Andy Charrier
Andy Charrier
With your permission I would like to write my first impression about the M7. I am a Nikon fanatic user with one F100 and a F4. Im using them for about 5 years in outdoor photography in the cold clouded rainforest of the southern most of Chile and Patagonia.
I was shooting endangered species of frogs and marsupial in Patagonia and my new Nikon F100 suddenly fail. I send it to Argentina and I had to pay almost U$1000 for the repair.
Then I bought the F4 as a second body and I never a had a problem with that camera, you can fix a flat tire with the F4 but be carefully with you car …..I also have an digital Olympus C 8080, 8 MP (Yes, I am a camera collector too) a power full toy but just a toy. I know that in 5 years more there will be no computer to read my CD`s or even the DVD where I storage my digital pictures.
Two years ago a saw on the National Geographic channel a movie about combat photography. The photographers were using Voigtlander cameras in Afghanistan. So I start to read about rangefinder cameras. Three weeks ago I bought a Leica M 7 with an used Leitz 35 / 1.4 Summilux made in Canada with a nice shade.
I never had a Leica in my hands before. When I saw it I fall immediately in love. Love at the first sight. I wait for while to touch it. It looks more than a new jewellery than an old camera model. Then I touch it. Cold and heavy, very heavy, maybe more than my F100 with out lens. I really love that weight in my hand, but anyway it was not easy to handle.
On the left side the camera has above two pretty sharp finish next to the rewind crank.
The battery compartment cover and also the ISO speed dial is made of plastic, strange for a “full metal camera” . I dint expect that. Any body out there need ISO 6400? I never use more than ISO 100 even the darkest seasons of winter inside the forest. Maybe for me the most unexpected thing for the camera was that it was much more noisier than I expected and read in all this years. Strange. Actually I think it doesn’t make any noise at all. When I was young I use for many years my grand father Ricoh Super K10 that really “jump” between my hands when I press the shutter release and this was a BIG difference with my old camera. I read that the new Nikon F 6 is quiet us a Leica. Who knows… I was very sad and upset to see in the base plate also a plastic fork that’s support the film cartridge. I remember in a Nikon forum (nikonian.org) a long discussion about if the F100 was or not a professional camera depending on the construction of the plastic fork, Nikon F 5 was a metal fork. So why to pay almost U$ 3000 for such a construction “to last for a lifetime”? Is this part of the “Leica feeling”?
Any way the feeling of the wind - lever film transport is as smooth as expected. I really love. To try it and to love it is the same thing.
Yesterday when I try to charge the camera with the film I discover that the chamber is incredible little. I read that but I never expected that it was sooooooooooo little even for my hands and believe they are little. And it was very, I mean VERY difficult to insert the film in the charm. Maybe next Leica for U$ 1000 dollars more it would be completely impossible. But what about the decisive “decisive moment” with this slow charging system? I hope I get used to it. The frames are difficult to understand but I knew that for the very beginning, I need to learn a lot about that and this is one of the main reason I bought it. Hope to learn with you in the forum. As you know the camera works without battery (Battery are easy to find almost every where and I read they last for very long) in 60 and 125. That’s the main reason I bought a Leica. I had always trouble with batteries with my other cameras. I couldn’t action the Flash with the camera with out batteries but I think Im doing something wrong. To release the lens or to change it is one of the smoothes thing I ever feel in any camera.
Except this three o four items I think my new M 7 is the sweetest thing it could happened to me in all this years. The camera is beautiful, really heavy duty construction and bomb proof . In few words I would say that the myth is true.
I will try to use it for such World Press Photo kind of photography. I will try to change my point of view and try to concentrate in documental photography with the M 7. I hope this bored words is useful for you. Thanks for your patience.
Just a question: If should meter the light of a black hole, which camera would you choose.
(thanks Matu for all you advices, lets drink another bottle of Chilean wine together)
Andy
I was shooting endangered species of frogs and marsupial in Patagonia and my new Nikon F100 suddenly fail. I send it to Argentina and I had to pay almost U$1000 for the repair.
Then I bought the F4 as a second body and I never a had a problem with that camera, you can fix a flat tire with the F4 but be carefully with you car
…..I also have an digital Olympus C 8080, 8 MP (Yes, I am a camera collector too) a power full toy but just a toy. I know that in 5 years more there will be no computer to read my CD`s or even the DVD where I storage my digital pictures.Two years ago a saw on the National Geographic channel a movie about combat photography. The photographers were using Voigtlander cameras in Afghanistan. So I start to read about rangefinder cameras. Three weeks ago I bought a Leica M 7 with an used Leitz 35 / 1.4 Summilux made in Canada with a nice shade.
I never had a Leica in my hands before. When I saw it I fall immediately in love. Love at the first sight. I wait for while to touch it. It looks more than a new jewellery than an old camera model. Then I touch it. Cold and heavy, very heavy, maybe more than my F100 with out lens. I really love that weight in my hand, but anyway it was not easy to handle.
