Anyone know when we can expect to see this version of the M7 on shelves? Thanks.

-- William (wmc@po.cwru.edu), March 26, 2002

Answers

i was told that usa distribution of the .72 silver chrome and the .58, .85 black chrome is about six weeks away.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), March 26, 2002.

I gust received ny black M7 .72........ohhhhhhhh, my girfriend is going to hate that I now have to buy her a Cubic Zarconium ring!

-- Anam Alpenia (aalpenia@dasar.com), March 26, 2002.

if you are going to buy one consider buying it from Hong Kong I just got mine from there and paid 1950 USD for .72 black M7

-- rene (gwailoo@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

Anam, you should pick up the latest copy of National Geographic (or maybe it was the last one before that), anyways, it has an article on Diamonds, and it looks like you can get man made diamonds that look and feel the same as real diamonds unless looked at through ultraviolet lights (it acatully is compressed carbon with the same density of real diamonds). You should be able to get a real "man made" diamond for half the price of a real "million year earth made" diamond. Only true specialists can tell the difference (those trained by deBeers to keep deBeers as the monopoly going) since they are in fact the same chemicals and density. Also, the whole "a girl gets a big diamond engagement ring" is something entirely created by the diamond industry to boost sales. 100 years ago this was the exception and not the norm.

Be a rebel and get her a lens instead =)

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.

I'm with Marc, diamonds are a horrible confidence trick and a terrible waste of money.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

Sorry, I meant Matthew

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

They're all over ebay. Seen them from sellers in the States, HK, Holland and Germany....they're out there if you want one.

-Duncan

-- Duncan (pilot@aviationmission.com), March 30, 2002.

There are a small number of M7 black at official Leica dealers in the USA. The price is $ 2350 for camera with USA passport warranty. They are less expensive in Europe and HK because the passport (which is a 3 year no fault insurance policy against anything except theft and fire) for better or worse is only offered in the USA. The USA passport warranty adds at least $ 300-400 to the price of a new camera or lens.

Eventually, gray market M7s will become available in the USA, and the camera will cost several hundreds of dollars less gray. But for the time being, you can only get the M7 with USA warranty here.

As far as M7 chrome, the plans are to release an 0.72 version in chrome, but it will not be available for a while. Chrome significantly undersells compared with black, and right now there are no plans to issue chrome M7s with 0.58 and 0.85 VFs. However, I would assume if the M7 sells well enough, they will bring out chrome M7s with 0.58 and 0.85 magnification. Leica is being cautious because they are not really absolutely certain about how M users will take to the M7 automation, limited though it is.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 30, 2002.