Leica à la carte M7 top plate not an option for upgrading existing M7?

[AnakChan]

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I'm going through re-vamping/refurbishing my M7 (getting it engraved, leather re-wrapped, MP-styled winder, fame selector, lens release), and asked if I could switch to the à la carte M7 top plate without the logo. It seems that is not available for existing M7 upgrades, but only for new à la carte M7 purchases, or at least this is what I'm told by the local Leica store.

 

Has anyone successfully gotten Solms to upgrade their standard M7 top to a non-logo à la carte top plate?

[PCR]

Hello, it would cost about 360€ the last time i asked Leica.

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[AnakChan]

PCR,

 

Thank you for your reply. Oh so the Leica dealer you talked to did allow swapping of an existing M7 top plate with an à la carte version. Which Leica dealer was that?? Cos my Leica dealer informs me Solms says "No".

[madNbad]

 It is best if you contact Customer Service at the headquarters in Wetzlar.  You can access a repair form through the Leica website and send them a request for information about what you have in mind for changes and upgrades.  They will also give you a price quote which may determine if you still want the changes.

[AnakChan]

Cheers. I never thought of going to Leica directly and thought I had to go through the local distributor. My camera's with Leica already. I'll dig up my serial number and may reach out to their HQ in Wetzlar directly.

 

Thks.

[AnakChan]

Just a follow up on this. Thank you for the tip guys. After contacting Wetzlar directly the option is available. I hooked up my Leica Ginza contact to the chap in Wetlzar and all is good now. Thank you!

[McGirton]

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I am very interested in this, so you can indeed get the M7 top plate replaced by another one directly in Wetzlar? I want the top plate without any engravings / logos and maybe the M3 winder. Did they state a price? 

[AnakChan]

I'm having mine done via Leica Ginza who's sending it to Wetzlar. Initially Leica Ginza said it couldn't be done. As recommended by others here on the thread, I contacted Wetzlar directly. When they confirmed it could be done, I reached out to Leica Ginza again (since I had already sent my camera to them for other work to be done). Note that the pricing I'm providing below are Leica Ginza's pricing (they cover shipping + insurance, import/export taxes, their management fees, etc.) Japan GST incl :-

¥71,280 - plain (non logo) top plate

¥64,800 - engraving
¥87,480 - re-leather

¥36,720 - M3 (MP?) styled winder, lens lock/release, frame selector

[McGirton]

Thanks for the info! I contacted the technician I had contact to in the past and will see what the prices are when I send my M7 in directly and in euros.

[philipus]

Would be interesting to see how it looks when done.

 

 

I'm having mine done via Leica Ginza who's sending it to Wetzlar. Initially Leica Ginza said it couldn't be done. As recommended by others here on the thread, I contacted Wetzlar directly. When they confirmed it could be done, I reached out to Leica Ginza again (since I had already sent my camera to them for other work to be done). Note that the pricing I'm providing below are Leica Ginza's pricing (they cover shipping + insurance, import/export taxes, their management fees, etc.) Japan GST incl :-

¥71,280 - plain (non logo) top plate

¥64,800 - engraving
¥87,480 - re-leather

¥36,720 - M3 (MP?) styled winder, lens lock/release, frame selector

[McGirton]

Mine is in Wetzlar since 7 days being rebuild. Will post pics once it's back. The technician I talked to said it will take a maximum of 8 weeks.

[Ah_J]

re-leather costs more than engraving ???   

[semi-ambivalent]

re-leather costs more than engraving ???   

Maybe it's the 're-' part; hand-labor intensive. Engraving is probably just some CNC-ing in a jig. (Yeah, that's an over-simplification.)

 

s-a

[McGirton]

Yes, re-leathering isn't as easy as it sounds.

[AnakChan]

A little update to this thread. I finally got my M7 back from Solms...it was around 5-6 months. The work cost me ¥260,280 (USD$2188) for the engraving, top-plate replacement, MP-styled levers, re-leather, DX reading to optical (this is free). Somewhat pricey but I'm very happy with the workmanship. This is dedicated to my dad who passed last year, so I had his signature engraved.

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[rirakuma]

Beautiful, it looks unique with the signature but those costs sure is an eye opener

[AnakChan]

Thanks . I would never do this on a digital Leica. I gathered that although the M7 isn't necessarily the most popular of the film series, it was a keeper in my Leica collection - so may as well engrave on that one which can be a hand-me-down to my kids and hopefully they'll remember their grandfather.

Leica Japan is a shocker. I think if I had done this in Solms directly it would have been cheaper. However, Leica Japan doesn't just broker the work done but handled the shipment, taxes, etc.

[pinchers of peril]

Wow that looks great!  What an awesome way to honor your dad.  That camera is going to be something really special to be passed down each generation.

[Guest]

I'm usually not into signatures on cameras, but your's is so beutifully done, both in looks and with the story behind.  A good way to remember your father.

 

Quick question:  Where did the serial number disappear off to?  When I had the top plate changed on my then black chrome M7, they kept the serial number on the hot shoe.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[wattsy]

Quick question:  Where did the serial number disappear off to? 

 

Photoshopped out, I'd imagine.