Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/10/22

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] M camera viewfinder magnification
From: lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:59:44 -0400

Frank asks:

Why is the M8 and M9 VF set for a .68VF rather than the traditional .91 in


the M3 and .72 in the M6?

- - - - - -
I don't have the definitive answer Frank, but I guess it is because many M 
users are in love with wide angle lenses and prefer to give up a bigger 
viewfinder image and more accurate focusing for a wider field of view. As a 
confirmed M3 user who wears glasses, I have a tough time getting my eye 
close enough to the .91 viewfinder to see the mask for the 50 mm lens. I 
fully understand the reason for the goggles on the 35 mm Summaron. The few 
times I have used an M with a .72 or .68 viewfinder, I could just about see 
the mask edges on the 35 mm lenses. On the other hand, I can use the M3 with 
both eyes open. The magnification is close enough to unity so that I don't 
get a headache. And I can focus with a 135 mm lens fairly accurately. What I 
fail to understand is why Leica didn't put in a variable magnification 
viewfinder coupled to the focal length. Canon had one on the Model 7 half a 
century ago. Just about every P&S digital camera with an optical finder has 
one. But not Leica. Was it too difficult?
Larry Z