Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/20

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: M6 Shows Only 77%
From: "Raimo Korhonen" <raimo.korhonen@pp2.inet.fi>
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 18:29:36 +0100

Hi!
The late, lamented Modern Photography measured the viewfinder coverage to
be 86% both horizontally and vertically. IŽd think 77% as relatively poor.
All the best!
Raimo
Photos at http://personal.inet.fi/private/raimo.korhonen

- ----------
> From: Robert Meier <robertmeier@usjet.net>
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: [Leica] Re: M6 Shows Only 77%
> Date: 20. joulukuuta 1999 3:20
> 
> Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 15:45:06 -0700
> From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: M6 Viewfinder Shows only 77%?
> 
> The bright line frames of the Leica M cameras are designed to show the
> picture area of a standard mounted slide (23mm x 35mm) at O.7 meter. This
> corresponds to about 93% of the full negative. As you focus further away,
> less of the picture area is included within the frame lines. With a 50mm
> lens focussed at 2.0 meters, the outer edges of the bright line frames
show
> the picture area. When the 50mm lens is focussed at infinity the picture
> area is approximately the outer edges of the bright line plus three frame
> line widths all around. Leica decided it was better to be surprised by
more
> than dismayed by less. Now if PopPhoto measures viewfinder coverage at
> infinity, then 77% sounds pretty accurate. This information comes from
the
> book by Gunter Osterloh, Leica M, Advanced School of Photography.
> 
> John Collier
> 
> John,
> 
> Thanks for that explanation.  I had read the "three frame line widths"
> approximation before, but didn't know it came from Osterloh's book.  The
> framelines being on the thick side means that using that visual method of
> figuring out what all is going to be included in the picture at infinity
> pushes the actual frame halfway out to the framelines for the 35mm lens. 
So
> holding the preview lever halfway to the left, which will bring up the
35mm
> framelines while still keeping the 50mm framelines visible, will give one
a
> clear view of what will be included, that is, halfway between the two
sets
> of framelines.  How convenient.  And to think that they only charge $2000
> for this wonderful instrument!
> 
> Bob
> 
>