so the M7 off button is great because you can leave the shutter cocked and turn it off and not worry about accidentally tripping the shutter when you have the camera in a bag, etc. but, i was wondering what if you don't cock the shutter and don't turn it off? is the meter still working and using battery? with the shutter not cocked, the meter LEDs do not light up but i am not sure if any power is being used in this state or not.

-- Tristan (emulsion71@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

According to our manual for the M7, the Off position shuts off the power, regardless of whether the shutter is cocked, or not. If the shutter is cocked, you'll see the shutter readings two seconds after switching ON, If the shutter is not cocked, you won't see a reading until you cock the shutter.

-- George C. Berger (gberger@his.com), May 02, 2002.

Yes but does leaving the camera on with the shutter not cocked actually leave the meter on? It seems like they could have made the wind on lever also function as the on off switch.

-- Tristan Tom (emulsion71@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Thank G-d they didn't make the shutter advance the on/off switch as well! I suffered with this design many years ago with the Nikon F2. Never again!

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), May 02, 2002.

If the M7 is anything like the M6 or the M6TTL, current will be drawn from the batteries if there is any pressure on the shutter release unless the camera is switched off and this applies whether or not the shutter is cocked. For that reason, you should switch it off when storing the camera in a bag but there is no need to do so in between shots.

It would be really dumb to use the film advance lever as the on/off switch in an M camera IMHO, because it would make operation with the Motor-M unwieldy.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), May 02, 2002.

Albert,
Interesting statement. It really shows how difficult it must be to make a "perfect" camera. During 20+ years of using a Nikon FE, I have never drained a battery because of this IMO brilliant and very intuitive way of shutting the meter on and off.
I understand that especially left-eye-dominant people would hate it. Would that be your reason?


-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), May 03, 2002.

The SL uses the advance lever as an on-off switch - pulled out it is on and when it is pushed in it is off. Works very well.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.