[Leica] M6 w/.58 finder: my experience

[Walter Bell <wbell@qualcomm.com>]

There has been a thread of messages about the use of the .58 M6 with wide 
angle lenses. I purchased a .58 recently and used it extensively during a 
two week trip in Japan. I wear glasses and have found the .72 viewfinder an 
issue with 35 and wider lenses. In face, view finder blockage and 
difficulty in seeing the frame lines are the biggest issue I have with the 
M6. I converted from Nikon SLR's three years ago, and love the size of the 
M6 and so have lived with the viewfinder issues.

I used the .58 with the 35 f1.4, the 50 f2, and the Tri-elmar. Most of the 
time with the Tri-elmar I used an accessory 28mm finder to avoid excessive 
blockage.

My assessment is as follows: I found the .58 a real relief in terms of 
quickly seeing the 35 frame lines. It is like moving from inside a tight 
box our into the open. Unlike the .72, where I felt I had to "look around" 
to see the whole frame, I can quickly see it in one glance. The 35 becomes 
like the 50 framelines in the .72. I also felt the 50 frame lines were 
still big enough, since I tend to use the 50 as a moderate telephoto with 
the 35 being my "normal" focal length. While I usually kept the 28mm 
accessory finder on with the Tri-elmar, I found that in a pinch, I could 
use the 28mm internal finder by "looking around" as I used to with the 
35mm. So bottomline, I find for eyeglass wearers that use the 28 to 50mm 
range most, the .58 is worth it. I don't have a 28 fixed focal length lens, 
but would guess that it would work very well with the .58.

Not that viewfinder blockage is not improved since while the frame lines 
are smaller with the .58 finder, the finder has a wider view and thus 
includes more of the lens in the view. Thus the blockage remains the same.

BTW, I have consider the diopter lens approach, but feel that it would slow 
things down way too much to have to flip glasses up to look through the 
finder. Essentially useless for candid or moving subjects.

Anyone with specific questions can email me at wbell@qualcomm.com

Walter Bell