive, shortlived 1.35V batteries on a 7s, 3x the price of a 7??? I cannot believe that old meter will be a great advancement over a good selenium meter of a 7. The reading scale of the 7s is noticable smaller. With NEITHER meters you will try to measure critical light situations when slide film loaded.

Though I have read somewhere that the very last version (7sz) has the finder optics improved, but to which extend? At least the finder optcis of my 7 are good enough for me to leave no wish open - with the possible exception of a 28mm frame...

Enjoy using the 7 and keep the pressure off the 7s prices.

just MY oppinion

cheers, Frank
 
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For the different meter (that takes batteries) only? What else is the big difference? If you have a good one, enjoy it. There are so many things that can go wrong with old cameras.
 
Well, the 7sZ does have a revised viewfinder that is considerably less "flary" than the 7s or 7. Less reflections and ghosts too. Plus, as already pointed out, the 7s and 7sZ also have an accessory shoe. The 7s also looks cooler than the 7.

Jim Bielecki
 
I will concur that the meter scale on the 7s is mighty small, as I approach the "reading glasses" age, that scale is a challenge to read.

The low light sensitivity of the 7s's meter is a plus. But, the broad indeterminate angle of acceptance is a challenge, probably is better to use a hand-held meter (incident) in lower light.
 
Mackinaw said:
Well, the 7sZ does have a revised viewfinder that is considerably less "flary" than the 7s or 7. Less reflections and ghosts too.
Click to expand...

Not trying to start an argument, just curious: Is that based on ownership of both, or at least on a side-by-side comparison?

I ask because a number of sources (such as Dechert's book) say the same -- less flare, fewer ghosts -- but I did hear from another RFF member who owns both a 7s and a 7sZ that he can't really see much difference.

I also have received photos from an RFF contact showing his 7sZ stripped down for maintenance, and compared the pictures to the innards of the 7s I owned at the time. Dechert never really said specifically what the internal differences were between the 7s and 7sZ finders; based on my examination of the photos, the only difference I could find was that the vertical RF-image adjustment mechanism was changed from a pivot on the RF mirror to a separate rotating prism, and that the prism was relocated accordingly. The rest of the optical system seemed exactly the same, and I couldn't see anything obvious in the photos that would yield drastic improvements in the 7sZ finder.

So if you're basing your evaluation on a comparison of a 7s and 7sZ, I'd really appreciate knowing it, since your observation seems to offset the other one I've heard already.

The next step in the quest would be to try to determine WHY the 7sZ finder is better... something that probably would require me to buy a 7sZ, a feat which so far hasn't been within my grasp financially!
 
jlw said:
Not trying to start an argument, just curious: Is that based on ownership of both, or at least on a side-by-side comparison?
Click to expand...

Yes, I own both a 7sZ and a 7. While the viewfinder differences are not what I call major, when compared side-by-side, you can see they are different. The biggest change comes when viewing the 7sZ against a bright, mono-color subject (sky, white wall, etc.). The view through the 7sZ will be relatively ghost free (pretty much see the viewfinder frames and the rangefinder patch) while the view through the 7 (my 7 at least) will show considerably more ghosts. No doubt it is also much easier to adjust the rangefinder on the 7sZ thanks the re-engineering.

As to what Canon changed, most likely they changed some of the internal optics. Just a guess though, I've never opened one up.

Jim Bielecki
 
Maybe the 7sZ finders are best because the cameras are simply less old?? One need to take it apart and look for it! And, please, Jim, post the pictures, or send it to me to publish it.

IMHO it is very hard to evaluate cameras 40+ years old from a 1-1-usage basis. Maybe you have one example which aged in grace where the other didn't.

Dechert said also things about the finder of the P, V/L and VI, and aging of each model. From my personal experience with my personal cameras (just one each model; each with no haze in finder, excellent to good condition) I cannot follow him. Not at all. Maybe the finders of my cameras are not the same as they were new. Maybe of a specific model, or all of them, no example exists in the world which finder is as it left the factory... so comparing them on this basis is maybe impossible?

If any user will buy *one* camera, he will not buy dozens to create a statistic, he will buy *one*. In this case general advices like that (except "hard facts" which frames occuring, parallax corrected or not, small viewing field or wide...alike that) are of no big help.

Collectors or book-authors try to search for differences where no big differences exists in real-world usage. As a user, I would say all Canon RFs starting with the V, are great, except they are hazy, in general. Then, there is a development from the V to the P/VII: eye pupills and view of field becoming larger, frames appearing with the VI, becoming parallax-corrected and reflected with the VII... and all are eyeglass-scratchers except the P (but on the other hand, with thick glasses you will not see the 35mm framelines with it). So which to choice? I don't know. Best: all of them...
 
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Which of the two, the Canon 7s or Canon7, has the more sensitive light meter? Each has a scale indicating design for the Canon 50mm f.95 lens. The two sensitivities seem very close on the ones I have compared in low light. The Canon 7 surprises me with the breadth of light intensities that it will read. The Canon 7 seems to be the "greener" design without need for batteries. I will check the manual ..combined LV range from 6 to 19 for the Canon 7.
 
I like my 7s. Selenium meters of the 7 will one day die on you. And, they always have looked ugly to me.

The CdS meter of my 7s is accurate, and exposes Fuji Provia slide film just fine. I use the Pradethai voltage adapter and a silver oxide cell.

I like the accessory shoe too. It allows me to use my 15 - 28mm range of lenses with this camera.
 
Shafovaloff1 said:
Which of the two, the Canon 7s or Canon7, has the more sensitive light meter? Each has a scale indicating design for the Canon 50mm f.95 lens. The two sensitivities seem very close on the ones I have compared in low light. The Canon 7 surprises me with the breadth of light intensities that it will read. The Canon 7 seems to be the "greener" design without need for batteries. I will check the manual ..combined LV range from 6 to 19 for the Canon 7.
Click to expand...

If you want to use the lightmeter the 7s is the obvious choice, selenium meters are usually inaccurate and not sensitive to low light at all, in indoors situation they are useless.
 
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