I used a lot of Nikon stuff, but was somehow disappointed with the quality of my slides taken with F-4, F-801 and F-90's, in terms of appropriate measuring, sharpness and so on, not to speak about the photos themselves. I soon regretted handing in my FM-2 and even my F-3 and FE-2, but I was still convinced, I needed more speed in terms of more and more and more automatic, AF, faster lenses, fill-in daylight flash, hoping to make finally the photos, I wanted to make. Of course Kodachrome or B&W was not good enough for this anymore, needed the latest Fuji’s, better saturation, nicer colourful colours, faster development of the films. The results: More and more crap photos, very, very, very few photos where the speed was an advantage, heavier camera bags, slower personal action. I even lost my prematurely developed personal stile. Still (!) I was convinced, action and speed is everything, and that I just must simply learn how to better use this sophisticated equipment. Nothing changed to the better. I was disappointed with my heavy bag, the scratched Fuji slides I got back from the laboratories, checking them with a magnifying lens only to be even more disappointed with the sharpness of the photos. I nearly lost my interest in photography, thinking that I might be just too clumsy or whatever. As a matter of fact, looking at sheets of Kodachrome slides I had made with an FM-2, results were much better. More thinking about the picture itself. Better metering. Remembering how to predict action, and be there in the right moment. Not to speak about the fun you feel with a mecahnical camera. I sold all the stuff and got me a second-hand M-6 and a 2.0/35 Summicron, and started all over again. Pain in the bump in the beginning, this film loading, the time you lose in adjusting your lens, but I got over with it. I realised or remembered that in most of daylight shooting, light situation did not change too much between 9 hrs in the morning and 18 hrs in the afternoon. So much about AE. That depth of field and common sense is enough to predict action. So much about AF. No automatic needed. No bags, no attention. More calm in making discrete photos. So much about speed. I started again to see pictures in my head before I take them. In more complicated light situations, I really enjoyed using this intuitive zone-system of spot-metering a little bit in the lights, correcting a little bit in the shadows with my M6 and I could be 99.9% sure, that I got what I wanted. I never missed AF anymore, and very, very rarely AE mode. Nevertheless, I marvelled at the M-7, checked www.leica-camera.de every day over the past months to see when it finally comes, dreaming about speed again. But thinking about all this, I am wondering, whether it is really an improvement for real picture taking. For me, it would be again falling for this illusion, loosing what photography – for me - is all about. I am convinced, like with my unfortunate Nikon history, if I would go for the M7, I would loose it again, sell everything and finally, might end up with a (black!) M3 and eventually, be satisfied for an unusually long period, until Leica will secretly announce the M8…

-- Wolfgang (wgressmann@web.de), March 12, 2002

Answers

What's there to a photo- aperture, shutter speed, and focus. If you ask me, for action shots, the focus is the most important thing to take care of. Anyway, I came from a Canon 1N and 28-70L. For me the M6 is just fine with a 35 and 75 lux. But then again, I'm a simple snapshooter who likes to use it to take nice shots when I'm travelling or going to special events. No need to AE for me. Some others, well that's a different story.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

If you read your question, seems to me like you have already answered it yourself.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), March 12, 2002.

Here's an idea: after covering all the logos, cut one more piece of black tape and cover the "AE" on the shutter dial.

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

Sheesh, so much rumination over this simple thing.

Think of the M7 this way:
- Improved viewfinder optics
- Electronically timed shutter for better accuracy
- Mechanical back up shutter speeds at 1/60 and 1/125 sec (plus B, I'm sure)
- extended slow shutter speeds (courtesy of the electronic shutter timing again) - high speed electronic flash capability (courtesy of the electronic shutter timing)
- aperture priority exposure automation

That last is only really a nice convenience if you want to use it. For all intents and purposes, it's an improve M6TTL with a more accurate shutter.

Why so much wailing and gnashing of teeth over a better shutter timing mechanism? Electronically timed shutters have been in cameras for 30 years with very high reliability. Why should this be any different?

What sets a Leica M apart are the superb lenses and the extrordinarily good ergonomics. Whether it has a mechanically timed shutter or an electronically timed one is of no consequence, whether it has ap-ae or is used 100% manually is also of no consequence.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), March 12, 2002.

You are seeing the light,ignore the auto people, they do not like anyone who wants to get into the soul of photography.Like lemmings they get upset if everyone does not follow their banal ideas.They will be telling you soon to buy the latest wizz and all your probs in photography will be solved.Bit like that stuff which makes you happy.Or a removal of your frontal lob.

-- allen herbert (allen1@btinternet.com), March 12, 2002.

Buy what you want. What feels most comfortable. If you are getting on the Tech-band wagon, then good for you. At the end of the day, it is all about the photos!

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

Buy what you want. Simple as that. If you need a M7 such as me where constantly changing light conditions are problems, then so be it. A M3 is nice for a solid choice.

No black paint M3 for me. I want blue paint! :D

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

Worry about your photos, not your equipment. Great photographs have been taken with pretty much every kind of camera. All this angst about "which camera" and what may or may not be philosophically wrong with the M7 has nothing to do with photography. It's mainly an exercise in not photographing.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), March 12, 2002.

Wolfgang, it sounds less like you need an M7, and more like you just want to make sure you are not missing anything. I don't think yo are missing anything, even though others may have a use for an M7. The M7 will be there if and when you need one.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), March 12, 2002.