M7 Impressions

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Well my local dealer finally got an M7 in stock and I finally got a chance to give it a thorough run-through. I won't repeat everything that's been said before about its specifications, but I did make some observations that might be of interest to potential buyers who can't get their hands on one ahead of time.

First, the electronic shutter is something I've wanted for a long time because as a chrome-shooter who also happens to own a digital shutter tester, I have been rather unimpressed with the accuracy--and moreover, *consistency*--of the mechanical timing in the previous M's. The M7 I handled is much more accurate and consistent than any M body I have ever checked, but not so much as my Hexar RF. Evidently (and this is just my conclusion) the cloth-curtain FP shutter is inherently more prone to error. Understand I am nitpicking, the difference is very small. The 2 mechanical speeds, 1/60 and 1/125, were within 1/6-stop on the sample I tested. Grant you, a well-adjusted mechanical M (and I prefer the M6 because I can adjust 1/500 and 1/1000 myself easily without disassembling the top plate, which is required with eariler M's)can achieve a 1/6-stop accuracy easily below 1/500, and 1/3-stop at the 2 top speeds, which is good enough for narrow-latitude slide film. But curtain travel at 1/1000 is still about 2/3-stop uneven from side to side, and it was the same on the M7. Again, I attribute this to the design of the cloth shutter. The vertical metal shutter in the Hexar and Voigtlanders does not have this problem.

AE: The AE is a matter of personal taste but it has a couple advantages even for the die-hard I-hate-automation types: First, it allows you to select an aperture at which the lens is at its optical peak. With the full-stop shutter (in manual, or on M6)it is often necessary to select a 1/2-stop larger or smaller aperture to balance the exposure. Second, for those who live for shooting wide open, the stepless shutter progression in AE means never having to stop down a half-stop if the exposure is in-between shutter speeds. With my v.1 Tri-Elmar that has no DOF scales (or the v.2 that has incomprehensible ones), being able to stick to a certain aperture is advantageous as well. And frankly, once you get the hang of using the AE lock and know your tonality (or Zones, for AA fans)it's addictive. Whenever I use my Hexar RF it's in AE-L, and not just because the Hexar lacks a positive (diode-type) manual metering display.

Finder Display: I wear bifocals. M finders must have a "virtual distance" somewhat beyond that of SLRs because when using the distance part of my glasses I normally need to dial in a tad of + correction with most SLRs but I don't feel the need for this with my M6. With the M7, there was no problem seeing the image or using the rangefinder, nor the LED arrows which after all, don't have to be pin-sharp to be used. However the LED numerals for the shutter speeds in AE are reminiscent of those in an R7: small and flickery, unlike the thicker "font" in the R8-type LCD display. I found them difficult to see clearly. As to the multi-coating on the M7 finder, I've said before I've never seen flare with any M camera, and I saw none with the M7 even pointing it at ceiling spotlights indoors, or with the sun in the frame.

Two shortcomings (which with any other brand would probably be corrected in the next production batch but we Leica users will probably need to wait another decade)of the M7 are the film-speed dial and the battery compartment cover. There is a very nice pushbutton which needs pressing to un-lock the exposure compensation dial; however the film-speed dial (the two are concentric)no longer has the push-in-at-the-center lock of the M6 *and* the detents are very shallow. It is very easy to move the dial accidentally while handling the camera. If you're set on DX, there's a tiny diode in the finder (assuming you even notice it) that will alert you if you've inadvertently moved the dial. But if you're like me and rate your film differently than the DX coding, I suggest using the exposure compensation feature rather than setting a manual EI...that way you'll still have the diode to warn you if you've moved the film speed dial. If you use non-barcoded cassettes, you'll need to keep an eye on the ISO dial.

The batteries (2 3v or 4 1.5v)are now inserted like shells in a pump shotgun and the cover is not a part of the contact. So the Leica cost-cutters decided that they could dispense with the finely-threaded screw-on cap in favor of a bayonet *and* they made the whole thing plastic. The cap turns about 45-degrees to lock, and the locking pressure is none too strong. I somehow managed to have the cap pop off twice and roll away while I was using the M7.

