[Leica] MP Viewfinder still flare

[lambroving at worldnet.att.net (William G. Lamb, III)]

Dick,

Whatever the answer might be, I'm sure it isn't simple. My M7 is a warranty 
replacement because my first camera had a DX coding defect. It flares very 
little but does not have the MP mod. Serial # is 285xxxx. It may or may not 
have been reworked. My M5 flares less of course, but to avoid flare, it is 
important to keep your eye centered in the eye-piece. (As a long-time Leica 
user, you probably know this.) All M7's have the coated windows. The MP mod 
is not an MP rangefinder assembly. Not all the parts fit. I forget which. 
My M7 doesn't flare badly enough for me to get the upgrade. Allegedly, M7's 
after 2885xxx have the MP mod.

I also have an MP .58 which is a Leica "Demo". I know all .58's have less 
tendency to flare anyway, but this example has a very bright viewfinder and 
has never flared period. Maybe a good M3 is better, but I never owned one, 
since my 35/f2 has always been my "normal" lens. Of course, I keep my eye 
centered by habit.

Still surprised that Luis has an MP which flares much, unless his eye 
position is not ideal. Even my M5 can flare if I do not keep my eye 
centered properly.

William

At 07:53 PM 11/07/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>I was surprised by this residual flare myself when I was looking at recent 
>model M's earlier this year.  The three recent M7s and one MP I looked at 
>all flared at the left and right edges of the rangefinder patch under the 
>right conditions.  This was a big disappointment since the flare in my 
>Wetzlar M6 was annoying and I wanted a camera that was free of it.
>
>Strictly by chance I looked at Betriebskamera M7 in the same serial number 
>range as these other cameras (2,88X,XXX) and it didn't flare at all.  I 
>bought it.  This experience make me wonder if the residual flare in the 
>other recent M7s and MPs isn't an alignment issue since I understand that 
>the Betriebskamera models are all individually reworked before being put 
>on the market,