Canon LTM Canon 7 vs Leica M5

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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OntheRez

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Hi all,
I'm returning to RF cameras after a long absence and am considering both a sort of rough M5 and a Canon 7. I don't know if anyone here has experience with both, but if so I'd love to hear about how they handle. The M5 I'm looking at is cosmetically rough but seems to be working well. The 7 is cleaner and comes with 3 lenses: 35 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.8, and 135 mm f/3.5. The 7 appears to be in very good to excellent condition. It is about half the cost of the Leica. (Oh, the reason for choosing the M5 is TTL metering - I'd rather not carry a meter - and it doesn't seem to be in quite the demand that other Leicas are.)

I recognize that one pays something extra for the Leica name and don't really know how Canon's RFs held up over time. I'm looking for a quick, quiet camera to shoot black and white - something I can carry with me on an everyday basis for those candid and immediate shots I'm missing now.

Any help on comparing and contrasting these would be greatly appreciated as both are long range purchases.

Thanks

Robert
 
You may be able to get a M6 classic for close to the same price as the M5. Maybe consider that?
 
The Canon 7 has a uncoupled meter, meaning that you will have to look at the meter reading on the top deck, set the the correct aperture and shutter speed, then bring the camera to eye-level, compose, and take the picture. With the M5, you meter while looking trough the viewfinder. Much faster with the M5, and more convenient.

Jim B.
 
I'd suggest the 7. It's a good solid camera though effectivly meterless to a modern user. The meter on the 7 I used to own worked and was accurate but I'm willing to use an uncoupled Selenium meter - your mileage will vary.

It's the offer of three two very good lenses (35/2.8 & 135/3.5) & one classic great lens (50/1.8) that make the deal however. The Canon 50/1.8 is one of the greatest lenses ever made but remains relatively unknown & undervalued.

I'd say that for the uses you want that would be a much better deal. Mount the 50/1.8, learn "Sunny-16" and you'll be set.

William
 
Seems like the built-in meter is important to you. The M5 has the best I've ever used, period. I prefer the needle-type. As well as stepless shutter speeds, ratcheted film advance, and comfortable viewfinder/ergonomics. The most advanced and radical M ever built, with Wetzlar build quality.

Don't know about the Canon, but I like their old lenses.
 
Buy both, keep the 3 lenses and sell the 7 body. Use the sale to pay for the lens adapters and the CLA you'll want for the M5. The meter on the M5 is as good as it gets. Oh, but check the serial number on the M5, IIRC you want one with a number greater than 133xxxx.

Jorge in MN
 
I have both and I like both. However I prefer M5 because it's better meter and the fact that it can take both - M and LTM lenses. I dont have many Ltm lenses, so it is important factor to me. Yet both are great cameras, well built and comfortable to use.
 
I have a 7s, it is a very nice, solid-feeling camera. In comparison to the M5, it only takes the older LTM lenses (although there are plenty of nice LTM lenses to choose from, I have yet to buy an M-mount lens for my R3a) and the meter is less convenient to use. Less quick, but if you aren't shooting in changing light conditions, perhaps not much of an issue, especially with the more forgiving nature of B&W film. Of course, the 7 also has the advantage of price.
 
I would either get the Canon 7 and three lenses for the smaller amount of money, use it, and see if RF's are for you. If they are, and you want a Leica- go for an M6, M7, or MP. You can keep the Canon 7 body as backup, or sell it for what you paid.

The Leica M5 is going to be over 30 years old, uses a CDS cell that can lose sensitivity, and has the "meter on a stalk" that has a mechanical motion that requires service. If the one you are looking at was recently serviced to include a new meter cell, no worries. If the cell is original, the cost to replace it should be considered against the price of a newer camera.
 
It all depends on how particular you intend to be about exposure. If you want full-scale b&w negatives that can be enlarged easily to 8x10 and maybe to 11x14, get the M5. If you are less fussy and can live with grainy and/or hard-contrast pictures, the Canon is probably okay.
 
mabelsound said:
...........huh?
Click to expand...

I think he's implying that one can't get as accurate an exposure from the Canon 7 that one could from the M5 irregardless of lens optics &/or the film used. Presumably this is due to the more modern meter in the M5.

Meh.

William
 
I use meterless cameras most of the time. I meter with a handheld digital spotmeter.
Maybe go that route?
 
Never had an M5, but I had a Canon 7 and agree w/ William and Brian. The 7 is a very, very tough, robust camera, w/ one of the nicest vfs ever put into a LTM body. It's easy to load, too. If the meter works, that's an added bonus; if not, use sunny 16 or get a small handheld meter. As for the lenses, I have the 35/2.8 (earlier chrome version) and the 50/1.8, and they are top-notch. If you're getting back into RF photography after a long absence, this is a kit that will take you a long, long way. And as Brian points out, you can always get a Leica later on. I'm not disparaging the M5, but given your choices the 7 kit is the better way to go, and you can use the money you've saved to buy film!
 
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