Leica M7 Rangefinder

Can Leica perform for you?

Product

Leica M7 35mm Rangefinder Camera

Promise

A modern classic that still delivers – that’s Leica’s selling point for the M7. But is it really relevant to the modern photographer?

Performance

WideWorld photographers, we like to believe, come in two breeds. Static types like to compose, arrange and wait for the perfect shot. Action types like to leap in, shoot like crazy and snatch the best photo they can from the mayhem.

With a camera like the Leica M7, the former camp is well represented. Such a  precious piece of engineering deserves respect, after all. But we believe that the latter camp, the Steve Irwins of the snapping world, can also gain from the control and discipline that shooting with an M7 offers.

The science part goes like this: it’s a fully manual film camera with a versatile exposure mode that gives you the best chance of using flash and composition properly. There’s a handy, continuously variable aperture priority mode that gives you much faster reaction times to compose and shoot too. An extra user-friendly feature that stands apart from other rangefinder cameras is the complete display inside the viewfinder, allowing you to judge your shot by the settings you’ve selected without moving your eye away from the camera.

All these add up to a camera that’s easier than you think to operate. Sure, there’s details that would perplex you if all you’ve ever done is flick a digital camera to ‘auto’, but these are very rewarding if you put the time in to read the manual and play around.

The results are magnificent once the basics have been mastered: rich colours and textures, incredible light effects – and of course the satisfaction of knowing it’s you and not a computer that’s achieved them.

Two large factors decide it: weight and price. The M7 is a pretty weighty model, and larger than you’d think. While the solid handling gives you stability and strength, the more mobile-minded might run in terror from the extra carrying it involves. The price? You’re paying for engineering, and that costs. Whether you trust yourself to bounce this around in a rucksack all day through rain and snow, fumble with it over jagged rocks and lakes is another matter.

Verdict

While there’s some frightening details to the M7, can you really go to your grave knowing you’ve never mastered the king of cameras? Precisely. We advise any interested parties to bone up on the literature, get some basic photographic knowledge in advance, and save up for the only camera you’ll own that’s likely to be passed on to your grandchildren.