Using a Leica Winder M4-2 on an M7

AusDLK

AusDLK

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Should I be able to attach the Leica Winder M4-2, sn# 14995, to an M7?
The protruding piece is not part of the M7 base plate locking mechanism and it does seem to be in the way.
What does it do? Is it actually necessary? Click image for larger version Name: Photoshop_6BvGlsJFNQ.png Views: 3 Size: 440.0 KB ID: 4800436​
 
That piece serves as the stop point for the bottom plate latch on the M3.

The M4-2 winder should work on an M7, but why? It's a brutish design, and loud; after wind and cocking the shutter, it shoves the shutter button back upwards, not exactly a smooth or confidence-inspiring experience. :) It can bump your finger off the button.
 
I don't intend to use this thing for any serious photography. I got it for next to nothing and an M7 is the only camera I own that could utilize it. Except the "stop" seems to prevent it from being attached. Any harm in removing it?
 
Looking at the manual for M7 - page 125 here https://www.bhphotovideo.com/lit_files/42007.pdf

"Advancing: Manually with quick wind lever or motorised
using MOTOR-M, LEICA WINDER-M, LEICA WINDER M4-P or
LEICA WINDER M4-2 (from serial No. 10350)."

Personally I wouldn't use it with an M7 or any other camera. I tried it once on an M4-2 and it was enough to convince me to never use it again. On mine, the latch tends to stick so it is hard to remove it and I wouldn't want it to be permanently attached to a nice camera :).

-Thomas
 
Thomas -- Thanks for that. Yeah, Leica probably made certain the M4-2 couldn't be attached to an M7 for a reason.
 
It will work on the M7 as trisberg pointed out, I’m confused by your posts tho. Not sure why there is a reference to an M3 baseplate in this thread, an M4-2 winder will definitely NOT work on an M3.
 
it make work on an M7 -- but it does not attach. The armature that I point out in one of the photos prevents it from being fully attached to the M7. The M3 plate is showing this armature, which also is present in the M4-2, but is absent on the M7 base plate
 
There were two winders -- the one for the M4-2 and the Winder M. I am pretty sure that the M4-2 winder doesn't really work with any other model. The Winder M only kind of worked with my M7. It would skip frames sometimes and ended up being pretty unreliable. The mechanical linkage, rather than electronic like most all other camera winders from the 1970s-90s, was not really a great idea.
 
The M7 manual may be in error, it certainly will work with M4-P and probably M6 at least, but I use that term ‘work’ guardedly, as it’s a poorly executed design, and big and heavy to boot, fully 80% the size of an M.
 
I bought that winder and put it on my M4-P. With batteries loaded the winder is not only heavy but large. Didn't even load any film, just fired several test runs and quickly came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way. I unloaded the batteries and put it away. Fortunately it only cost me fifty dollars and now have a nice paper weight.
 
I had one of those winders as an option for my M4-P back in the early 80s, it never inspired confidence. I do have a Motor M that I occasionally use on my M6, it’s very well executed.
 
AusDLK said:
Thomas -- Thanks for that. Yeah, Leica probably made certain the M4-2 couldn't be attached to an M7 for a reason.
Click to expand...

At the time that winder was built, the M7 had not yet been dreamt of.....
i used one for a short while... it was indeed loud, the motor pulsed in your hand and pushed the shutter button back up.... not one of Leica's best designs....I'm back to using the Leicavit these days
 
I have both the M4-2 winder and the M7 and in my case I cannot mount the M4-2 winder to the M7 and lock it. The M4-2 winder even did work with my M4-2 (same problem) but with my M4-P.
 
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