Leica M7 a la carte

[Clint Troy]

Kirk,

Are you mixing service and spare parts?

One can't even buy a black roundell from Leica because they are reserved for a very few select models and Leica protects them.
If one wants an ala carte, one has to buy an ala carte. It's a plain old marketing 101 issue.
If one can't buy a 8$ roundell I wonder how one could get away with a custom top plate for less then 2000$.

But why are we even arguing about this? Let's see what the op comes up with and we'll end this interesting discussion then.

 

[sepiareverb]

I want a Monochrom in silver chrome: a Monochrom-P to match my chrome M9-P. Apparently Solms would do it. Musing about this on the way to work this morning, I even wondered about getting them to add an E to the MONOCHROM on the accessory shoe.......Hope nobody non-Leica reads this.

Perhaps it depends on the individual one gets put through to. I asked about getting my M9 bodies swapped to black chrome: "Not possible." Asked about getting an MP engraved like the a la carte while NJ had it to swap the VF to a .58: "Not possible". When buying new one seems more likely to get something special than sending in some old body and asking for it to be turned into an a la carte.

 

[wjlapier]

any other experiences with this?
Thanks
nik

I;m thinking of ordering an mp style m7 top plate with the top classic leica engraving and a metal advance lever and asking DAG to do the work,

any reasons why this wouldn't work?

I will also put in a call to Don

Thanks
nik

If you get the chrome MP style top plate DAG is you're only stop to make this happen. He'll have to rebuild the rewind mechanism. The M7 is also a tiny bit taller than the MP so there will need to be some modification there as well. If David Elwell sells you the top plate I doubt it is going to be "cheap".

I've bought parts from David Elwell in the past. I sent a M6 into Leica NJ and had black chrome MP style levers installed. I also sent in my ala carte M7 and had the Millennium black film counter disk installed.

 

[sepiareverb]

If you get the chrome MP style top plate DAG is you're only stop to make this happen. He'll have to rebuild the rewind mechanism. The M7 is also a tiny bit taller than the MP so there will need to be some modification there as well. If David Elwell sells you the top plate I doubt it is going to be "cheap".

I've bought parts from David Elwell in the past. I sent a M6 into Leica NJ and had black chrome MP style levers installed. I also sent in my ala carte M7 and had the Millennium black film counter disk installed.

There is no provision for the MP style rewind on an M7. Despite that TTL M6 version that had the straight rewind one cannot order the MP rewind on an M7. Dave Elwell has been very helpful with parts for me as well, but some parts just don't exist.

 

[kingqueenknave]

I'm pretty sure by "MP chrome style" the original poster was merely referring to no markings on the front of the top plate.

 

[shanenoir]

When I read this thread title, all I could think of was Leica M7 a la mode.

 

[roboflick]

I got my answer in the mail today! 😉

Nik

 

[dcsang]

That is one pretty M7.

Makes me consider getting an A La Carte myself.. rather than the M(240) - cheaper and I'll probably get it faster (right now the M(240) is delayed until 2014 according to my dealer!)

Cheers,
Dave

 

[dogberryjr]

I got my answer in the mail today! 😉

Nik

Very nice!

 

[roboflick]

Thanks! It feels great to have it. I've been dreaming of it since I heard of the program.. It feels even smoother than my m3, very happy with it
Nik