Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Rangefinder flare and the M6
From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 07:56:08 -0700

The major redesign of the viewfinder was to incorporate the M6's metering
diodes. Most people complaining about flaring seem to talk about the M6
only. Apparently the design was slightly simplified (Stephen Gandy reports
optical elements removed) during the M4-2 run but people have related that
their M4-Ps (later production than M4-2) are fine. One person had a
unrelated finder problem with his M4-P, the finder was replaced by Leica and
the camera then had the same flaring problem as his M6. The rangefinder
patch on my M2 and M4-2 will both flare out , both under the same conditions
and to the same degree. Partially blocking the frameline illumination window
does eliminate the flaring. I do not have much experience with the M6 so
cannot comment on whether it is worse than what I have experienced with the
M2 and M4-2. There is a difference between my M2 and M4-2 (late production)
viewfinders; a very (very very) slight colour cast difference. This is only
noticeable if you quickly switch from one camera to the other. I suspect it
has more to do with the age and type of cements used in the finder optics
than any change in design.

John Collier

> From: "Doug Richardson" <doug@meditor.demon.co.uk>
> Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 10:46:37 -0000
> Subject: [Leica] Re: Rangefinder flare and the M6
> 
> I was interested to note that Bob Figlio had written that "the [M5]
> viewfinder is much, much better than that of the M6 - no flare nor
> hazy view." To the best of my knowledge, the M5 was the first model to
> depart from the M2/3/4 design of viewfinder/rangefinder and move to a
> configuration similar to that of the M6.