Two different pressure plate styles on M7?

[sepiareverb]

I've been curious about this since I got the 2nd M7 body. It has a smooth pressure plate, like the M6, where my first one has a dimpled pressure plate like the one in the link below. I've googled & poked around here and p.net but haven't seen anything. Anyone know what the difference is about?

a 'dimpled' pressure plate:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ndexURL=9&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

 

[erikhaugsby]

I know that the M3 had two different plate styles (glass and then metal), but I've never heard of an M7 having multiple plates. Do MPs feature the same changes? M6s maybe?

Maybe something of interest would be learned from looking at the serial numbers--is there a clearly (all relative, considering Leica's recent habit of assigning serial numbers) defined break where one switched to the other, or were they produced in tandem?

I hope someone else knows more than I do.

 

[peter_n]

I think my 0.85 mag has a serial nr. close-ish to your 2nd one - mine is 2942xxx. It has a smooth plate. I don't have my 0.72 mag here but I'm pretty sure it has a smooth plate too.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Leica has always used what they could find lying around in the factory. 😉 Keeps the collectors happy... 😀

 

[sepiareverb]

Not worried so much as curious- seems like a strange thing to change so dramatically and have no mention made of it anywhere. Perhaps in the advertising pamphlets? I'll go see what I can find there.

 

[sepiareverb]

And for those who know those serial# date things-

my .58 smooth plate: 2853XXX

my .72 dimpled plate: 2943XXX

dimpled plate on ebay: 2853XXX- 200 earlier than mine

whatever's just lying around sounds right!

 

[peter_n]

Not strange really. They changed glass and so on in some of the lenses without telling anyone for years. Everyone was happy with the product, why make things difficult? 😉

 

[aizan]

sounds like the same situation as the iso dial and flare fix.

another variation is that some m7s have an adjustment hole under the advance lever, and some don't. not sure about mps.

 

[sepiareverb]

"specifications may change at any time"

 

[Bill Blackwell]

... seems like a strange thing to change so dramatically and have no mention made of it anywhere.

This reminds me of when Leica changed the MP back plate (ISO) design. I found out about it when my new camera was delivered. They published nothing about it - even Leica's website remained unchanged for a few years afterwards. Even my Leica dealer knew nothing about it - I had to send him "before and after" pictures.

 

[sepiareverb]

All well and good that the cameras are in a state of constant upgrading, but the pressure plate change would require some pretty substantial changes in manufacturing. To go from a smooth plate which seems to be your basic sheet metal stock with some minor tooling to one that is much more detailed or tricked out is quite a 'change in specifications'

Well enough of one to get me curious. Now, pressure plate in German....

 

[maitrestanley]

I'm glad I have the tricked out dimpled plate 😀 but I have no reason as to why. It really makes no major difference since you only see it when changing film.

The new ISO dial, however, I don't like for aesthetic reasons alone. It appears as if half of the dial went missing or something..

 

[sepiareverb]

it is so much cuter with all those dimples you know.

 

[sepiareverb]

Here is my pressure plate stock buried deep inside the M8!

http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39407

So it is just whatever they have lying around at the time! Ingenuity. That's what makes those Leicas so great!

Thanks to Tony C for his post!