Sly remark from Leica Northvale at the Expo

Just back from the PhotoPlus Expo East at the Javits Center in

Manhattan, where I spent the better part of the past three days at

seminars and being sold stuff I don't need. Naturally I spent

some time at the Leica booth, playing with the new toys including

the M7 and some lenses.

While talking to a rep from Leica Northvale NJ, I got to the

differences between the M6TTL and M7 vs. the older bodies,

specifically the shutter speed dial. I told him I use the older

bodies and would want to use any new body alongside these,

and he rolled his eyes and said that he had heard that complaint

a lot over the past few months. A great many folks he's heard

from find the change annoying. He also noted that since the

release of the M7, all M sales are stronger than ever before; but

that enough people have complained about the shutter speed

dial changes on the M6TTL and M7 that (the implication was)

Leica has taken official notice.

So (and here's the juicy bit) he cocked his head to the side and

told me to "Wait. That's all I can say. But wait before you buy a

new body."

Interresting.

Now yes, we've all heard the rumors about a re-released

"classic" on the horizon. And I've heard folks say with assumed

athority that I will never happen- and they may be right. I don't

pretend to know what Leica will do- this is what I was told. And I

got the distinct impression the guy doled out this tid bit, fully

expecting it to be fuel for the rumor mill, so I figured I'd offer it up

for you.

Damn typos- of course, I meant to say IT will never happen...and

yes, I know how to spell authority...

Thanks for posting this Andrew.

Been thinking of trading one of my classic M6 bodies for a TTL

A friend who did said he then traded his other classic for an M6TTL

so he'd turn the shutter speed dial the same way with both

Or maybe it's the 50th Anniversary model? There's got to be *something* released in 2004 to markthe 50th anniversary of the M3, and my guess is that would be an M7 technology in an M3, or M3-lookalike, body.

But I don't know anything, haven't heard anything, etc, etc.

The actual shutter speed setting mechanism in the M6TTL is identical to the Classic. The Classic's shutter dial attaches directly to the speed setting shaft. The TTL's larger shutter dial shaft penetrates the top plate offset to the speed control shaft, and turns it via a gear--which is how the rotational direction was reversed. Therefore it would be entirely within possibilty for Leica to engineer a retrofit for the Classic to upgrade to a TTL-type speed dial (with only a different gearset since the Classic doesn't have the "off" detent). It might be also be possible for Leica to reverse the M7's dial rotation. Then they could sell not only 3 viewfinder magnifications and 2 body colors, but clockwise and counterclockwise shutter dial models as well ;>) But IMO there is virtually no likeihood they'll actually switch M7 production to the reverse rotation because then they'd alienate all the M6TTL users.

Incidentally, while I found it irritating to use an M6 Classic and a TTL together, I don't find it at all a problem to use a TTL or the M7 with my M4. The reason is with the non-metered bodies I don't change shutter speeds with the camera up to my eye so I'm looking at the dial when I use it.