In all, I rather liked the M7. Not enough to pay $2400 for it, at a point in time I feel is the swan-song of 35mm film cameras, but this is partly because I have a Hexar RF and when I want automation in an M-mount body the Hexar has it all over the M7. It's also partly because there's a $2000 EOS D60 in my near future. But at some point if it looks like film is holding the wolves at bay and M7 prices come down (or there's a rebate, or I find a mint used one) I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 11, 2002

Answers

I like the M7 / pump shotgun comparison.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 11, 2002.

"I've never seen flare with any M camera, and I saw none with the M7 even pointing it at ceiling spotlights indoors, or with the sun in the frame."

That won't do it. M6 rangefinder flare is not caused by the sun (or spotlights) shining directly into the viewfinder. It's caused by high-angle light sources (overhead fluorescents are especially good) in constrasty situations (reception halls, concerts/stage performances, etc.). If you shoot almost exclusively outdoors in daylight, particularly with the sun over your shoulder, you're likely to never encounter rangefinder flare. Try shooting at a wedding reception. . . .

-- George L.T. (davecasman@yahoo.com), April 11, 2002.


Jay - good observations.

As George notes - IF a given M-camera is going to show RF flare, it will most likely occur when the bright light is outside the frame - usually slightly high and most often to the left - from just outside the 28 frame to a full-viewfinder's width off to the side.

Remember the flare comes from frameline illumination light leaking into the light path of the secondary RF image and 'contaminating' the RF image - NOT from the actual main/secondary rangefinder windows themselves (which makes me wonder how much Leica's 'multi-coating' of those windows will actually help).

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), April 11, 2002.


If in shooting thousands of films with post-M4 M bodies for around 25 years (a couple M4-2s and 4 M6 Classics at one time or another)I have never been in the right position to have the rangefinder patch flare out on me, I can't help but wonder if the problem is as epidemic as it's been suggested. I'm here under fluorsecent ceiling lights in combo with small spotlights, playing the finder around every which way and I can't see anything remotely like what people have described. Sorry.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 11, 2002.

Good observations, Jay. I got mine yesterday (I swore I wouldn't, but I find it hard to resist those little voices in my head - no matter what they're telling me to do). After just one roll I'm in love with the thing. AE is just the ticket for my style of shooting, and the new on/off switch is the bee's knees.

I've had no problem with the battery cap, and I normally use the manufacturer's speed rating, so leaving the selector securely on "DX" is fine with me.

I'm of two minds in the Hexar/M7 comparison. On the one hand, you get a lot more automation in a lighter package with the Hexar. I was shooting with the Motor-M on the M7, and the weight difference is really noticeable. On the other hand, there are two things I don't like about the Hexar that are fundamental to my enjoyment of an M - the shutter release lag and the viewfinder. I really don't like the Hexar's viewfinder, and I always notice its increased shutter delay when I try to time action or expressions.

One minor thing I don't like about the M7 is that it's harder to get the film cassette back out, due to the extra friction of the DX contacts. This is one problem that's avoided by a swing back. I have seen the RF patch flare. It happens when the light source is at a particular angle to the viewing axis - I read a message from one of the gnomes of Solms who quoted a value of 110 degrees off-axis.

All in all, I'm impressed enough that I've ordered a .58 M7, and will be dumping my M6's when it arrives.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), April 11, 2002.



Jay, perhaps "flare" is not the best description, I prefer white out - if you look up at a bare light bulb with the bulb just outside the field of view of the viewfinder you will observe the RF patch white out.

This is what happens, and what everyone goes on about. In 25 years shooting I find it hard to believe your RF window has *never* whited out, even to a small degree!

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), April 11, 2002.


Dear Jay, thanks for an excellent review, specially about the shutter unevenness. With the electronic controls I was hoping they would have overcome the uneven and off the mark exposures. I think this is a perenial Leica problem (despite all the myth building about Leica shutter performance on this and other Leica related sites). I had to sell 2 mint second hand M2's and 2 brand new M6s because of this reason. The M4P I am using at the moment is the only Leica I have encountered so far that is running evenly right to left. But to begin with, it needed lots TLC by an understanding local service person. This has never been a problem with various Nikon F, F2, F3 cameras I own and still use. Like you, I am very happy with my Hexar RF, use the M4P as a spare body now.

-- sait (akkirman@clear.net.nz), April 11, 2002.

