Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/06

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Subject: [Leica] IIIg diopter adjustment
From: dennis at hale-pohaku.net (Dennis)
Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:31:37 -1000
References: <daaeb97e0907060806g2d38b772we1f459d539262794@mail.gmail.com> <4A5229A1.1040101@gmx.de> <daaeb97e0907061117q10a9127bqd56fc5f300a8bb2c@mail.gmail.com>

Understand that the LTM cameras with a built in rangefinder have a 
separate window for the rangefinder and viewfinder. It it the 
rangefinder window that has a diopter adjustment, not the viewfinder.

They pretty much had to put the diopter adjustment on the rangefinder 
because it magnifies 1.5x it's really a focus adjustment for what can be 
looked at as a low magnification telescope.

Note that the IIIg viewfinder is 0.7 magnification and of course has 
illuminated lines to indicate both the 50mm and 90mm field of view with 
parallax correction. If you don't use eyeglasses and can see the entire 
field of view through the finder it's close enough to serve for use with 
a 35mm lens.

The M3 was introduced in 1954 and the IIIg in 1957. As much as anything 
I think the IIIg was in response to photographers that liked the smaller 
size of the LTM models and that felt the price of the M3 was too dear. 
When Leica designed the finder for the M2 they reduced the cost 
significantly and that pretty much took away the cost reason and most 
photographers realized the M was a better solution thus the IIIg was 
discontinued.

James Laird wrote:
> Makes you wonder why they left it off the M series.
>
> Jim
>
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Douglas Sharp<douglas.sharp at gmx.de> 
> wrote:
>   
>> Hi Jim,
>>
>> there's a little lever under the rewind knob to adjust the diopter 
>> setting,
>> on my IIIg it's a little loose and easily knocked of setting.
>> I think the range must be about -2 to +2
>>
>> Cheers
>> Douglas
>>
>> James Laird wrote:
>>     
>>> I read somewhere the IIIg viewfinder has built-in diopter adjustment.
>>> Is this true?
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>       



Replies: Reply from digiratidoc at gmail.com (James Laird) ([Leica] IIIg diopter adjustment)
In reply to: Message from digiratidoc at gmail.com (James Laird) ([Leica] IIIg diopter adjustment)
Message from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] IIIg diopter adjustment)
Message from digiratidoc at gmail.com (James Laird) ([Leica] IIIg diopter adjustment)