The electronic Leica M7 is a departure from previous mechanical designs for the M series.

The M7 introduced auto-exposure in aperture priority mode: the user sets the aperture on the lens manually, and the camera chooses a shutter speed.

The shutter is electronically controlled, but speeds of 1/60 and 1/125 of a second are mechanically governed if the battery fails.

Originally used simply as a reminder of the sensitivity of the film, and then as film speed setting coupled to the light meter starting with the M6, the dial now controls exposure compensation on the M7.

It's been reported on Red Dot Forum on 2018 May 24 that Leica has officially discontinued producing the M7 in both black and silver versions.