My humble opinion-the M7 because of the electronics will never have same later value as the mechanical.I've seen it in other high priced items-Rolex watches-the quartz model not wanted!The auto ,Aperture priority of other makes,Nikon EM,Pentax Mv etc were all really budget priced and still not wanted!I've used them and found the idea is ok. I would use a Leica M7,but prefer to set my own exposures!I hear all this about narrow latitude slide film..well thank goodness I use B/W and c-41color negative.I am constantly amazed by the optimism of some of our members who have invested in Konica.True its a nice camera. The company burns hot and cold!One moment they have special model and or system,next its really gone!No spares no service.Whatever faults Leica has,there is some service out there!!The exact shutter speeds story...we all use f-stops,not T-stops.Is your film really the speed marked?Do you buy case lots with same emulsion number?Is the processor really vigilante and exact?Because i found over many years' it really does'nt matter that much...The Hasselblad shutter in Prontor-Compur has NEVER been 500th.So what!Still a great camera even if i can't focus it.True.My loss not Hassies.

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

Jason, I see your point and agree with much of it. If down the road Leica goes out of business and the electronics of the M7 become unavailable it will be a paperweight, while the worst-case scenario with the M6 the meter could become unrepairable but someone could still economically fabricate the odd gear or spring to keep it working...this assuming of course there's any film left to shoot in it and a way to process it. The Konica is a potential future paperweight also, which is one reason I waited to find a used body, for which I paid a little more than 1/3 the cost of a new M7.

I don't completely agree with your assessment of inaccurate shutter performance. Variances in true film speed, errors in processing, etc. might cancel out shutter inaccuracy *if* they happen to be equal and opposite...but it's just as likely that inconsistency in shutter speeds could *compound* the other factors to the further detriment of exposure. You are correct that Hasselblad's leaf shutters are rarely accurate to the marked speeds especially at 1/500 (which is why some users like myself got a shutter tester to record the true speeds)but most Hasselblad photography is slow-paced enough that by knowing the true speeds, we can make appropriate compensation. Furthermore, while the Hasselblad shutters may be "off", they are quite consistent from shot to shot. If the marked 1/500 is really 1/300, it's *always* 1/300. With the Leica, 1/500 can be 1/300 on one shot and 1/600 on the next; plus, the pace of much of the photography for which a Leica is ideally suited, is such that stopping to remember to close down 1/2 stop at 1/500 and open up 1 stop at 1/1000 (for example)is a major irritation. To *want* to shoot C-41 and fall back on latitude is one thing, but to be *forced* to is quite another. Again, I have really solved that issue for myself, by buying a shutter tester and sending my M's back to the service as many times as it takes until they're within 1/6 stop...and then adjusting 1/500 and 1/1000 (the same adjustment screw does both at once) myself periodically.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 11, 2002.


Jay wrote: "With the full-stop shutter (in manual, or on M6) it is often necessary to select a 1/2-stop larger or smaller aperture to balance the exposure. Second, for those who live for shooting wide open, the stepless shutter progression in AE means never having to stop down a half-stop if the exposure is in-between shutter speeds."

It is my understanding that the Leica mechanical shutter (starting with the M3) can be set to intermediate shutter speeds within most of the range. Doing this with the M6 is OK also, the only downside is that meter contacts are located only at whole shutter speeds so one must extrapolate the proper exposure when using intermediate settings. Now, whether the M7 has maintained the intermediate shutter speed flexibility of earlier mechanical M's in its match-diode mode appears to be an open question, given the shutter electrics. If it has not done so then the M7 has given away an important feature of earlier Ms in challenging light situations where AE doesn't work well.

-- Doug from Tumwater (dbaker9128@aol.com), April 11, 2002.



Jay wrote in part:" But curtain travel at 1/1000 is still about 2/3-stop uneven from side to side, and it was the same on the M7. Again, I attribute this to the design of the cloth shutter. The vertical metal shutter in the Hexar and Voigtlanders does not have this problem. " Undoubtedly the measurements are OK. But the conclusion is not. IF the M6/7 shutter were as uneven as is suggested, any M camera would have a dark band of overexposed area on every negative. Because 2/3 of a stop is a severe overexposure. But this is not the case. As I wrote in my M7 report, the M shutter starts slowly (accelarating from zero). This is compensated by a wider slid width. So the end effect is that the exposure ove rthe whole area is correct, as everyone can verify. The measured slower speeds need to be adjusted withj the slit width to become meaningful. As is reported now the impression is given that teh M shutter is off for 2/3 of a stop. This is not true.

