Hi M users Finally I had the M7 on my hands today at a German photo show in Mexico City.

O.K. now the facts:

1.- the M7 does have full aperture priority on ALL speeds at the end of the shutter dial it has an AUTO setting wich select full speed or half speeds up to 1000 and down to 4 SECONDS! it is a normal Aperture Priority setting as any one found on the R8,R7,R5. Inside the viewfinder the speeds are shown with big red numbers wich change as the diafragm ring is turned.

2.- The shutter dial has speeds form 1000 th down to 4 seconds, instead of the one second limitation of the M6 TTL.

3.- The shutter is not fully mechanical , it is battery operated and if batteries go dead it will work without them only at 1/60 and 1/125 of a second.

4.- The shutter curtain is a horizontal travel, cloth made and looks slightly different in color from the M6 I was told it has a new light resistant treatment.

5.- The finder where the .58, .72 or .85 markings are, look with a bluish cast that may be the antiflare coating. But looking through it does not dimms it's brightness.

6.- Besides the big M7 engraved on the front of the the camera without the Leica name by it's side as it does on the M6, the camera looks identical to the M6.

7.- The M7 weights about 50 grams more the the M6 TTL.

8.- Of course the camera can be operated manually the same as the M6, except for the need of batteries for most speeds. But I think that is no mayor problem as the camera is very efficient on battery consuption. (purists may think this is horrible, as they like their fully mechanical shutter).

9.- It does not have the TTL engraving on the hot shoe, I don't know if it's a TTL camera.

I think that's all for now, the camera will be available for sale in Mexico City in a couple of months, so I was told. P.S. and yes, the price is exactly as I read somewhere, 20% higher than the current price of the M6TTL.

-- Marco Hidalgo (marco_hidalgo@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002

Answers

Thanks for the helpful post. Do you know the number and type of batteries the M7 requires?

-- David Enzel (dhenzel@vei.net), March 02, 2002.

Where have you been Marco. We've al known for nearly a week now. Leica posted the details on their website on the 25th feb. Thanks anyway

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

David: The M7 uses two batteries 1/3N istead of one as the M6

Kristian: Yes, I saw Leica's page but somehow there was so much noise about the camera that seeing is believing; and also, technical specs. can't describe the actual use and handling of a camera. I liked the way shutter speeds are shown inside the viewfinder. and how the On - Off switch feels and goes apart from the speed dial. I really hate the off position on the speed dial of my M6 , as I have to turn the dial all the way to the speed I want to work with. anyway I like the new M.

-- Marco Hidalgo (marco_hidalgo@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

Marco, I hate the lack of "off" switch on my M6 Classic. Sure i wouldn't mind a M7, but the $$$ is too limiting for me. For that kind of $$ I'll have o be happy with my M6

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

Yes. I have read that the M7 bad requirement is greater than that of the M6: the M7 works on 6V (or two 3V batteries), while the M6 works on 3V (or two 1.5 V silver oxide cells). Also, the M7 does have the same TTL capability as the M6TTL (they dodn't change the TTL circuitry), except that the M7 can be used with the special Metz flash for high speed and second curtain flash sync (1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000 sec). This high speed sync does NOT work with TTL (which presumably only works at 1/50 sec or less with the SF20 or Metz flashes). The HSS uses the flash sensor to control exposure.

As far as the M7 is concerned, it's not perfect but I can already tell I want one.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 02, 2002.

In AE the shutter speeds range from 1/1000 to 32 seconds in small discrete steps not half stop steps. It has the same TTL flash circuitry as the M6TTL with the added bonus of a special high speed sync with certain Metz flashes.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), March 02, 2002.

The HSS fash mode is manual only. The flash may help you with the calculations but that is it.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), March 02, 2002.

Marco, thank you for taking the trouble to post one of the very first user hands-on reports on the M7!

What I am really curious about is how well the AE works in practice! I guess we will find out in time...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), March 02, 2002.

Regarding the cost of the M7, in the UK BJP magazine reports the M7 will RETAIL at £100 more than the M6 (£1895 against £1795). Given that in the photographic trade full retail prices are never charged and the M6 is typically £1550 the true price premium for the M7 should be very little.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), March 03, 2002.