M7 - looking for guidence

[rsolomon]

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i am an R user but want to explore the film rangefinder world, i read many pages of material on the M7. The TTl metering, aperture priority mode, and DX functions are all things i want.

 

So in lookingfor guidence....

 

any advice from others who are used to the reflex world but have embraced the rangefinder world...

 

are there any versions of the M7, i read about and new viewfinder.... but it wasn;t always determined via serial number.... are there significant differences on this ?

 

thanks for your assistance

 

 

rich

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[lambroving]

After #2885xxx will give you the latest finder, but some few after #285xxxx also have it and the box is clearly labelled.

 

M photography is a lot different than R photography. (You will not be looking down a tunnel) Best to start with a 35/2 until you get the hang of it.

[peter_n]

IMO as a long-time SLR user viewfinder framelines are the critical difference between the two types of camera body. Framelines allow you to see what is happening outside the frame of the picture so you can anticipate what is going to happen next inside. Give it time and you will take to the rangefinder. For street type of photography there is still nothing better.

[hamey]

Richard.

 

I am a long time SLR user and I am very happy with my R gear but must confess that I am very impressed with my M7 and the 35mmf2 ASPH.

What I am impressed with, is the ability to hand hold the camera at low light and still get that shot, my Leica R can do it providing they're on a tripod.

 

For years I refused to get one because of it's limited range of Lenses,-light metering,-film loading and of course Focusing,

 

With so much praise on the Leica M from the Forum members of the likes of William Lamb etc, I decided to get a Leica M.

 

So at first I was very unsure about it, but now I am used to it and I have accomodated myself to it, I think you will like the M7, and it will compliment the Leica R very nicely.

 

I am sorry that I never got one years ago, but then the M7 wasn't available back then.

 

Go for it.

 

Ken.

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[Sandokan]

Hi Rich,

 

I agree with the others above - it is different and it is good. The M is very different - I think I put about 10 rolls through the M7 before I was comfortable with it and with the 35 & 75 Summicrons. I now think if I was going for a single lens only, the 50 would have suited me better.

 

I had trouble with:-

focusing (it all seems in focus and so I forget).

lens cap left on camera (when people start laughing - you know)

putting film on spool (stupidity on my part)

 

But for pictures of people and street shots, it is better than the R. What I love the most is the lenses seem so much sharper - but this is probably due to the lower weight than the R and ease of hand holding.

 

Yours

 

Ravi

[rsolomon]

Thanks everyone for the advice.... i will keep you posted and will be asking questions i am sure.

[earleygallery]

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Hi,

 

I was always an SLR user, then bought a lllf because I liked the look of it - my father always liked rangefinders but I didn't really see the benefits. However I later bought an M3 - traded in the SLR - but soon regretted it. At the time I was using tele lenses more often as well as being interested in using filters for effect (Cokin). I also missed my depth of field preview.

 

I wasn't getting the kind of results I wanted and the M3 was replaced by an R3, but I still liked using the lllf for 'snapshots'.

 

My interest these days is more towards street photography and the lllf has been seeing more use than the R3, so I've just bought an M2 to give M photography another go. I like the 35mm lens fov so I going back to the future with this classic combination. Maybe I still won't like it - you can use an SLR for street - but I feel I should try it.

 

Certainly you can work more quickly with a rangefinder, its more discrete in use and of course more compact. Benefits to me are low light use (viewfinder is always bright), uninterrupted view and the point about seeing outside the frame lines although not too much outside the 35mm frames.

 

It is a different type of photography and generally I do tend to take different types of photograph with a rangefinder. I think the only way you will decide is to try it for yourself.

[andybarton]

As you will notice, there is some degree of bias on this forum one way or the other

 

I use both an R8 and an M2, and have no problem with either. It's just making sure that the correct part of the brain is working when you pick up the camera.

 

If you are buying an M7, you must make sure that the vierwfinder is of the correct magnification for the kind of shooting you do, especially if you like to use wides and wear eyeglasses. If you get the choice of magnification wrong, using a 35 will be a very frustrating experience, as you will have to look round the viewfinder to see the edges of the frameline.

 

You will already know that the DMR on an R8/9 gives you the best of both worlds - the use of an SLR (which I prefer) and the inner frameline, which allows you to see what's coming into the shot. (This advantage is overstated, however, IMHO, especially for the kind of shots I routinely do, as is the fact that with no mirror in the way, you can see what you have shot at the exact time that you press the shutter button).

 

However, if you aspire to be a "street shooter", the size and discretion inhererent in an M can be an advantage. For landscapes, there is no advantage at all.

 

You also need to bear in mind that you may as an R-user be being treated as a second-class citizen in the world of Leica.

[stunsworth]

I moved from SLR to rangefinder about 8 or 9 years ago and haven't looked back. The M range gives you a fantastically high quality image in a compact body.

 

Have you thought about getting an M6 rather than and M7? I only ask because although it lacks the M7's AE it is still has a meter and it'll be a cheaper option if you're not sure about whether a rangefinder is for you.

 

As William mentioned a 35mm f2 is a good place to start - either that or a 50mm f2, which again may be a little cheaper. Leica have never made a bad lens in either of these focal lengths/apertures, so there's no need to get too hung up about which vintage of lens you get. In general the newer the lens the 'better' it will be, but even the older ones are superb - and some people prefer them anyway for their optical characteristics.

[simonpg]

After decades of 35mm SLR shooting punctuated by my love of Hasselblad 6x6, I added an M7 to my kit 2 years ago - I have never looked back.

 

In fact I now use my M7 far more often than my (wonderful) Canon EOS 1V HS and L series glass.

 

SLR and rangefinders are not interchangeable as you would be aware of - different horses for different courses. BUT the M optics are fantastic!

 

AE auto-exposure is excellent and adds to the Leica M concept of enabling the photographer to focus his mind on the image.

 

The major decision you will need to make is about the viewfinder's magnification - .58 being the domain of wide angle shooters; .85 being the domain of longer lens shooters; 0.72 being the domain of the general user who does most of his shooting from 35mm to 90mm. Hence, more users select the 0.72 version.

 

Have a look at the Leica web site as it has some pages on selecting viewfinder magnification and examples of the difference they make.