Leica R71992

History

The R7's development was driven by the need to provide Leica R users a contemporary electronic body while the mechanical R6 served purists. Leica's product strategy in 1992 was unusual: it simultaneously launched two bodies with opposed philosophies — the R6 (manual only, battery-independent shutter) and the R7 (full automation, battery-dependent).

The R7 was positioned as the working professional's electronic R camera, capable of handling the full automated exposure range required for news, editorial, and commercial work, while the R6 addressed documentary and reportage photographers. Both bodies used the same R-mount and the same vast R lens catalogue.

The R7 was the last Leica SLR to share its platform DNA with Minolta. When Leica developed the R8 (1996), they broke entirely from the Minolta relationship and designed a completely new body with new aesthetics (the asymmetric "humped" design by Manfred Meinzer) and new electronics.

Why It Matters

The R7 matters as a capstone and as a practical shooter. As a capstone, it represents the perfected form of the Minolta-era Leica R camera — the final iteration of a design language that ran from the R3 (1976) through 16 years of refinement. As a practical tool, it is one of the most capable manual-focus 35mm SLRs ever made, with a superb viewfinder, metering flexibility, and access to the finest R-mount lenses including the late APO designs.

For photographers who want a capable electronic R body without the premium prices commanded by the R8 or R9, the R7 often represents the best value in the R lineup: more capable than the R5, more available than the R6, cheaper than the R8, and fully compatible with ROM lenses.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Leica R bayonet range including ROM-coded lenses (partial ROM use for meter calibration). 3-cam lenses give open-aperture metering; 2-cam and 1-cam require stop-down. Key lenses: Summicron-R 50/2, Summilux-R 50/1.4, Elmarit-R 28/2.8 ASPH, APO-Elmarit-R 180/2.8, APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100/2.8, Vario-APO-Elmarit-R 70–180/2.8. Motor Drive R (winder); SCA 3000-series TTL flash (Metz, Leica); interchangeable focusing screens.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Professional Leica R shooters who needed full AE in 1992–1997 used the R7 as their primary body alongside R6 backups.
• Scientific and technical photographers valued the R7's selective metering for repeatable exposure of specimens on controlled backgrounds.
• The R7 was used by Leica representatives and in the company's own catalogue photography through the mid-1990s.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Leica R7
• Wikipedia: Leica R-series