Leica M7 (2002–2018)

Name: Leica M7
Brand: Leica

A 35mm rangefinder system camera with electronic TTL metering and aperture-priority automation, produced by Leica AG in Germany.

Overview

The Leica M7 is a manual-focus, 35mm full-frame rangefinder camera. Leica AG introduced it in February 2002 at the Florida PMA show. It has aperture-priority auto exposure and keeps full manual control, so you get traditional handling with electronic shutter control. Leica discontinued it in 2018.

The M7 has a quiet electromagnetic shutter and handles very well in AE mode. It has been described as “like a Digital M But Film” and “Leica's best RealRaw camera.” It takes M-mount lenses and reads DX-coded film for automatic ISO recognition.

Specifications

Product type	35mm rangefinder system camera
Production years	Introduced February 2002, discontinued 2018
Shutter	Electronically controlled shutter with mechanical backup at 1/60 and 1/125 sec
Exposure modes	Manual and aperture-priority auto exposure
Light metering	Electronic TTL metering, DX-coded film support
Metering range	0.03 to 125000 cd/m² (at ISO 100/21°)
Viewfinder magnification	0.72x
Battery	2x CR1/3N 3V or 4x LR44
Film rewind	Rewind crank operated after turning R lever on front
Lens mount	M-Mount
Country of manufacture	Germany

Design

The shutter is electromagnetic, a big change from the earlier mechanical models. It is notably quiet, described as just a slight “shwoop” when it fires.

Context

The M7 is considered a follow-up to the Leica M6 Its discontinuation in 2018 was seen as closing a chapter that began with the M3 in 1954.

Reception

Users praise the handling, particularly in aperture-priority mode, and call it “wonderful” and “very easy to use.” It has been favorably compared to the CLE and Zeiss Ikon, and is associated with the sentiment “film is not dead.”