New: Leica M7

February 25 – 27, 2002--Leica Camera AG, Solms is pleased to introduce the latest camera in the legendary Leica “M Series,” the LEICA M7, a new rangefinder system camera with aperture priority, automatic exposure and a host of improved features and functions. On display at the PMA international Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, February 24 – 27, 2002, the LEICA M7 offers enhanced operation speed and greater convenience. These new functions have been smoothly integrated into the classic Leica M camera concept. Leica's unique rubber-cloth focal-plane shutter with vibration-free and whisper-quiet action has been improved, and is now electronically controlled in the M7. The size, shape and the renowned operation concept of the LEICA M6 have all been fully adopted in the M7. And because Leica is committed to its customers, virtually all system components of the predecessor models in the M Series –- including the lenses -- can still be used on the M7."The M photography experience with the LEICA M7 is surprisingly new and at the same time familiar“, says Stefan Daniel, Head of Product Management at Leica Camera AG, who notes that the design of the camera reconciles two conflicting customer demands. “Some customers said, ‘Keep the camera just as it is.’ Others said, ‘Modern automatic exposure time control.’ I believe we have been able to do both.“

"LEICA M cameras are the products of years of ongoing development and refinement, and each is made intricately by hand. Automatic exposure time control is certainly not a technical innovation. But to incorporate it into a LEICA M without destroying the camera's soul was a great challenge,“ adds Otto Domes, manager of the LEICA M7 development project. More than 350 newly designed or modified components are built into the camera. “In the fast changing world of products and cameras it's quite unusual to be spending so much effort on developing a concept that is, in fact, nearly 50 years old. The high stability of the camera's value and the unique system compatibility over decades are the reward for our customers,“ says Domes.

The Leica M system is closely associated with the names of famous photographers of our times and has direct traditional links to the UR-LEICA of 1914, which paved the way for modern 35mm photography. Model by model, improvements were made, such as interchangeable lenses and the rangefinder, which are now integral parts of the M tradition. A far-reaching step was taken with the introduction of the Leica M bayonet in 1954, which enhanced convenience and speed. The LEICA M6 - which will remain in Leica's product range as a fully mechanical alternative -- was launched in 1984 and today is the most important product of the Leica Camera Group. A major contribution to the success of the camera system was made with the introduction of a whole series of innovative lenses, which together form a complete high performance range for all photographic applications of the Leica M Series rangefinder system.

Leica M cameras concentrate on the essential photographic parameters. They embody the ultimate in both mechanical and optical precision and put the skills of the photographer -- not the features of the camera -- in the foreground. They are mainly used for press photography, courtroom photography (because of their whisper-quiet operation), available light pictures and all other areas of discreet, artistic and aesthetic image composition.

Automatic exposure time control -- In addition to the usual manual shutter speed setting, the LEICA M7 features a convenient stepless electronic automatic exposure time control with memory on the shutter release button.

After selection of the aperture, it calculates the right exposure time. Even long exposures of up to 32 seconds are possible. Besides added convenience, the automatic exposure time control enables even more spontaneity. “Leica M photography has formed my own personal photographic style, which I can now express even more quickly with the new LEICA M7,“ confirms Danish photographer Claus Bjørn Larsen. As one of the LEICA M7's first field testers, the winner of the World Press Photo Award 2000 tried out the camera in Uganda and Serbia. For him it is “the ideal photographic tool in the world's trouble spots.“

Shutter -- The cloth focal-plane shutter of all Leica M cameras was completely revised for the LEICA M7 and fitted with electronic shutter speed control. Two mechanically controlled shutter speeds of 1/60 and 1/125 second guarantee that the camera is ready for action even if the batteries fail. Despite the electronic control, the delay in triggering the shutter is only 12 milliseconds, far shorter than with an ordinary SLR camera. This is a key advantage for capturing the “magic moment,“ which is so characteristic of outstanding photography. Another important feature of Leica M cameras -- the vibration-free and whisper-quiet shutter release -- has also been fully retained.