-- Erwin Puts (imxputs@ision.nl), April 12, 2002.

At the marked speed of 1/1000, the measured value at one side of film gate on the M7 I checked = 0.00076; in center of film gate = 0.00099; at opposite side of film gate = 0.00139. One side is 24% faster than 1/1000 (0.001), other side is 39% slower. Total difference from left to right=63% of 1000, which is close to 2/3 (66.666%). Any math majors out there, please feel free to explain how my conclusion that the M7 shutter varies by 2/3-stop from side to side at 1/1000 was wrong.

There is no "dark band" because the M7 shutter varies *gradually* from one side to the other (indicated by the center being almost exactly 1/1000). In order to have a dark band it would need to run at 1/1000 everywhere except at one end. Anyone wishing to test the results, photograph a completely even tone (like a white wall or the clear blue sky) at 1/1000 and look at the slide.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 12, 2002.


Doug, I did not check if the M7 shutter can be set intermediately, boy do I feel dumb for not doing so! It is true that the M3-M6 shutters can be set to intermediate speeds (except where the slow and fast escapements don't intersect, I *think* 1/8-1/15)however my results using the shutter tester with the mechanical M's indicates that it is an iffy proposition. Setting the dial midway between marked speeds doe *not* guarantee a midway speed. In some cases the midway speed occurs almost at the next marked speed, with no linearity between markings. This is *not* the case with the Leicaflex SL, which is remarkably linear between speeds...and the meter functions steplessly as well. The M6 meter does not respond to intermediate shutter speeds.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 12, 2002.

Hi Jay Thanks much for feedback on the intermediate shutter speed accuracy. The reason this issue is important to me is that I often use my 0.85 with 75mm Lux and Minolta Spot Meter F in theater settings where I am fighting for a faction of a f stop to make a picture work better. I often need a bit more depth of field or a faster shutter speed to freeze action. Either way I find that I need to place the dial between 1/60 and 1/125 or 1/125 and 1/250 from time to time. Now as to my M6TTL shutter accuracy at these settings, I don't know for sure. I assume it is around 1/2 stop by the consistent look of the prints compared to whole shutter speeds but admittedly using Fuji Superia 800 film could be masking a larger or smaller shutter speed variation also. Well, any way it works for me! Jay, the M7 looks like a great camera and I will likely get one myself some time down the line but in the low light / spot meter circumstance that I describe, I suspect earlier M's work just as well or better in manual mode.

-- Doug from Tumwater (dbaker9128@aol.com), April 12, 2002.

regarding the difference of shutter speeds (the gap between the two curtains) i found an artical by Eriwn Putts which may help to clarify the situation.

The slit width of the M is 36mm when the shutter speed is 1/50 and the speed of the curtains is about 20 milliseconds at all times. A calculation shows that for he 1/1000 the slit width has to be 36mm divided by 1000/50 (the speeds). This is 1.8mm. In reality the slit width is a bit wider (at 2 millimeter). Now for the 1/2000 the slit width would have to be about 1mm. That is very small and it is hardly possible, given the geometry of the shutter to crete a relaible and constant slit width of 1mm. You should remember that the Leica shutter is a bit more complicated. When the shutter starts it is not at full speed from the very moment. Like every mass, it has to be accelerated by the tension of the springs and so it starts slowly and accelerates to full speed at the end of the travel, where the braking action is. Without compensation, the film would be overexposed at the beginning of the travel (shutter starts to accelerate) and underexpose at the end (shutter races full speed to its stop). The mechanism compensates and therefore the slit width at the beginning is smaller and later wider than the nominal 2mm. For the 1/2000 the same principle holds, only with too small toerances ato be viable.

more can be found on this subject on Erwins web site.

evey object has a mass even the shutter cutains of a leica, and it is impossable for any mass to accelerate from a standing start to full speed ln zero time so the engineers at leica are forced to build in a vairing gap between the two curtains.

i think einstein summed it up with E=MC2

-- andrew robertson (andrewandadele@hotmail.com), January 12, 2003.



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