Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/06/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>What happens when you use a lens with "eyes" on an M-6? >Is focusing or anything else made more difficult? >MB The eyes work the same on any body. The 35mm with eyes pulls up the 50mm frame, and the f/2.8 135mm pulls up the 90mm frame. In both cases, the eyes will correct the angle of view of the viewfinder so that that framing will be correct. Both lenses focus in the normal manner. The 35mm eyes will make the viewfinder more "wide angle." This was originally intended to fit a 35mm view into the 50mm frame of the M3, but it will work on any body. On bodies that already have the 35mm frame, the angle of view is still increased by the same ammont, so the 50mm frame (which is automatically selected by the lens) shows the correct framing for the 35mm angle of view. This means that eyeglass wearers can see the 35mm frame comfortably. There is no ill effect, other than the fact that the rangefinder patch is made smaller. Sometimes, since there is an extra lens in front of the viewfinder, you can get some reflections, but it's not a big deal. With the 35mm eyes installed, the 28mm frame on an M6 shows about the angle of view of a 21mm lens. Tom Abrahamsson in Canada made (or makes) a special lens using old 21mm Super Angulons and the eyes from old 35mm lenses, to make a 21mm lens for the M4-P and M6 which doesn't need an accessory finder. This works because as you go 21/28/35/50/75/90/135, each focal length is close to 1.4 times the focal length of the previous one. It's not exact, but it's within about 10% in most cases. Since you increase the angle of view of the the viewfinder by about this ammount, all of the frames appear to be enlarged proportionatly. The Abrahamsson lens works because the relationship between 28mm and 21mm is close to that between 35mm and 50mm. The f/2.8 135mm eyes are intended to make the small 135mm frame larger and to magnify the rangefinder patch to make focusing more accurate. It does the opposite of the 35mm eyes--it enlarges the viewfinder and selects the 90mm frame, which now shows the 135mm angle of view. - - Paul