M7, When was MP VF added?

[35mmdelux]

Please advise when was the MP VF added to the M7 and/or what serial number.

Thanks. Paul

[luigi v]

Hi Paul, how are you, long time no speak...

As far as I know, the upgraded MP viewfinder was factory added to the M7 after the 2855XXX

serial number. Almost vertainly, all M7 cameras bearing a serial number from the 2860XXX

and onwards should be factory upgraded.

Regards

Luigi

[stephen_w.]

2885XXX

[jerry_kirkwood]

<i>Please advise when was the MP VF added to the M7</i></p>As soon as all the loyal early-adopters had bought their M7's...in all probability the same as an M8 will appear that doesn't need external IR filters :headbang:

[luigi v]

Stephen is most probably right, 2885XXX...my memory starts failing me...

[35mmdelux]

Thanks all, Luigi.

 

Interesting how these upgrades work. Buy the camera and wallop, upgrade needed! Sort of like selling cars with the wrong tires. Very smooth.

 

Best - Paul

[jerry_pfile3]

Not to worry.... loyal M8 owners will always be adding firm and software upgrades

[pc_b]

Don't worry, Paul, it's really not much of a difference. All M7s got their front glas coated (I

believe on both sides or even the prism front surface, I cannot recall) and this makes

already one heck of a difference as any M6+M7(old, only the coatings) owner will tell you.

I have both a new (added lens) and an old .72x VF and I simply cannot tell the difference -

in just about any light (sunset, stage, floodlight,...).

 

I do have Leicagoodies' "sunglasses" on the cameras, though, which eliminate rangefinder

patch white-out very efficiently.

 

No idea about the effects on the .85x VF. Heard that it was there where the music played.

 

Cheers, Peter

[35mmdelux]

PCB, I've never had any flare problem with any on my M6 Classics (.72). I did have flare issues w/ a M6TTL.85 model I owned and sold.

[vincenzo_maielli]

Thanks to Luigi and Stephen.

Ciao.

[feli]

http://leica.nemeng.com/002bb.shtml

 

Focus Patch flare finally fixed?

 

To help cut down on rangefinder patch flare, all M7 viewfinder windows have a new anti-

reflective coating, which gives them a distinctive purple/blue colour when viewed from

from the front. In practice the new coating only partially solves the patch-flare problem,

with "white-out" still possible under extreme conditions.

 

To silence the whingers, in Sept 2003 Leica started to incorporate the MP "flare-fix" into

its M7 production run. According to Logan Reinwood and Leica Switzerland, the new flare-

free finders can be found in M7s from serial # 2 885 000 onwards. See this Oct 2003 post

at <LUG - v25/msg14704.html> to read Mr Reinwood's exact remarks.

 

A warning before you get too excited about this. According to Seth Rosner, the new M7

finders may not be exactly the same as that in the MP. Again, you can read Mr Rosner's Oct

2003 remarks in full at <LUG - v25/msg14714.html>.

 

Try to keep this in perspective though. Although I can understand the MP and M7 finders

being slightly different (after all the M7 has a LED alphanumeric display the MP does not), I

cannot imagine there is too vast a difference. After all, it would make good economic

sense for Leica to duplicate as much of the viewfinder production as possible (similar to

what they have already done with the ISO dial for these two models).

[stephen_w.]

Like Paul, I've never had a problem with my '84 Classic.