Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Viewfinder - M3
From: John Collier <jbcollier@home.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 10:54:16 -0700

The inside of the projected framelines correspond to the area of a mounted
slide when the lens is at closest focus. A mounted slide is 23mm x 35mm and
this is 93% of the total film area. When a 50mm lens is focused at 2 metres,
the outside of the framelines covers the area of a mounted slide. When the
50mm lens is focused to infinity, the area of a mounted slide is larger than
the projected framelines by about three frameline thicknesses on each side.

The amount of discrepancy between closest focus and infinity changes with
different focal lengths. A wide angle lens's field of view changes much less
than a "telephoto" lens's field of view due to the differences in the amount
of focusing mount travel between the two types of lenses. Some people even
use the 75mm framelines for the 90mm at longish distances.

John Collier

> From: John Hudson <xyyc@home.com>
> 
> I have a single wind  M3 body, s/n 101****, dating to November 1960. Can
> anyone please tell me what proportion of the area captured on the
> negative / transparency is actually seen through the brightline
> viewfinder? Is this proportion the same for any lens mounted? I have a
> 42.5mm 35/1.4 Summilux with bug eyes, a 43mm 50/1.4 Summilux, a 90/2.8
> Elmarit, and a 135/2.8 Elmarit with bug eyes.
>

Replies: Reply from "Tony Salce" <NadinaTony@bigpond.com> ([Leica] Leica R Terminology)