Divorce from my M7

[knut_schwinzer]

Hi everybody, I?m wondering if it is worth to start a thread,

it?s just my humble experience.

In 2003 I bought a slightly used M7 (only 6 month dealer?s warranty)

And I was delightet with its AE, AE lock and VF-readout. No doubt,

knowing the M6-semispot-measurement, you can?t go much wrong. (I?m

using M?s since almost 20 years:M2,M3,M4-2,M4-P,M6...)

 

The headline might be wrong, ?cause in fact I never really did get

married to her...

 

Here?s why, some of this topics are nothing new to you all, now I

replaced it (M6 classic) happily shooting like always with a hint of

anticipacion (light-wise) - though missing AE some-times!

 

Cheers, good light, Knut

 

-slippy, cheap vinyl-covering

 

-TTL on a Leica = not appriciated

 

-lensmount srews loosened

 

-black paint of bottomplate went of with my fingernail

 

-DX counterproductive- who shoots with nominal speed?!

(red dot blinking, camera-shaking to take out the roll...)

 

-Vinyl coming off the body in the corners of the back

(normal wear-friction)

 

-manual times (60,125) with a much later trigger action

 

-shutter dial not sturdy enough, in exchange nonsense

exposure override with a good lock...

 

-the famous dusty VF, more dim and yellowish than my other M?s,

despite of his improved :

 

-VF-coating: not easy as before to get fingerprints wiped off

 

-battery cap mount not trustworthy, bat. consumption

 

-once topplate loosened

 

-rewind lever came up many times before rewinding entirely

 

 

So, that?s my way through owning an M7 for one and a half years.

[seb v.]

Maybe you should have bought new. Who knows what might have happened to the camera

in the short time between the factory and you? Have others here have had such poor

experiences with their M7s? How many times did you drop it? It seems you have had every

single individual 'bug' associated with this model all in the one camera.

[ben z]

It sounds like your M7 may have been slightly _abused_ before you got it. It's good that you got rid of it and replaced it with something you like. I did likewise with my MP, and in fact I was able to buy not one but two M6 Classics _plus_ a Voitlander 28/1.9 with the money I got back. However,

 

"-slippy, cheap vinyl-covering" is the same as the M6,

 

"-rewind lever came up many times before rewinding entirely" is also the same like the M6.

 

Finally, "-black paint of bottomplate went of with my fingernail" was yours an a la carte, because the M7 isn't standard in black paint.

[wmwhee]

What an extraordinary camera! I have experienced no problems with my M7 since I bought it on the used market almost a year ago. Have you spoken with a Leica representative about your concerns with the camera? And? Just curious. Like SEB V., I feel as though I am missing some part of the story.

[brambor]

It would be interesting to hear from the chap that bought the M7 from you. Will the buyer be happy with it or not?

[eliot_rosen1]

Good one, Frank.

[rj]

Thats a whole lot of bugs for one camera, sounds like a Jeep cherokee I once had. I owned it for six months after buying it used. It was in the shop for five of the months I had it for several major and minor problems. I learned to be a mechanic on that piece.

[jipiris]

Hi Knut. All together it sounds depressive. I've been waiting for years since I've got my M7 (black as yours) brand new and I was married with it just before leaving the store. After a few rolls, I'm convinced that it has been the start of a really-long friendship.

 

Comparing it with all the last-minute technology I've got in my Pro DSLR's I find it really amazing the way that the M7 works. And it works well.

 

This brand's legend has not grown-up with units like yours. I would be really furious and would contact Leica in Germany.

 

Best wishes

José I

[jim_bennet]

Just some bad eye-of-knut.

[Rob F.]

Well, my M7 and I are living together, and so far it looks like a good match. We are bonding.

[feli]

Sounds like you got a dud. I use mine heavily and haven't experienced 90% of the issues you

mention.

 

 

feli

[b2 -]

What a sad sad sad tail. Did I ever tell you that in my other life, I was a camera relationship counselor? I patched up more people with cameras that just went south for no reason at all. Be it an old Kodak Disk, a Crown Graphic, a Canon EF, I have made their relationships with their owners solid again. If you want to save your beautiful M7, you need to give her up. No not sell her back to that bad bad bad camera broker (will they ever learn, you can now own a camera, you must respect them, become one??). I will give her a home, treat her with respect and work with her every week. Building her self-esteem back up, trying to get her to what it was when she came from the factory.

 

It will be a lot of hard work, miles of film, but if you truly ever loved her, you will send her to me. It will take the burden upon myself to pay for her shipping, all of the film I use and all of the batteries. I will share pictures that we take with you and the other readers.

 

I promised my wife that I would take in another camera stray, but she sounds like the challenge of a lifetime. I will give up my dream of becoming an amateur dry cleaner (the ones that the labels on your suits warn you about) and go back to my calling.

 

Digital Devil Be GONE!!!!

 

It?s sad to say that I do not think she will ever be able to be held by you again, but this is what?s best for both of us (me and her).

 

Let me know when I can expect her, I will up a strong camera bag for her.

 

B2 (;->

[knut_schwinzer]

Hi out there,

I'm sorry to have made some of you feel sad...

I'm not trying any Leica-bashing, for me these are the finest 35mm

tools ever, and, (Eiot!), I'm not Frank G., didn't you see I wasn't

listing the CL?

Since 5 years I'm living in Barcelona, earning and spending my money with photography, and since one year I'm happy visitor of this forum.

Sorry for my popsong-pidgin-but my mothertongue is german.

(Ben Z!)

-The vinyl of my classic M6 is of much finer structure, don't know about M6TTL

-My M7 was silver, the black paint that came off was inside of the

bottomplate!

 

My M7 never was a box of bugs, it never disappointed me, but it just didn't feel right to me.

 

Nobody tried the manual speeds? The later trigger action of the mechanical times (60, 125) seems to be a common issue on M7s (tried two more with the same feel of too late action)Any comments?

 

And the DX, I repeat, for me a truly unnessesary feature, on top creating unconviniences( unloading; and if you rate, lets say TRI-X at 250asa,the red dot never will warn you to reset a given incident light compensation of, say,+1, just because it already always blinks for the first reason of setting ASA manually, so you learn to ignore this little helper completly, right?

 

Cheers, Good light, Knut

[b2 -]

Knut,

 

Photography is a very unusual form of art (expression) that seems to blend technology, feeling and lots of different tools. I've never used the M7, never wanted to. Very happy with my M4-P and M6, even happier with my Bessa T, Bessa L and of late my Nikon S2.

 

If the camera does not feel right to you, it is not the right tool for you, end of story. I do not think that too many folks here would disagree with that statement. To me, there truly is a different feeling of holding a good M camera, even vs. a Nikon F2 or Canon EF. The M feels like it is an extension of my hand. My other cameras do not feel the same. The T with a trigger winder feels good, the L for a carry everywhere camera is fine, the S2 and I are still getting used to each other (need to try an AR-1 on her yet).

 

You do seem to have the first Lemon colored M7 I have heard of. My guess is it may have been used as a hockey puck before you got her.

 

Do try and take it back to the dealer. The best thing is that M6 bodies (not ttl) are at an all time low in cost and you should be able to get a great one for what you paid, with some left over for a Bessa L and a 15mm CV.

 

B2 (;->