Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 135M and 180M
From: TTAbrahams <TTAbrahams@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 00:31:59 EDT

Emanuel, this is a project that Reinhold and have been playing with for years
(since 1989 or so). It is feasible, but it requires some heavy duty optical
and mechanical work. The US Navy commisioned Leica Canada (ELCAN) in the 70's
and they made 6 or 7 of these beasts. Their design was rather clumsy, the
goggles were HUGE , but it supposedly worked very well. The basis for that
design was the 180/3,4 APO and that would probably form the basis for a M-
conversion. Primary reasons is that the rangefinder would be somewhat
inaccurate at close focus and would be biased towards the longer view, which
is what the 180/3,4 was made for anyway. The weight of the Apo 180/3,4 would
also make it workable.Now, the price is another factor. A goggled and
recalibrated mount with a custom machined focussing cam, as well as the
goggles, the lens etc. We are talking BIG bucks here.
One day we will make one or two of these, mainly to see if we can do it!
Cheers,
Tom A