Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]As stated in an earlier post I just came back from PMA(the trade show for anybody in photo/marketing) The M7 feels and handles just like a M6TTL. The finder appears crisper than my very used 17 year old classic. The slow speeds to about 1/8 sound very similar, once you get really slow it is very quiet. The 1 to 32 second shutter speeds are very strange to hear from an M: a whisper of the first curtain going, nothing for a while, then the whisper of the second curtain.. In the non automatic mode it operates just like an M6 with the exception of DX capability. The meter works exactly the same in manual mode. The shutter release feels just like an M should with similar feel to my M6 but not as smooth as a very used M3. The hand out mentions a 25ms lag time which is about twice a standard M so some compensation might be needed for quick reaction work. When questioned about battery drain the techies said twice the drain of a TTL but with twice the battery capacity so should be similar. With an off switch should be much less battery changing. From the specs something around 90 rolls of 36 exposure would be about right. In auto you get a very nice LED readout of the shutter speed in the bottom of the viewfinder outside of the frame lines. With glasses on I had to move my eye slightly to see it. So for you M users who like an uncluttered viewfinder the M7 can be the same. I did find the exposure compensation dial to be very Teutonic. Push the little button in and while pushing rotate the dial routine. It is easier to move the film speed dial to compensate. The exposure compensation ring is concentric to the film speed dial ala the EOS upper models but doesn't spin freely with an off switch which is what Canon does very successfully. My consensus with the Leica guy was that if you were using exposure compensation in changing conditions you should be back in manual mode. Contrawise, if the conditions weren't changing such as shooting strongly backlit scenes then the system as designed would work quite well. Some have commented on taking thirty years to add auto exposure to the M's. I am rather fond of the Leica shutter, I like the decades of hard use these devices have provided me with their quiet grace and consistent exposure. So I would rather wait for Leica to work out how to make their shutter work electronically rather than buy someone else's. I have not had good experiences (read $$$$)with the copal shutter that went into some R's. Currently only the 72 finder will be available. Both the 58 and the 85 will be along in a few months. In summary, this is an M. If you want to use it manually just like you always have it works just fine that way with the benefit of timed slower speeds to 4s in manual. If you feel the need to use AE then it works that way just like most cameras today. You will have to remember that it is a strongly center orientated meter. Therefore it will not be totally reliable in high contrast light situations as a fool proof exposure maker. I think the M6 will be with us for quite a few years as the Leica world has many members who are in their comfort zone with a battery independent camera. Contrawise, an M7 with the motor makes a very fast working decisive moment image maker that doesn't get in the way like so many auto cameras. Using 76 size batteries I can't imagine anyone worrying that batteries will be a problem. Don Dory dorysrus@mindspring.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html