On the left side the camera has above two pretty sharp finish next to the rewind crank.
The battery compartment cover and also the ISO speed dial is made of plastic, strange for a “full metal camera” . I dint expect that. Any body out there need ISO 6400? I never use more than ISO 100 even the darkest seasons of winter inside the forest. Maybe for me the most unexpected thing for the camera was that it was much more noisier than I expected and read in all this years. Strange. Actually I think it doesn’t make any noise at all. When I was young I use for many years my grand father Ricoh Super K10 that really “jump” between my hands when I press the shutter release and this was a BIG difference with my old camera. I read that the new Nikon F 6 is quiet us a Leica. Who knows… I was very sad and upset to see in the base plate also a plastic fork that’s support the film cartridge. I remember in a Nikon forum (nikonian.org) a long discussion about if the F100 was or not a professional camera depending on the construction of the plastic fork, Nikon F 5 was a metal fork. So why to pay almost U$ 3000 for such a construction “to last for a lifetime”? Is this part of the “Leica feeling”?
Any way the feeling of the wind - lever film transport is as smooth as expected. I really love. To try it and to love it is the same thing.
Yesterday when I try to charge the camera with the film I discover that the chamber is incredible little. I read that but I never expected that it was sooooooooooo little even for my hands and believe they are little. And it was very, I mean VERY difficult to insert the film in the charm. Maybe next Leica for U$ 1000 dollars more it would be completely impossible. But what about the decisive “decisive moment” with this slow charging system? I hope I get used to it. The frames are difficult to understand but I knew that for the very beginning, I need to learn a lot about that and this is one of the main reason I bought it. Hope to learn with you in the forum. As you know the camera works without battery (Battery are easy to find almost every where and I read they last for very long) in 60 and 125. That’s the main reason I bought a Leica. I had always trouble with batteries with my other cameras. I couldn’t action the Flash with the camera with out batteries but I think Im doing something wrong. To release the lens or to change it is one of the smoothes thing I ever feel in any camera.
Except this three o four items I think my new M 7 is the sweetest thing it could happened to me in all this years. The camera is beautiful, really heavy duty construction and bomb proof . In few words I would say that the myth is true.
I will try to use it for such World Press Photo kind of photography. I will try to change my point of view and try to concentrate in documental photography with the M 7. I hope this bored words is useful for you. Thanks for your patience.
Just a question: If should meter the light of a black hole, which camera would you choose.
(thanks Matu for all you advices, lets drink another bottle of Chilean wine together)
Andy
X
xcapekey
Guest
andy...great..thanks for your account...with time and patience you will get use to all the quirks such as film loading and the framelines....
i also have an f100 and i find that i can operate a leica quicker in most situations, but this is probably because i've been using rangefinders longer than i've been using SLRs...not to disparage the f100 as it is a great camera, probably the best SLR i've had a chance to use....
something similar happened to me as well...up until a few years ago I had been using a canonet, voightlander R and a canon 7...then one day i made the mistake of asking the guy at the local camera shop (www.terryscamera.com) if i could try one of the leica's out....big expensive mistake....i knew at that moment, i had found my camera....i saved for a few months and bought it and i know that my other cameras may come and go but i will always keep the m2
r
i also have an f100 and i find that i can operate a leica quicker in most situations, but this is probably because i've been using rangefinders longer than i've been using SLRs...not to disparage the f100 as it is a great camera, probably the best SLR i've had a chance to use....
something similar happened to me as well...up until a few years ago I had been using a canonet, voightlander R and a canon 7...then one day i made the mistake of asking the guy at the local camera shop (www.terryscamera.com) if i could try one of the leica's out....big expensive mistake....i knew at that moment, i had found my camera....i saved for a few months and bought it and i know that my other cameras may come and go but i will always keep the m2
r
M
matu
Guest
Andy, I´m happy to have you on the forum, I´ve been abscent for a while, but now you joined it feels less lonely here (too few south americans), at least now we can do a gathering.
Pablo
Pablo
RayPA
Ignore It (It'll go away)
Andy I agree completely. The M7 is just about one of the most beautiful cameras I've ever held or used. It has an amazing feel. I like the weight. Funny, I've never had the sharp corners on the rewind side of the camera become a problem for may hand or face, so that is interesting that you noted it. I have more of an issue with the rewind release switch, the one near the battery compartment. The switch occassionally rubs against the inside of the first knuckle on the middle finger of my right hand. The plastic battery compartment cover is disappointing. You'll get used to loading film. I find I can load film just as quick or quicker with an M7 as I can with my CLE.
peter_n
Veteran
Andy thank you for your time and patience in writing your impressions of the M7. Your English is excellent too, as is Pablo's. I am sure that there will be more members from South America, one of the really great things about this forum is that it is so international.
