Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dear Luggers, Emanuel Lowi just mentioned that the mystery of the Hexar backfocus inconsistency is still not sorted out. Here is more grist for the mill. Next Saturday is my 58th birthday (Happy Birthday to me!) and two days ago at the suggestion of Dr. Joseph and distant input from Tom A (get well soon Tom) I purchased as my present a 75 Summilux - primarily for use on my M6HMTTL - I think the two were really designed for each other. I have just gotten back my first roll of film, partially shot in the M6 HM TTL and partially in the Hexar because I couldn't resist seeing if the German lens would focus accurately on the Japanese body. Sometimes you have to laugh at life's foibles! You won't believe it - but the 75 wide open at nearest focus on the Leica focuses about 2 inches too far away - that is the focus point is in front of where it should be, and on the Hexar - the 75 focuses just fine! So, now I have situation where the 75 wide open and close up works better on a 0.60 rangefinder than on a 0.85 one. Also on the Hexar if one focuses the wide open 75 just to infinity - where the range finder images line up - the infinity image is slightly out of focus. You need to crank the lens to its infinity stop and then the Hexar rangefinder image is slightly out of alignment (beyond infinity) but the image on the film is sharp. To me this is just funny given all the recent brouhaha on the LUG about back focus discrepancies between the Hexar and the M6!! Luggers may remember Leica changed the rangefinder on my M6HMTTL when the rangefinder wouldn't hold alignment and perhaps there is some misadjustment in the focussing cam. I think I will take in the M6HM TTL and the 75 to my friend Ernest Cheung at Schmidt and have the two mated to be accurate. Isn't Life strange. :) Cheers, Howard.