Re: [Leica] Re: Mounting and viewing with an M lens

[Bernard Delgado <delgado@nytimes.com>]

I'll have to add that a few years ago,  I was in a NYC camera store & asked
to try out a 35mm lens on an M3. The M3 had just had its viewfinder
replaced by Leica.  The salesman assured me that there were no framelines
for the 35mm & so POINTLESS.
Framelines did pop up.
Leica had run out of M3 viewfinders & so installed an M6J viewfinder w/o
the meter. They hadnt mentioned this to anyone & the camera store didnt
even know what they had.
- -BernardDelgado

>I always do this. And you obviously know, that I know, how the M system
>works. The reason for mounting and focusing the M lens is to "get the feel"
>of it. Does it focus "smoothly", is there any "play" is there any focus
>"backlash" ? These are the important things to look for.
>
>About three weeks ago there was a used 35/1.4, non ASPH, for $695 at KSP.
>Glass was perfect. Focus and f/stop rings were worn from use. I was
>interested. After mounting the lens and putting the camera to my eye, I
>found backlash in the focus mechanism. This is difficult to spot unless you
>are looking through the viewfinder, watching the split image NOT MOVE while
>you move the focus ring. This is also the best way to detect tight spots in
>the focusing continuum. I did not buy the lens.
>
>Actually, mounting and testing the lens mechanism, is smart, not stupid.
>
>Jim
>
>
>At 11:57 PM 8/10/99 -0700, you wrote:
>>Bernard Delgado wrote:
>>>
>>> >It's amusing to watch people in camera stores checking out a Leica M lens,
>>> >by mounting it on a camera, and looking through the viewfinder.  I wonder
>>> >if they ever see something they don't like?
>>> >
>>> >Dan C.
>>> >
>>> Just the lens shade in the viewfinder.
>>> -delgado
>>
>>I have a friend who has some Leica M stuff who claimed one lens was easier to
>>focus with than another.
>>I had to tell him he was not focusing through the lens and the focusing squre
>>was the same thing for all the lenses.
>>He then had to think of another excuse to sell the lens and buy another toy.
>>Mark Rabiner