Re: What would an M7 have?

["Craig W. Shier" <shier@mail1.mnsinc.com>]

I'd like to see the viewfinder zoom from 21 to 135 according to lens instead
of the brightlines (This might be almost impossible with rangefinder.)
Standard filmloading might be nice but not at the expense of larger body size. 

Modern electronics might allow a couple of indicators but should not be used
to automate the camera in any sense. (Batteryless operation is a must keep
feature.)   
One possibility is a true spotmeter. I also think it might be possible to
build in a focus indicator into the viewfinder (which could assist in
focusing longer lenses and in critical focusing of the 75 and 90s at full
aperture where recent posts indicated that DOF is less than the minimum
focusing error).

Autoexposure of any kind would be unnecessary IMHO.

Bottom line:don't add anything if it makes it bigger or noisier.

However, if Leica went with an auto RF and still maintained a manual version
(a la R8, R6.2) a few more customers might be attracted.

On the other hand, how about a digital filmback with electronic sampling,
instead of a mechanical shutter, for absolutely silent operation.  The only
moving part would be the shutter release itself.

At 08:16 AM 11/13/96 -0800, you wrote:
>Someone mentioned a successor to the M6 recently. What would you want in
>an M7? Standard camera back for easier film loading? Aperture priority
>exposure mode? Variable field-of-view frames? Would you change the body
>shape (techno-ergo) or the viewfinder (zoom to focal length)? Would it
>actually be a worthy successor with an electronically controlled
>shutter?
>
>Just trying to stir up trouble....
>
>Chris Hoover
>cdhoover@pacbell.net
>
>