M7 Cla?

[Filson Back]

Yet another CLA question for anyone that has a minute.

I just did an edit of my last year's worth of snapshots--a sort of visual diary, taken with a Ricoh GR. I love the pictures but my only regret is that it isn't film. I am working on several long-term projects and also try to shoot every day just to stay in some kind of practice. Long story short I got a 2002 used M7. It looks pristine. The first roll looked a little underexposed for the first half then ok. The second roll looks fine. I think the shutter may just have needed some "exercise." Is it worth sending in for a CLA or should I shoot it until there is an issue? I want an every day, carry all the time camera. The M7 came from the Bay Area where in all likelihood it was purchased new and never used -- it appears that way. Does the grease dry up or should it run for a bit?

 

[HuubL]

Don't "fix" it if it isn't broke. It works fine since the first half of the first roll. An M7 of 2002 isn't old yet.

 

[filmtwit]

Keep in mind that because of the electronic nature of the M7, I belive that DAG is one of the few folks who can do a CLA on an M7 these days (here in the states).

 

[Pioneer]

You can always send it in if it bothers you but the M7 is a fairly recent camera and the lubes are far more modern. As the shutter is activated electronically (shutter itself remains the same as the M6) it should be quite accurate, especially as it breaks in.

If it is running well at this point I would just keep shooting it until you identify something being an issue. Just enjoy it for awhile.

 

[lawrence]

Yet another CLA question for anyone that has a minute.

I just did an edit of my last year's worth of snapshots--a sort of visual diary, taken with a Ricoh GR. I love the pictures but my only regret is that it isn't film. I am working on several long-term projects and also try to shoot every day just to stay in some kind of practice. Long story short I got a 2002 used M7. It looks pristine. The first roll looked a little underexposed for the first half then ok. The second roll looks fine. I think the shutter may just have needed some "exercise." Is it worth sending in for a CLA or should I shoot it until there is an issue? I want an every day, carry all the time camera. The M7 came from the Bay Area where in all likelihood it was purchased new and never used -- it appears that way. Does the grease dry up or should it run for a bit?

You're assuming that it's the shutter that's the problem but it could just as easily be the meter. Try a roll using a handheld meter instead and see what happens. I have an M6TTL with metering problems -- they're not all that uncommon.

 

[TEZillman]

AS a 2002 model, your M7 will have the original DX reader installed unless the previous owner had it replaced. Eventually this will need to be replaced with the optical DX reader. My 2004 M7 took ten years to fail, but Leica New Jersey replaced it for free under warranty. You may want to try a couple rolls to see how they come out. If you start getting strange meter readings, its probably the reader. You can tell if it has been replaced by seeing if a roll of film drops out of the camera easily. If you need to pull it out, it has the original reader. If it falls out easily, it's been replaced. In addition to DAG, obviously Leica will also work on the M7 cameras

 

[Filson Back]

Thanks TEZillman -- I can live with the manual ISO setting as long as that is a work around. I don't tend to rely on DX settings as I shoot a lot of Tri-x pushed in Diafine. Is the DX reader issue an issue that also affects manual ISO setting?

 

[TEZillman]

Yes, you can manually set the ISO to get arouond the issue with the reader, but the little red dot will continually blink in the viewfinder to make you aware that the ISO has been set manually. Sorry to take so long to respond!

 

[Filson Back]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Freakscene]

Thanks TEZillman -- I can live with the manual ISO setting as long as that is a work around. I don't tend to rely on DX settings as I shoot a lot of Tri-x pushed in Diafine. Is the DX reader issue an issue that also affects manual ISO setting?

In my M7s, eventually both the DX auto ISO setting and the manual ISO setting stopped working and the camera assumed every film was ISO 100. That was when I got mine fixed.

The M7 is a great camera, just use it.

Marty

 

[skipjack]

Send it to Leica, New Jersey for a CLA.

 

[thegman]

I wouldn't send in any camera to be taken apart unless I knew there was something wrong with it.

If you do think it's under exposing, then I'd try a lab-developed roll of C41 film first in it, or maybe slide film. At least that rules out user error in development.

Also, I might be stating the obvious here, and if I am, I apologise, but film reacts differently to light than digital, and exposure might not be quite what you expect, if you're used to digital. Also, most modern digital cameras will have a far more advanced meter than the M7, which is plain centre-weighted, and easy to point at bright sky and end up with under-exposed images.

 

[oltimer]

I wouldn't send in any camera to be taken apart unless I knew there was something wrong with it.

If you do think it's under exposing, then I'd try a lab-developed roll of C41 film first in it, or maybe slide film. At least that rules out user error in development.

Also, I might be stating the obvious here, and if I am, I apologise, but film reacts differently to light than digital, and exposure might not be quite what you expect, if you're used to digital. Also, most modern digital cameras will have a far more advanced meter than the M7, which is plain centre-weighted, and easy to point at bright sky and end up with under-exposed images.

I don't think you have to apologize in talking about the meter on the M7, because the metering does exactly as you mentioned. Personally I use one of my Gossens to get a better light reading.