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Any Leica M owners?
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I’m looking into an M6 TTL and 50 1.4 ASPH and not too sure about viewfinders mags.
Any Leica M users here?
Fintan,
stasber is a Leica user. Can’t recall which version exactly but its a film Leice M-something.
Hi Fintan
Yup I’m a Leica owner and very occasional user (these days). I have an M4P and also acquired an MP which I’m still recovering from (the opportunity was utterly irresistible, though at the same time as much irresponsible, that much I know :lol: ).
When you say viewfinder mags, do you mean the ‘0.72’ tag for example for the recent Ms?
stasber wrote:
When you say viewfinder mags, do you mean the ‘0.72’ tag for example for the recent Ms?
Hey they sound nice.
Yes I do mean the 0.72 etc, I want to use a 50mm and maybe evenually a 35mm so I’m unsure the best viewfinder to be looking for. Any advice?The viewfinder magnification on a Leica M series camera is found on the mirrored strip at the bottom of the front viewfinder element. This is present from the ‘new’ M6 onwards, I forget which year or which serial number.
The 3 mags are 0.58, 0.72 and 0.85, for wide, normal and tele, respectively.
0.72 is the normal/standard and if an M6 doesn’t have a mirrored strip it is an older – now referred to as ‘classic’ – model, and it’s magnification will be 0.72. As will most previous M series models. This being Leica there are obviously exceptions, which Leicaholics I’m sure would bore you senseless with.
0.72 is generally suitable for all focal lengths.
As these cameras have brightline frames that couple when the corresponding lens is used, on the wide end you have a 28mm frame which fills the viewfinder completely, and on the tele end you have a 135 frame which is just about useable, i.e. adequate focusing and framing of your subject.
As the magnifications suggest, the 0.58 would help you if you mostly work wide, so giving you more room around the 28mm frame, and 0.85 would magnify the viewfinder image, making it more suitable for tele use.
0.58 is suitable 28mm – 90mm
0.72 is suitable 28mm – 135mm
0.85 is suitable 35mm -135mmBy design my M4P is 0.72, and my MP has the mirrored strip, also 0.72. I bought a 1.25x mag eyepiece (cheap version from HK Supplies, screw paying for a Leica one, much the same!) which I find helpful for my 3 lenses – 35mm, 50mm, 90mm. The 35mm fills out my viewfinder with the eyepiece attached; same effect as if it was a 28mm lens used without the eyepiece, and the 50mm and 90mm are both very comfortable to use with it.
thanks for that stasber
sounds like the 0.72 for me so but I’m wondering if you have ever seen a diagram of the different lenses on each viewfinder?
You mean the brightline frames?
All M series cameras have the brightlines built in, there’s a lever on the front of the body that you can use to switch the views at any time, with any lens attached, or no lens at all. It’s purely mechanical. Depending on the M model, the frames would be paired up. On the M6 they are paired up so that 28mm and 90mm appear together; 35mm and 135mm; 50mm and 75mm.
Yes you have 2 sets of frames in the viewfinder at the same time and it’s something you’ll get used to. Can be confusing sometimes, with the 50mm and 75mm frames being fairly close together.
It is useful when spying potential pics on the move, you can see how a scene would frame given a choice of lens, without having to remove the current lens.
The best I can do for you at the moment for diagrams is this:
http://www.aiusa.com/loesljrg/misc/M-system_Brochure_en_p51.pdf
*Except* note that they annotated the views incorrectly – they should, in order, be 0.85, 0.72 and 0.58.And the Leica MP brochure – pretty much same applies to an M6:
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_80.pdf
Go to pages 76-80 as well as 88-89.Looks like they are fitting 21mm & 24mm frames now as well!
Oh, and edited my above post, the eyepiece magnifier is 1.25x, not 0.25x!
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