[Leica] Long term M7 satisfaction?

[Steve Barbour]

> On Jan 13, 2015, at 7:38 AM, Mitch Zeissler <zeissler at mac.com> wrote:
> 
> This is to all the M7 users out there.  
> 
> I've been searching high and low online for anecdotes of long term M7 reliability and satisfaction (and I'm talking years, not a few days, weeks, or months).  I know about the early issues with the mechanical DX reader, the switch to the MP viewfinder later in production, etc.  What I'm interested in is whether the M7 is more/same/less reliable than an M6, M6 TTL, or MP, particularly the electronically controlled shutter curtains.  Anytime I read about an M7 issue, it's usually followed by a dog pile of non-M7 users just dragging it through the mud – like it's the modern version of the M5. 
> 
> I've got an M7 and like it, though I've only had it for a few months (it has the optical DX reader [useless for my bulk loaded film] and the MP viewfinder upgrade).  I've also got an MP and like it.  I bought both used in great condition, each at an excellent price, and they both date back to 2002-2004.  
> 
> I recently discovered that my primary hand meter (a Sekonic L-308DC) doesn't measure nearly as well in very low light as the M7 does.  Actually, the hand meter didn't measure anything at all (ISO 50 @ f/1.2), while the M7 gave a reading of 3.5 seconds.  I've since confirmed this repeatedly; once the light gets dim, the M7 begins to really shine and is able to shots I simply cannot obtain with the MP.  I've got other hand meters and have tested them with the same results. 
> 
> Up to this point I've been leaning toward the MP and hand meter combo as my primary camera.  I'm asking because whichever route I go – MP, M7, or the new M-A – I'll want a second body of the same model.  That way I can have a different emulsion in each camera (B+W in one and color in the other), and one body can always be used as a backup whenever the other is being serviced. 
> 
> So based on the low light metering, I'm now flip-flopping on the M7 and whether to rely on it as my main camera.  An M7 would give me all sorts of benefits that the other M bodies would not, but it seems to be treated like the red-headed step-child of the modern M cameras. 
> 
> What is your experience with the M7?


My M7 was my favorite film M camera, I used it all the time for a couple years. So favorite and so dependable that I took only it to Paris , where it irreversibly  jammed three days into the trip. La Maison du Leica said send it to Solms where repair will take some time. On my return to the US I sent it to Solms, they returned it two months later, working fine, no explanation for the problem, the bill was $450. I used it with out problem for a year, then sold it.


Steve



>  Has it had the same level of reliability as the M6 or other M bodies?
> 
> If you don't want an M7 dog pile here, please send me a response privately – either way, I'd like to hear about your long term M7 experience. 
> 
> Mitch Zeissler
> ===
> Website: http://exploratorius.us
> 
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