Viewfinder display -- The 33-segment viewfinder display, unique for a rangefinder camera, has been devised on a microscopically small area of 0.7 x 2.3 mm. Magnified 15 times in the viewfinder, it presents all the information, at a glance and in an optimal position, that is required for a successful exposure. In automatic mode the LED’s indicate the shutter speed; in manual mode the proven and successful light balance has been retained. For longer exposures, the remaining exposure time is counted backward in seconds. For “bulb” exposures (B) the seconds of the exposure time are counted forward. When the camera is switched on, the film speed setting is indicated for two seconds. A flash symbol indicates the readiness and the success of the flash function. The brightness of the display adapts automatically to ambient light, guaranteeing optimum visibility in conditions ranging from bright sunlight to available light photography.

DX coding -- In the LEICA M7, the film speed is no longer just set manually, but can also be set automatically via the DX coding option. For exposure corrections in automatic mode there is an override of +/- two stops which is set on the film speed dial on the back of the camera.

Flash -- Apart from the TTL (Through the Lens) flash exposure metering familiar from the LEICA M6 TTL, the LEICA M7 offers far more potential for flash photography. With a high-speed synchronisation (HSS) function, flash sync speeds as fast as 1/1000 second are possible. By triggering several flashes in extremely quick succession, homogeneous illumination is obtained, although the window of the moving shutter is not fully opened from 1/60 of a second. HSS flash can also be used to brighten up subjects in daylight. Here, exposure and flash settings are made by hand. Also, flash synchronization can also be switched to the second shutter curtain. This gives a natural impression of movement in long exposures of moving objects using fill-in flash. Both flash functions are available with the specially equipped Metz flash unit 54 MZ3.

Rangefinder system -- The high-precision rangefinder system of Leica M cameras is used in the LEICA M7 as well. The finder windows are covered with scratch-resistant multi-layer coating to enhance contrast and brightness. Unlike SLR systems, in which distance measurement through the lens is determined by focal length and lens speed, the measurement base in the rangefinder of the LEICA M7 always remains the same size irrespective of the lens in use. For this reason, its precision is distinctly superior to that of SLR cameras, particularly at short focal lengths. The split- and coincident-image rangefinder enables fast and point-accurate focusing in general.

Exposure metering -- Just like the LEICA M6 TTL, the selective exposure metering of the LEICA M7 yields precise results even for back lit photography, spotlight illumination or glancing side light, which lead to different colors, brightnesses and contrasts. The metering function is switched on by light pressure on the shutter release button. Via a collector lens, a photodiode measures the light reflected from a white patch on the shutter curtain. Thanks to its extraordinary sensitivity, this measurement method can even by used in candlelight. Together with the automatic exposure time control, it leads to excellent exposures in practically any conditions.

Mechanisms -- The two main features of the mechanisms of the camera are high precision and reliability. Only high quality materials are used. The top cap and base plate of the LEICA M7 are made of solid brass. The camera body consists of lightweight but tough diecast aluminium.

For the first time, the separate on/off switch of the LEICA M7 on the shutter release button effectively prevents inadvertent activation of the exposure function. By 'parking' the camera with any chosen exposure time or selecting the automatic mode, the camera is more quickly ready for action after it has been switched on.

The LEICA M7 will be on sale at authorized Leica dealers beginning in March 2002. The LEICA M7 is available in four different versions: three black models with viewfinder magnifications 0.72x, 0.58x and 0.85x and a silver-chromed version with 0.72x viewfinder magnification.

LEICA M7 Technical Data

Camera type: Compact 35 mm rangefinder system camera with electronically controlled shutter plus two mechanically controlled shutter speeds

Lenses: Leica M lenses with focal lengths from 21 to 135 mm

Viewfinder principle: Large, bright combined range- and viewfinder with bright-line frames and automatic parallax compensation. Eyepiece corrected for –0.5 diopter. Correction lenses from –3 to +3 diopters are available. Bright-line frames are activated in pairs: 28 and 90 mm (90 mm by itself in the Leica M7 0.85) 35 and 135 mm ( 35 by itself in the Leica M7 0.58) and 50 and 75 mm. The respective bright-line frames are activated automatically when a lens is locked in place. Any desired frame can be previewed by means of the preview lever.

Parallax compensation: The horizontal and the vertical differences between the views covered by the lens and by the viewfinder are automatically corrected as the lens is focused, i.e. the bright-line frame in the viewfinder covers the same segment of the subject that the lens does.

Rangefinder: Split- and coincident-image rangefinder within a bright field in the center of the viewfinder image.