I am also the new owner of an M7 (2 months into ownership), but I have had an M6TTL for two years so I thought I knew what I was getting. However the cam has exceeded my expectations, it is quieter than my M6TTL, loading film is easier, I really like the on-off switch, and I love the digital speed display when I'm using the AE mode. I've used the camera both in DX and manual film speed mode, in manual shutter mode and also AE, mainly really to test that everything is working. Going forward I intend to set the film speed manually (I generally use 400ASA rated at 320) and wherever possible use AE so all I have to worry about is the DOF I want. The meter in the cam is as accurate as the one in my M6, which is to say very accurate. My camera has a mag. of 0.85, I needed that magnification becuse I am using 90/135 lenses a lot in a project I'm working on. I found to my surprise that the 0.85 mag is also great for 50mm lenses too, so I had an additional unexpected expense of a pre-ASPH Summilux that of course I "needed".
Attached below is a pic of mine with a 21mm lens attached. The only problem I have with the camera is that I like it so much I want another one... The long-term plan is to eventually get a 0.72 mag M7 and then use the M6TTL as backup.
Good luck with yours Andy!
I am also the new owner of an M7 (2 months into ownership), but I have had an M6TTL for two years so I thought I knew what I was getting. However the cam has exceeded my expectations, it is quieter than my M6TTL, loading film is easier, I really like the on-off switch, and I love the digital speed display when I'm using the AE mode. I've used the camera both in DX and manual film speed mode, in manual shutter mode and also AE, mainly really to test that everything is working. Going forward I intend to set the film speed manually (I generally use 400ASA rated at 320) and wherever possible use AE so all I have to worry about is the DOF I want. The meter in the cam is as accurate as the one in my M6, which is to say very accurate. My camera has a mag. of 0.85, I needed that magnification becuse I am using 90/135 lenses a lot in a project I'm working on. I found to my surprise that the 0.85 mag is also great for 50mm lenses too, so I had an additional unexpected expense of a pre-ASPH Summilux that of course I "needed".
Attached below is a pic of mine with a 21mm lens attached. The only problem I have with the camera is that I like it so much I want another one... The long-term plan is to eventually get a 0.72 mag M7 and then use the M6TTL as backup.
Good luck with yours Andy!
zpuskas
Well-known
Andy, thanks for the review. The film loading gets easier and easier the more you do it. Consider it the initial stages of seduction of the camera and the image making process.
Rainer Pawellek
Member
I really am happy to read this. My M7 with a 2/50cron and 2/35cron asph ALWAYS is right next to me and photography has become something else then just taking photos since I have this baby.
I really got upset once at the deviantart site when a guy I didn't even knew wrote, M7 isn't a real Leica, on my page there. Just because the geniouses from Solms hed the good idea adding an AV mode.
Great cam
I really got upset once at the deviantart site when a guy I didn't even knew wrote, M7 isn't a real Leica, on my page there. Just because the geniouses from Solms hed the good idea adding an AV mode.
Great cam
R
Roman
Guest
Andy, I love your avatar - 'Ice Age' cracks me up every time I see it, and that nutty animal is my favorite...
Roman
Roman
Ben Z
Veteran
Andy Charrier said:my new Nikon F100 suddenly fail. I send it to Argentina and I had to pay almost U$1000 for the repair.
That's more than a new one costs and almost twice what a used one costs.
Then I bought the F4 as a second body and I never a had a problem with that camera, you can fix a flat tire with the F4 but be carefully with you car
I know several people who had major repair expense and down-time with their F4s bodies.
An elderly neighbor recently got a new computer, his old one was from 1992 or 93 with Windows 3.1 and he had a bunch of files in Lotus Amipro, a long-extinct word processing program. It took about 1 minute and a Gooooogle search to find and download a free file converter for the latest version of Word that came bundled on his new computer. I think the fear of not being able to read media or file formats in the future is overrated if not irrational.
Who ever said the M7 was 100% metal? I agree though, the battery cover is pretty lame.
I think it's strange too. How could it be noisier than you expected but you think it doesn't make any noise at all?
They've been using that plastic basket since the M4 of 1967, I don't believe anyone has ever reported one breaking.
Then why didn't you buy an MP or M6 where all the speeds work without batteries?
No, that's one of the design idiosyncrasies of the M7 and M6TTL.
M
merciful
Guest
And more: all the time. Aren't there any pubs in the rainforest?
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Leica-obsessions, Andy!
Only one suggestion... or unrequested advice: get a roll of film and use it as a dummy (for practice). Load it in the camera to learn how to do it quickly, so you don't miss the "decisive moment" when it comes. I had lots of problems loading my M6TTL bodies until a Leica rep showed me how to do it: he just did what the manual says... you drop in the film cartridge with enough film lead to insert it in the spool. In the process, make sure the film holes fit in the camera sprocket because, in essence, it's the sprocket, not the basket, that's helping the film "catch" in the take up spool.
