Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/22

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Subject: Re: [Leica] viewfinder question
From: Michael Yoder <myoder@dusty.tamiu.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 15:52:10 -0500
References: <00ee01c158ca$5cf85060$6748fc40@SamShoshan> <f05100309b7f640311af7@[165.95.223.140]> <003a01c15959$6d2cd2a0$b88afd3e@Dodo>

Bob,

  You make a lot of good points.  I think I'm going to have to travel 
to a city that has a dealer to sort all of this out.  I suspect that 
I would like the separate viewfinder afterall, based on what another 
LUGger said: that the .58 viewfinder won't reveal the 
"wide-angleness" of the picture (elongated foreground, etc.)  He 
pointed out that moving the camera even slightly up or down from the 
horizon with a 24 lens would produce that "distortion," which could 
only be seen with the auxiliary viewfinder.

However, I'm thinking that since most of my work will be within the 
24-50 focal length range, (the 35 most likely will get the most use,) 
the .58 should be fine.  I just am not motivated at this point to get 
anything longer than 50, though at some point a portrait lens may be 
nice for distant urban shots.  Given the blockage of the viewfinder 
image, I seriously doubt I'd go longer than 90.

I don't wear prescription glasses, but I do wear sunglasses a lot, 
given the fierce sun here in Laredo.  Perhaps the .58 would help in 
that case.

This is all so complicated!  But, I know that the end result will be fabulous.

Thanks again for your reply.
Best,
Michael





>Michael,
>
>Before I purchased a second hand 0.58M6 TTL I checked this.
>I took the back off and put a screen on the film rails and compared
>what I could see with a 24mm, with the viewfinder.
>
>If you keep your eye centered on the rangefinder patch then what
>you see in the viewfinder is a good match to the 24mm view.
>BUT... you must keep your eye centered and not move it around.
>If you move your eye downwards so you can look out of the
>top of the viewfinder window (but not see the bottom properly)
>and then move your eye around to scan the viewfinder edges then
>the field of view is more like the 21mm or maybe more.
>In practice I've found using the 24mm like this works OK for me.
>
>I'd suggest you really do try to get to a dealer and look through a
>0.58 viewfinder to see how the angle of view changes with eye
>position before you buy.
>Ask the dealer to put a 24mm finder and lens on the camera and
>you can compare. You will find about 20% of the field of view is
>obscured by the 24mm lens and it's hood if you use the built in
>camera viewfinder. Some people may not find this acceptable.
>I'm also using the 1.25 magnifier with the 0.58 and get an acceptable
>focus hit rate with the 75mm Summilux and 90mm Summicron at
>full aperture. I'm sure it's better with the M4 and 1.25 magnifier
>though.
>I need a diopter correction lens and having to take it off the camera
>to screw in the magnifier and then screw the diopter lens on the
>magnifier slows me down.
>A comment about the 21/24/28mm universal viewfinder. I find
>the focus varies with focal length selected and the distance of the
>object you are photographing. For me a fixed diopter correction
>lens is a compromise.
>I just curse the closeness of the 50mm and 75mm frame lines
>on the 0.58. Many times in the excitement of taking an unrepeatable
>shots I've cut off heads etc. by using the wrong frame if the lighting
>is dim and the frames are not easily seen...experience is a cruel
>teacher <grin>.
>These are just my personal opinions. Your mileage may vary.
>
>  Bob Parsons   bobp@dodo.demon.co.uk or
>bobp@ntlworld.com
>
- -- 
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Michael S. Yoder, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Studies
Texas A&M International University
Department of Social Sciences
5201 University Blvd.
Laredo, TX  78041
(956) 326-2634   FAX (956) 326-2459
http://www.tamiu.edu/~myoder/

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Replies: Reply from "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] viewfinder question)
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Message from Michael Yoder <myoder@dusty.tamiu.edu> ([Leica] viewfinder question)
Message from "Bob Parsons" <bobp@ntlworld.com> (Re: [Leica] viewfinder question)