Effective measurement LEICA M7 0.58: 40.2 mm / LEICA M7 0.72: 49.9 mm / base: LEICA M7 0.85: 58.9 mm

Exposure metering: Selective through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering at working aperture. Center-weighted integral TTL metering for flash exposures with dedicated SCA 300 standard flash units.

Measurement principle: The camera measures the light reflected by a white spot in the center of the first shutter curtain. This spot has a diameter of 12 mm and covers approx. 13% of the full film format.

Metering range: (at ISO 100/21° and f/1) from 0.03 cd/qm to 125000 cd/qm. In terms of exposure values, this corresponds to EV-2 to EV-20 or 4 seconds at f/1 to 1/1000 second at f/32. The left triangular LED of the light balance in the viewfinder flashes when the reflected brightness is below the camera´s metering range.

Film speed range: Choice of automatic film speed setting with DX-coded film cartridges from ISO 25/15° to ISO 5000/38° or manual setting from ISO 6/9° to ISO 6400/39°. By means of the exposure override (+/- 2 EV), films with speeds ranging from ISO 1.5/3° to ISO 25000/45° can be used.

Exposure modes: Choice of automatic control of the shutter speed – with corresponding digital display – at a pre-selected f-stop (aperture-priority automatic exposure) or manual setting of shutter speed and f-stop in accordance with the LED light balance in the viewfinder.

Flash exposure Flash unit connection by means of the accessory shoe with central and control: control contacts (hot shoe), or via the standard flash connector socket. Synchronization: Can be switched to either the first or the second shutter curtain (with an appropriate flash unit and a SCA 3502 adapter). Flash sync. speed 1/50 second, set automatically in AUTO mode; slower shutter speeds can be used with manual settings; faster shutter speeds ( 1/250s, 1/500s, 1/1000s) can be used with manual settings if the flash unit being used offers the "High Speed Synchronization" function with an SCA-3502 Adapter. Flash exposure metering (with an SCA-3501/3502 adapter, or standard SCA- 3000 flash unit such as the LEICA SF20) TTL control with center-weighted integral metering. Film speed range for TTL flash exposure metering ISO 12/12° to ISO 3200/36° Displays when flash is being used: Readiness: The flash LED remains lit or it temporarily flashes rapidly after the exposure. Under-exposure is indicated by a temporary extinction of the LED.

Viewfinder displays LED symbol for flash status. Four-digit, seven-segment LED dig. display; (along lower edge): brightness adapts automatically to ambient light conditions; with decimal point as well as a point above it for the indication of film speed; warning of exposure corrections of the automatically set shutter speed in automatic mode; indication of the use of a stored exposure setting; warnings of brightness readings below or above the camera´s measuring range in automatic mode. LED light balance with two triangular and a central round LED in the manual exposure control mode.

Shutter and shutter Horizontal-action, rubber-cloth focal plane shutter. Extremely quiet. release: Controlled electronically plus two mechanically-set shutter speeds: 1/60s and 1/125 s. Shutter speeds stepless from 32s to 1/1000s in the "AUTO" automatic shutter speed control mode. In the manual mode, from 4s to 1-1000s in full steps, plus "B" for time exposures of any length. Flash sync. speed 1/50s. Three-stage shutter release: Energizing – Metered exposure value storage (in automatic mode) – Release. Release button has an integrated thread for standard cable releases.

Film transport: Manual advance with quick-wind lever or motorized using LEICA MOTOR-M. Manual rewind with rewind lever after turning the lever to "R" on the front of the camera. Frame counter on the top of the camera. Resets automatically on removal of base plate.

Camera body: Enclosed all-metal body with hinged back. Brass top plate and base plate, both chromium plated in black or silver. Tripod thread A ¼ (1/4") DIN in base plate.

Operating voltage: 6 V, powered by 2 lithium cells, type "DL 1/3N". Battery check shown by flashing of the LEDs in the digital display or the light balance or by illumination of the “bc“ display or LEDs going out

Dimensions: 138 mm x 79.5 mm x 38 mm

Weight: 610g (without batteries)

Order nos.: 0.72x black (10 503) / 0.58x black (10 501) / 0.85x black (10 505) / 0.72x silver (10 504)

SOURCE Leica