I grabbed a roll Fuji I had, pulled it out, rewound it and use it as practice or to toy with when I'm bored. Thanks to this sacrificed roll of film I was able to load successfully a roll of Kodachrome EIR in the dark.
Take care and have fun with your M7!
PS. I'm from Guatemala, but living in the US since 2000.
Only one suggestion... or unrequested advice: get a roll of film and use it as a dummy (for practice). Load it in the camera to learn how to do it quickly, so you don't miss the "decisive moment" when it comes. I had lots of problems loading my M6TTL bodies until a Leica rep showed me how to do it: he just did what the manual says... you drop in the film cartridge with enough film lead to insert it in the spool. In the process, make sure the film holes fit in the camera sprocket because, in essence, it's the sprocket, not the basket, that's helping the film "catch" in the take up spool.
I grabbed a roll Fuji I had, pulled it out, rewound it and use it as practice or to toy with when I'm bored. Thanks to this sacrificed roll of film I was able to load successfully a roll of Kodachrome EIR in the dark.
Take care and have fun with your M7!
PS. I'm from Guatemala, but living in the US since 2000.
Fred
Feline Great
A good report, and well presented.
Loading an M becomes second nature. A very good freind of mine always seemed to have trouble with his and to a point was upset when I got mine and loaded it without a problem. I showed him what I did (following the manual) and he never had a probelm again. I can load almost as quick as an F80 Nikon now.
Intersting reading the comment from xcapekey, I never really had that much time for a Leica M untill I actually held one at Focus On Imaging 2004 show in the UK. It just got under my skin and after a lot of umm and ahhing I now have an M7. Love it. Plastic battery cover bothered me when I loaded the batteries first time then completely forgot about it.
I guess the sharp edges are where the top plate wraps a little round the rewind. I've never had a problem it. I only hold the body from the right hand and steady it underneath with my left.
Oh, and I don't use flash that often, only use a small Metz auto gun then also. It's not even in the bag anymore.
Loading an M becomes second nature. A very good freind of mine always seemed to have trouble with his and to a point was upset when I got mine and loaded it without a problem. I showed him what I did (following the manual) and he never had a probelm again. I can load almost as quick as an F80 Nikon now.
Intersting reading the comment from xcapekey, I never really had that much time for a Leica M untill I actually held one at Focus On Imaging 2004 show in the UK. It just got under my skin and after a lot of umm and ahhing I now have an M7. Love it. Plastic battery cover bothered me when I loaded the batteries first time then completely forgot about it.
I guess the sharp edges are where the top plate wraps a little round the rewind. I've never had a problem it. I only hold the body from the right hand and steady it underneath with my left.
Oh, and I don't use flash that often, only use a small Metz auto gun then also. It's not even in the bag anymore.
Graybeard
Longtime IIIf User
Can anyone compare the shutter and exposure automation systems in the M7 and the later Leica R series reflexes (R4, R5, R7) ?.
I have a R4 that I use for snapshots when an automatic camera is convenient. From what I've read, the shutters offer quite similar features in the two cameras and both cameras have aperture-priority automation (othe modes on the R4 as well)
I have a R4 that I use for snapshots when an automatic camera is convenient. From what I've read, the shutters offer quite similar features in the two cameras and both cameras have aperture-priority automation (othe modes on the R4 as well)
peter_n
Veteran
I would agree with Rainer that it is nice to see a thread celebrating the modern Leica bodies like the M7. There are so many owners who have used Leicas for a very long time who are perhaps understandably put out by the automatic exposure mode on the M7. Often the implication is that such exposures are at worst just "wrong" and at best invariably unreliable. However my still limited experience with the M7 is that the automatic exposures are usually correct.Rainer Pawellek said:
I've attached two files below with pics taken last Friday with the M7 in Auto mode. I'm still learning how the camera behaves on Auto. The pics are taken with two "new" lenses that I'm not yet familiar with, so the photos aren't great but they do show the accuracy of the M7 in auto mode quite nicely. In each case the sunlight is slanting in from my left rear and the meter and cam gave pretty good exposures in what were fairly tricky lighting conditions. The first pic was taken with a 135mm/f4 Tele-Elmar and the second with a 28mm/f2.8 Hexanon-M.
The great thing about the Auto mode on cameras like the M7 and the CV R2a/R3a and others is that it is there when you need it. These cameras work perfectly well as manual cameras but for street shooting in very variable light the AE is just awesome. I particularly like the stepless dispay of the shutter speed at the bottom of the M7's viewfinder as that tells me withous moving my eye from the VF whether I can safely handhold a shot or not. Also the meter has a memory lock so you can meter one area and hold the exposure when you move to another. The whole thing seems to work pretty well.