Re: [Leica] Rangefinder topics Corrections-corrections

[John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>]

If my post is read more carefully than it was written, you might get the
idea that the early finders suffer from the rangefinder patch "whiting out "
too. They do not. I wish to apologise to you, and Leica AG, for any problems
or stock price fluctuations that this may have caused. Also please delete
the "has" after the last mention of "Erwin".

Thank you for your patience!

John Collier

> From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
> 
> Not a bright idea to step into a heated argument but then who ever said I
> was bright. I personally have no idea what exactly causes the flaring of the
> various rangefinders versions. I can however say which models I have owned
> or used suffered from it. I had a late model M4-2, produced in 1980 just as
> M4-P production was coming online. It was had the same low tendency to flare
> as the finder on my M2. The only difference between the two finders, other
> than framelines, was that the rangefinder patch disappeared (did not flare
> out) as you moved your eye off centre on the M4-2 slightly before the one on
> the M2 did. This may have been the effect of the missing part you were
> referring to Stephen. I have used early M4-P cameras and they seemed the
> same as my M2 and M4-2 cameras. I have heard other luggers comment that
> their early M4-Ps do not suffer from excessive flare. Late M4-Ps and all M6s
> and M6-TTLs suffer from the flaring out of the rangefinder patch. This
> flaring out occurs under several different conditions. If you are focusing
> and your eye is not centred, then the rangefinder superimposed image will
> white out. This can be eliminated by centring your eye or covering the
> viewfinder illumination widow with your finger or tape. If you have bright
> spot light sources shining into the finder from the front or the side, the
> whole finder will flare as well as the rangefinder patch. It is coming from
> all three windows as covering just one will only reduce certain aspects of
> the flare. My M2 and my old M4-2 did not suffer from this second flare at
> all, or very minor amounts at the very most. My M6-TTL is typical of the
> breed and flares quite strongly making the finder almost useless.
> Conclusions? The change in rangefinder design during M4-2 production that
> Stephen has pointed out to us and the addition of a six frame finder that
> Erwin has sites as responsible, do not seem to have significantly affected
> the performance of the M viewfinder. Something done for the M6, and applied
> to late M4-Ps, finders causes the flaring problems we all love to hate. As
> the Hexar RF "apparently" does not suffer from this, perhaps it has
> something to do with how the LED meter indicators were incorporated into the
> M6 finder design.
> 
> Yours speculatively,
> 
> John Collier
> 
>