[Leica] Re: True Story: the M7 was actually meant to be the M6! (or vice versa)

["Emanuel Lowi" <mano@proxyma.net>]

Andrew wrote:

"Saw an English-language advertisement in a Japanese mag the other day.
It was from the Leica Shop in Vienna, with a pic of the M6 prototype.
The caption read "M6 Electronic, with electronic shutter and
R-motordrive [sic], first M6 produced [sic] in 1980."

I don't have access to a scanner but will describe the camera the best
that I can: it's black, about the same size as a production M6/M7 but
with squared off corners, complete with the metering patch.  (However,
the patch looked like it was angled towards the bottom of the
pitch-black "lens chamber".  Looking at the pic, it was unknown
whether the patch was painted on the shutter or propped up by a
mechanical arm like the CL.)  The shutter release button was in the
centre of the shutter speed dial which featured an "A" setting plus
some marking that read like "X".  (Too bad the actual sync speed could
not be gleaned from the pic.)  The film advance lever was closer to
the left edge (front view) than production models and the rewind crank
was almost horizonal.  The finder frame selection lever was,
curiously, in M3/M2 style.  There was no self-timer, battery cover or
rewind lever at the usual locations.  An orange LED (self-timer?) sat
on the top front surface of the body, near the left edge (front view)
of the hot shoe.  Seemed to have TTL flash also, because it looked
like there were 2 small contacts near the back edge of the hot shoe.
Finder and rangefinder windows were the M4-2/P type.  "Leica M6" was
engraved between the rangefinder/frame illuminator windows. There was
also a red Leitz paper dot on the left (front view).

The "motordrive" looked more like a winder, lacking a hand-grip.
Settings of "1, 2, 4" are clearly visible at the front.
Interestingly, the drive obviously had an extension replacing the
camera back, in the style of the Nikon F motor drive.  More than
likely the camera did not have bottom loading but a removable,
probably swung-open back.  Unlike production models from M4-2/P
onwards, the lower front edge of the camera did not look like it had
the bottom plate removed when a motor is attached.

Now we know the M7 is literally 20 years overdue.  One cannot help but
wonder why the 1980 model did not make it into production, even in
2002.  Clearly the cosmetic differences are minor - more than anything
else they were meant to distinguish a revolutionary new model from the
old ones.  For the M7, Leica could well have kept the traditional
shape while maintaining features from the 1980 prototype like a
swing-open back and a (probably) faster real sync speed, the lack of
which disappointing many a Leica-phile (including yours truly) and
causing their reluctance to upgrade."

The camera you saw in the Japanese ad is well-known to devoted Leica cognoscenti. It
was based on R4 innards but with an M rangefinder plunked on top. Those guts may have
something to do with the peculiar outer dimensions. Times were tough for Leica's M
camera program in those days and for some reason the project died then. I agree it
looks quite neat though and, if it had been made, would have forever altered the
marque's history.

Emanuel Lowi
Montreal
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