Question to M7 Owners -- do you use the AE that much?

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PATB

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I have been using an MP for just over two years now and have gotten used to manual and guesstimate exposure metering, with Tri-X and currently Delta 400. On the street, I guess or preset exposure, lift the camera to my eye to frame and focus, then shoot. When I have the time to meter more accurately, I guess the exposure and set it on the camera. When I bring the camera to eye level to frame and focus, I rotate the aperture ring or shutter dial to "fine tune" exposure as needed.

Lately, I have been thinking that if (BIG IF) I could afford another M camera, perhaps I should get the M7 for its AE. I reason that perhaps AE will speed up picture taking on the run, especially on the street. However, this is one of those questions that is best answered by one who actually had the chance to extensively use an M7, especially side by side with a fully mechanical M camera.

Question to M7 owners: Do you use the AE a lot versus manual metering?
 
Yes - for me, AE really speeds up the rangefinder experience since I have one last thing to worry about. If you like the MP, you'll love the M7.
 
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Can´t say about the M7, but I got a Bessa R3A to check how the AE could help me make better pictures. And it doesn´t. I just don´t use it on auto and I think most of the people used to eye metering as me will have the same feeling.

It´s not just the "I prefer to do it my way" thing, it´s that I don´t trust the meter, and although I might use it sometimes, I end up taking some fast readings from diferent subjects instead of relying in what the meter is telling me I should use.

I guess it´s a really personal thing.
 
Hmmm. I come from a different world. I tust my meter to get closer to the "best" exposure, (once I have tested the meter and calibrated it ) more often than I can by educated, guesstimate... you must be a great judge of light and exposure....

here is an in-depth and honest review of the pros and cons of the M7's AE

Dan
 
i've only had an m7 for a few months but have put a lot of film through it and i use AE almost exclusively. we have a 17 month old son, so catching pictures can be difficult when you're fiddling with a camera and AE makes it one step easier.
i was a little worried i'd lose my desire to use a manual camera after having an M7, but i find the opposite to be true. i actually get more out of the M2/M6 experience now. and you can obviously use an M7 in manual mode, but i rarely do.

if i had the scratch laying around, i would probably buy another M7 .58 to replace my m6ttls...

bob
 
I find it invaluable when shooting slides. If you shoot quickly on the street, it can be a great aid to speed things up, and the intermediate speeds can be useful when using a film like Kodachrome, where a difference of a third of a stop can make a difference.
 
Yes, more like almost always. I shoot manual cameras, most without on-board meters, all the time, but the whole point (for me) of using a body like the M7 (or Hexar RF, etc.) is to take advantage of the automation. That doesn't mean I don't pay attention to the exposure "choices" the camera makes (e.g., I often use the exposure lock & sometimes go w/a full manual override in tricky lighting), only that the automation saves time overall.

Another benefit of the M7 over other M bodies is that it has more accurate & precise shutter speeds, which can be important if you shoot a lot of E6 or Kodachrome.

PATB said:
Question to M7 owners: Do you use the AE a lot versus manual metering?
Click to expand...
 
That's where the M7 is optimized, very accurate exposures for slides. The meter is accurate in the M7, no question. I actually used the AE too much I think and began to get lazy. I've changed over from two M7s to two MPs and if anything my pictures seem to be more accurately exposed. Both are great cameras, but I'm liking the MPs at the moment.
 
Once you learn how to meter with the M7 you'll never want to hand meter again :D

I love both my M7's and trust their meters implicitly.

You should, however, remember your exposure basics, regardless of which camera you may be using.

Cheers,
Dave
 
I bought the M7 to have a 'quick' camera at hand when needed. If speed isn't needed, I take the M2 or LTM's. Further, I agree it has the most precise shutter of the M's.
 
Depends on whether I'm shooting slides or negs. With negs, I use AE more because of the exposure latitude. With slides, I use it less because I find it a hassle to measure a highlight, compensate and recompose. One incident reading is all I need, and I can set it manually once, then fire away.
 
I do. And I was coming from a manual RF. I will often take it off and do some tweaking or bracketing, but AE is great for things like street shooting.
 
always use AE. I do a lot of street shooting and with difficult shadows etc it seems to nail it everytime. With my M8 I prefer manual as you can check out the hist etc right away
 
99.8% of the time for me. Very, very rarely is the meter fooled.

MPs are pretty but I know I take better pictures with an M7.
 
I use AE about half the time with my M7's, and of that time, 99% of it is in town on the street. Faster? probably, but that does depend on what you're shooting, and whether you can focus and recompose after skewing the FOV to lock the meter- which is my preferred method of exposure compensation.
 
just buy the M8 instead. digital is beautifull and it's the perfect companion to film.
it's like a new world really.
 
I use AE most of the time, as i shoot family pictures all the time and i am not quick enough to take pics while focusing and checking expousure. I use manual when i am preparing myself for an MP~
 
The question is simple. Rangefinders are the best tool for quick street shooting, and I use all my rangefinders (M7, ZI, Bessa, CLE) with AE on. If I want to shoot landscapes or portraits, I pull out a Hasselblad, tripod and a hand held meter. Using a rangefinder in the street without the AE is like tying one arm behind your back before a boxing match. It can be done, but it is a useless obstacle nowadays.
 
I must admit when I had an M7, which is now in the hands of 'mfogiel,' I used it on AE a couple of times in varied conditions and it was uncannily accurate. More so than my Ikon or Bessas IMO ... but of course it's a Leica ... goes without saying really! :p
 
Hi,
I use the AE all the time. But that is because I use the M7 for street shooting were speed is very important.
If I don't need the speed I use a Hasselblad or Leica R6.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
 
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