M7 or M8 as my first 'M'?

[psychokiller]

Since I joined this forum (4 hours ago!), I've been reading many posts about the M8 and I've come across complaints about the VERY loud shutter. How bad is this? Am I potentially buying a compact manual focus digital RF which lacks stealth? How does the M7 shutter compare to the M6?

 

[pfoto]

How does the M7 shutter compare to the M6?

It's quieter. I had an M7 and an M6 and the M7 definitely made a different and slightly quieter shutter noise. The difference was greater at the slow speeds. The M7 was also quieter than my MP.

 

[psychokiller]

May I ask one more question (yes I am a polite psychokiller!)...

... at what stage did Leica upgrade their M7 viewfinder to the MP version? I have just been offered an M7 .72 with serial no: 2946105 but the seller does not know which viewfinder version it is. Is there a significant difference between the 2 versions in terms of more accurate focus/ less glare?

 

[Keith]

psychokiller ... I don't think it's so much the volume of the M8's shutter, it's certainly not loud by some SLR standards, it's just a very harsh sound and it surprises me that Leicea didn't put a little more effort into the shutter sound and more importantly the re-cocking mechanism ... which to me seems to be where the real clatter comes from. After all ... they created the ultimate M but reduced it's stealth capabilities with a reletively loud mechanism! I think it's actually a little louder than my Hexar!

 

[pfoto]

May I ask one more question (yes I am a polite psychokiller!)...

... at what stage did Leica upgrade their M7 viewfinder to the MP version? I have just been offered an M7 .72 with serial no: 2946105 but the seller does not know which viewfinder version it is. Is there a significant difference between the 2 versions in terms of more accurate focus/ less glare?

And I will give you a polite answer. 😉 With that serial number it is highly likely that the camera has the MP finder. You generally can't go by the serial numbers because Leica often uses them in out-of-sequence batches. But that is a high number. The MP finders tend to have a purple hue when you look at a light reflection in them. The reduction in whiteout is significant (IMO) with the MP-style finder on an M7. It is worth having.

 

[psychokiller]

And I will give you a polite answer. 😉 With that serial number it is highly likely that the camera has the MP finder. You generally can't go by the serial numbers because Leica often uses them in out-of-sequence batches. But that is a high number. The MP finders tend to have a purple hue when you look at a light reflection in them. The reduction in whiteout is significant (IMO) with the MP-style finder on an M7. It is worth having.

Thanks pfoto. I have discovered that this particular M7 does have the MP viewfinder.....

.....so my mind is made up...an M7 it shall be!

Thanks to you all for your advice.

To decide on a lens purchase, I have questions on the difference between Summicrons and Summiluxes, but it is probably best to start a new thread.

Cheers.

 

[Bully]

Through The Eyes Of A Rangefinder

Through The Eyes Of A Rangefinder

If your decision is clear (M7), then I congratulate you to the most modern film-m of all time!

If your choice has the famous MP-finder then the purchase will be better than the original M7-finder because there is no more white-out-problem (introduced with the M4-2 and M4-P) and the brilliance of the viewfinder is excellent!

I only want to add one more opinion to the question "M7 or M8":
my father uses both models and all the time he uses the M8.
Because of my own experience with the M8 I can add that it is much more practical because it teaches you to look through the eyes of a rangefinder. You can always change the parameters of the picture to decide which one is the best for you. No film-M can give you this exercise.

Best wishes for 2008 to all of you, the Rangefinderforum is the best in the net!

Bully