Canon VI-L or Canon 7s?

[wlewisiii]

I’ve been doing a deep dive on the Canon 7s vs Leica iiif question and am preferring the 7s except that some say the focusing patch on the leica is clearer, sharper and brighter and easier to focus. Is this significant enough to prefer the iiif?

I've owned both. I still have the Canon and sold the IIIf. I had a Canon IV Sb that had the flippy for magnification and never bothered with it. No need for me.

But as I mentioned above I have come to prefer etched frame lines and will probably end up with either a Nikon S-3 or a Canon P over either.

 

[aw614]

Like Coldkennels talks about the canon 7 is how I feel about mine and why I'm trying to unload mine. Basically the weird patch, and for heavy it feels yet still feels cheap are the main issues I've had about it.

 

[Sanug]

I own the 7s and for me it is a joy to use. Great value for the money. I like the size and weight because it fits perfectly for my hands and I get very sharp images without a tripod.

There are a few lowsides only, but I can live with them. The hooks of the camera strap are located at the front. With a small and lightweight lens it is out of balance.



There is no inducator that shows if the shutter is cocked or not. And the meter is small and not easy to read.

Generally these cameras are very fine if in good condition. I also liked the Canon VI-L and Canon P, but I had to return both because of hazy viewfinders.

If you want to buy any of these cameras, don't overrate wrinkled shutter curtains. The curtains of my 7s are heavily wrinkled, but still working without any issues.

 

[Coldkennels]

Like Coldkennels talks about the canon 7 is how I feel about mine and why I'm trying to unload mine.

I was given mine by an old friend, so I'd feel bad getting rid of it... but I actively hate using it. I think the last time I put a roll of film through it was five years ago, and other than that, it's lived on the shelf gathering dust. I never want to take it out, and @Sanug's picture perfectly illustrates why - I once took it as my only camera on a work trip to Vegas and spent half a week with it tipping back, jabbing me in the side.

The only solution I found (short of using the Canon "Dream Lens" it was designed for, which obviously necessitated that ridiculous strap lug placement...) was to use a tripod-mount strap lug, and hang the camera vertically from that extra strap lug and the normal strap lug on that side. Not ideal by any means, but a damn sight better than having it on a strap in the normal fashion.

 

[das]

IMHO, the VI-T and VI-L are pretty unique cameras. The 7 is a completely different beast. The VI has a really nice accessory selenium meter that is coupled to the shutter speed dial -- many still work (mine I got for $15 and it works perfectly in normal lighting conditions). Whereas the VI never had any true replacement or successor, I think that the best Canon 7 is a Bessa R/R2/R3. The Bessas borrow heavily from the 7's philosophy. And the Bessas have nice TTL metering, a higher top shutter speed, a bright viewfinder, are a bit smaller, and can take M lenses as well.

 

[wlewisiii]

IMHO, the VI-T and VI-L are pretty unique cameras. The 7 is a completely different beast. The VI has a really nice accessory selenium meter that is coupled to the shutter speed dial -- many still work (mine I got for $15 and it works perfectly in normal lighting conditions). Whereas the VI never had any true replacement or successor, I think that the best Canon 7 is a Bessa R/R2/R3. The Bessas borrow heavily from the 7's philosophy. And the Bessas have nice TTL metering, a higher top shutter speed, a bright viewfinder, are a bit smaller, and can take M lenses as well.

I can see the argument - I've owned both - but I still like the 7/7s better. Better materials for one thing and I like the look of the VF better (that's a preference thing). Put the bessa meter in the 7s, add a 28 frame and it's a no brainer to me 😉

Of course I tended to have heavy Serenar lenses ... < whistles innocently >

 

[8bit Barry]

I own the 7s and for me it is a joy to use. Great value for the money. I like the size and weight because it fits perfectly for my hands and I get very sharp images without a tripod.

There are a few lowsides only, but I can live with them. The hooks of the camera strap are located at the front. With a small and lightweight lens it is out of balance.

View attachment 4859322

There is no inducator that shows if the shutter is cocked or not. And the meter is small and not easy to read.

Generally these cameras are very fine if in good condition. I also liked the Canon VI-L and Canon P, but I had to return both because of hazy viewfinders.

If you want to buy any of these cameras, don't overrate wrinkled shutter curtains. The curtains of my 7s are heavily wrinkled, but still working without any issues.

I have to say I am kinda glad the only lens I own, the Canon 50mm f1.2 LTM, balances out the weight of the camera so well.

 

[Sanug]

My Jupiter-12 and the Russar are not nice to carry with the strap of the 7s. Jupiter-9 is okay. But it is no big issue for me. I like the image quality of these lightweight lenses very much.