Re: [Leica] Finder usage

[Edward Meyers <aghalide@panix.com>]

On Fri, 9 Jan 1998, TTAbrahams wrote:

> Carl, The 24 can be used without the finder on the M6 or M2. You do loose a
> bit of the edges, but that is more than offset by the convinience of NOT
> having to shift your eye from one finder to another. The M's were never that
> precise in their framing anyway.
>  The 21 does require an auxillary finder ( which cost $, breaks, falls off etc
> ,etc) or you can have the Abrahamsson/Mueller conversion done to it. That
> involves mounting the "goggles" for a 35 Summicron M3 on the lens, recamming
> the bayonet to kick in the 28 frame on a M4P/M6. That frame is then magnified
> by the goggles to approx. 22 mm, but you can now frame and focus without
> having to shift your eye. On older M's (M2 and M4) there is no antireflection
> mask ( as in the M6) so you get closer to a 21 frame, by using the entire
> viewfinder ( up the the edge of the glass). I usually stick a piece of black
> plastic over the viewfinder illumination cutout on the goggles and then you
> have no framelines interfering. It is not a cheap conversion, roughly $ 600 (
> but that includes the goggles), or 1,5 times the finder. I have a 21/3,4 that
> is converted to that as well as the 21/2.8 and the 21/2.8 Asph also converted.
> It does make the camera less bulky and it works very well.
>  Alternative finders are the Roussar 20 mm finder and also the Contax 21
> finder ( rather large finder,but very good). The Roussar finder vignets but it
> is cheap.
>  Both the 21/2,8 Asph and the 24/2,8 Asph are very good lenses. The 21 Asph is
> marginally better than the regular 21/2,8, particularly wide open. None of the
> are as good as the 21/3,4, at least for black/white. 
>  All the best,
> Tom A
> 
There was a variable viewfinder for the Bolex 16mm camera which
can be purchased at used stores, such as Olden in NYC, for maybe
$30 or $40. Remove the large negative lens element from it and
place it over the Leica finder window. It widens the view to perhaps
the 21 mm view. I've added it to a 28mm finder to make it approximate
a 21mm finder. Perhaps it works directly on the Leica? Ed