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Should the next M have a Hybrid Viewfinder?


lct

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Thank you Ian. Il will say yes to add at the discussion but truth is i use more and more my mirrorless cameras (Fuji X-E2, Pana LX100) in manual focus mode so i would welcome a full frame M allowing to switch between the classical OVF/RF and a fast EVF into the same window. Provided the former's quality is not affected and i'm not disturbed by the EVF when i don't want so though.

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The good thing about an EVF is that whoever is interested in them can go out and buy one, rather than me or anybody else being forced to buy something that isn't going to get used when it is integrated in the body. Same with the other crap which other cameras cater for more efficiently. The M line is a sows ear, lovely in it's own way, but it's never going to be made into a silk purse.

 

Steve

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The good thing about an EVF is that whoever is interested in them can go out and buy one, rather than me or anybody else being forced to buy something that isn't going to get used when it is integrated in the body. Same with the other crap which other cameras cater for more efficiently. The M line is a sows ear, lovely in it's own way, but it's never going to be made into a silk purse.

 

Steve

 

Funny, I think of the M line as silk purse with the sow's ear of an EVF.

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While I appreciate the hybrid VF on the X100S, I'd say NO on the next M. The M RF is its soul.

 

^^ what he said !

 

I have an X100 - and its a great camera, but there are things i strongly dislike about it.

In OVF mode, you dont know exactly where the AF point is, in EVF mode, the display sometimes lags or freezes, its fine when shooting landscapes, but when shooting anything moving it can be an issue.

I also hate the VF blackout when you take a pic in EVF mode.

I really love the leaf shutter, and built in ND filter though !

 

 

The heart and soul of the M, is the optical rangefinder mechanism

Its an old system, fragile, and can easily have accuracy issues, but looking at the scene through that nice bright finder, and easily focusing in poor light is a joy, its the reason i bought an M.

 

Live view is nice, as is the ability to add an EVF when needed, but i would prefer the M line to keep the simple uncluttered VF

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I am sure Leica have looked very closely at what Fuji have done ........ and if there was a way of inserting an alternative optical pathway to a high resolution LCD viewfinder display they would be working on it ....

 

..... but given the complexity of the existing RF mechanism and the fact that they have opted for a bolt on digital VF in both the M and T series I suspect this option has been shelved as just too difficult and expensive.

 

Unless there is backward compatibility with M series lenses Leica risks alienating a large % of there existing customers.... so abandoning the current RF coupling mechanism is a non-starter.

 

What they could do .... which would both look and function much better..... would be to make the push on EVF much lower profile and drop down over the back of the camera .... there is a couple of cm spare above the screen ...... so it is more like the VF on a DSLR. The current Visoflex literally sticks out like a sore thumb and makes putting it in a bag etc with it on a real pain. They need to ditch the current design.

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The Fuji solution is OK, but it takes up a lot of room, as does any EVF, so I don't guess there would ever be space for both. It would be nice if there were room, and perhaps Leica has interesting ideas.

 

But it would be nice, and would _expand_ the market for the Camera. But then so would dropping the price a notch or two.

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Perhaps they could replace the Frame Line device with a transparent EVF screen. It would be in the optical path of the RF mechanism, so the RF would still be mechanical, but the Frame lines would be via the EVF. They could then overly all kinds of focus assist solutions.

 

A lot of people would not like that, however it would allow for the display of a single Frame-line based on the 6-bit coding, and perhaps autofocus capabilities for a new generation of lenses. If we look at the changes between the M9 and M240 then we have to assume then next M will offer a similar step up.

 

I like the film cameras more and more (3 dials and one button), would be happy with an affordable M60 to complement a _more_ digital M380.

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I don't think that would be viable. The M (Typ 240) has the best RF of the digital ones so far. Adding some extra optical surfaces and assorted lights to that device will not enhance its contrast, I fear.

 

Now as to a digital MDd with no RF and all set up to do things on tripods ...

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