How many have had issues with M7s ?

[tgray]

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I have 2. The older of the two (bought used about 10 yrs ago) developed an issue with the metering/shutter switch assembly a bit ago. DAG just fixed it for me. The other one has had no issues. 

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[theslvrfox]

I purchased a lens today. I really want an m7 but im afraid it wont be able to be repaired at all.... its between an m6 classic and an m7 right now. Im leaning toward taking a chance with the m7 .  All the repair people I called said stay away from the m7 but does anywhere still repair them? I just dont want to get it and have it fail and im out 3,000

[tgray]

FWIW, the M7 repair cost $125.  

[sepiareverb]

Not to be the outlier, but I’ve had 6 M7 bodies over the years, one was a la carte (2nd owner on all of them). The a la carte and my first one (that I still shoot regularly) both had problems with the ISO/DX reader, as well as the ISO dial. Erratic read outs in the VF, skewed ISO and poor exposures when in DX and A shutter setting. Replaced readers, replaced back door, and have been told that dust under the setting wheel is the culprit. Fix is to spin the ISO dial back and forth a few times to get a better connection. Have since sold the a la carte, replaced it with a standard which has been fine.  My first one has visited NJ four times, but has been trouble free for the last five years unless I’m out in extreme cold (NE Vermont, so it is below zero F often in January and February), which I put down to battery woes. I’ve taken to shooting an MP or a Konica Hexar RF on those days.

One of the other bodies had a mechanical problem with the rewind mechanism, not recalling exactly what it was, DAG made it right easily.

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by sepiareverb

[leitna]

i bought a M7 in "perfect" condition. after 1 year the shutter didn't work anymore. Repair was quite expensive, then i sold my M7

[pico]

13 minutes ago, leitna said:

i bought a M7 in "perfect" condition. after 1 year the shutter didn't work anymore. Repair was quite expensive, then i sold my M7

Who would buy a broken M7?

[theslvrfox]

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I bought a mint one...  with mp viewfinder. hoping I dont get to many problems since it was a big investment. leica told me they will still fix them but 3 months without the camera would suck

[tgray]

On 10/27/2019 at 12:14 PM, sepiareverb said:

Not to be the outlier, but I’ve had 6 M7 bodies over the years, one was a la carte (2nd owner on all of them). The a la carte and my first one (that I still shoot regularly) both had problems with the ISO/DX reader, as well as the ISO dial.

Do I own your a la carte now?  I’ve not had any problems. I guess ISO dual has always been fine but the exposure comp dial has always been real stiff. I never use that so it never bothered me. 
 

I got it from NB23 some years ago. 

[Archiver]

On 10/20/2019 at 6:37 AM, otto.f said:

9 years is quite cheap, if you see that most of the LUF-members have renewed their digital M a few times in 12 years, since the release of the M8.

I paid AUD $9300 for my M9 in early 2010, and have taken tens of thousands of images with it, from the mundane bathroom mirror images to wonderful images of travel, family and friends, and for work. At nine years, it has cost about $1000 per year. A big outlay in the beginning, but it's paid off in so many ways, and been relatively inexpensive over time. While my Canon 5D Mark II plus 24-105L cost less than the M9, and I've had it for longer, it hasn't brought me the same kind of use or pleasure, which is surprising. I assume that my M9 will keep chugging for another few years at least, given the longevity of the M8.

[atanas]

HI 

Few months ago my M7 starts having use wih light meter, it start shows up ASA or RSA, D''5 D''7 errrs, also when i touch slightly the shitter button to start metering it shows up all shitter speads from the lowest up to the highest and again, can't choose right speed. 

I change new battery, clean sensors on back of the body still the same.

Somebody else got this problem? is it repairable? 

[ianman]

On 11/6/2019 at 5:37 PM, atanas said:

when i touch slightly the shitter button to start metering it shows up all shitter speads

That doesn't sound good!

[pedaes]

17 minutes ago, ianman said:

That doesn't sound good!

The runs?

[pridbor]

I have an M7 from around 2002, which may not have seen more than a total of 10 or so rolls of film!  I bought it from my Uncle who got it new in Switzerland years ago, hence it has been sitting unused for a long time.

I have a problem with the "Auto" setting on the "Speed Dial"! Most of the time it shows the same 2 "Arrows" and the "Dot", as for all other Shutter Speed settings. 

Now and then I can elicit a digital value in the VF if I apply a slight pressure onto the Shutter Speed Dial, rotational direction that is, but it's a useless setting for me! 

I have just run 2 rolls of film through the Camera and will develop them in the near future to find out if the manual Shutter Speed settings are working, if not …….then I'm up the Creek 😞

Preben

[wattsy]

3 hours ago, pridbor said:

if not …….then I'm up the Creek 😞

Not necessarily. Leica, for many years, have upgraded for free the original mechanical DX system to one that uses optical sensors. They were still doing so as recently as about three years ago (when they upgraded an M7 I bought used) and they may still provide this service. Upgrading the DX system (which involves taking the camera apart and replacing various electronic parts) will almost certainly fix your problematic M7. You certainly have nothing to lose in contacting Leica in Wetzlar.

[theslvrfox]

They still upgrade dx reader free I spoke to them a few days ago 

[Steve Ricoh]

It would be interesting to compare the failure rate (mtbf) for the M7 cf M-P and MA.

Such info might reveal why Leica 'pulled the plug' on the M7, or maybe it was nothing to do with failure rate and more about supply of parts to keep the production line going, whilst at the same time having enough in reserve to fix customer returns.

[jaapv]

Or maybe simply customer demand?

[wattsy]

1 hour ago, jaapv said:

Or maybe simply customer demand?

Yes, I doubt they were selling many M7 bodies in recent years. It hasn't been actively marketed by Leica for many years and was generally listed as an afterthought on the website and the M system catalogues. At £3,500+ new it was, I dare say, a difficult sell with most M film camera buyers gravitating towards the MP and the more recently introduced, M-A. The M7 came out just in time to catch the last few years of mainstream film use and was popular for a time but interest in it quickly waned when the M8 came out and many of those attracted to the advanced features 😀 of the M7 moved over to the digital bodies.

Edited November 13, 2019 by wattsy

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[Matlock]

5 hours ago, Steve Ricoh said:

It would be interesting to compare the failure rate (mtbf) for the M7 cf M-P and MA.

Such info might reveal why Leica 'pulled the plug' on the M7, or maybe it was nothing to do with failure rate and more about supply of parts to keep the production line going, whilst at the same time having enough in reserve to fix customer returns.

The M7 was introduced in 2002 and discontinued in 2018 which is a pretty good run. M7 failures, although they do happen of course, are largely a case of "Forum Myth". I believe that, as wattsy says, it was mainly the move to digital that spelt the end of production as most people who decided to stick with film chose the more traditional style of the MP and M-A. Rather a shame as, in my view, the M7 was probably the best film M ever and is certainly my favourite. Of course YMMV.

[theslvrfox]

Leica told me they will have parts to fix m7 for years to come