M2 Viewfinder notches - please remind me...

[bill]

In my recently acquired M2, there are two notches on the focussing rectangle in the viewfinder, top and bottom. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that they can be used as a guide to depth of focus, with the larger one showing depth at f8 and the smaller at...??

I think the M2 was the only camera made with this feature. I've checked my books, but I haven't found reference to it yet. I also have a feeling that it only applies when a 50mm lens is mounted.

Can someone please jog my memory?

Regards,

Bill

[Philippe D.]

Hi Bill,

Originally Posted by bill

I think the M2 was the only camera made with this feature. I've checked my books, but I haven't found reference to it yet. I also have a feeling that it only applies when a 50mm lens is mounted.

The M3 got also this feature from s/n 919251 (1958).
This is for 50mm at f/5.6 and f/16.

I never understood how to use it, despite many explanation.

[doubice]

Bill and Philippe,

I am happy that I can share another bit of relatively useless Leica trivia which stayed for many years within the folds of my feeble brain........

The notches were on all M2's and on later M3's. Their purpose was to give the photographer a rough idea of depth of field when using a 50mm lens. The upper, wider notch was used for f:16, the lower and narrower one for f:5.6.

To use it is "relatively" simple. As long as the vertical line that one is focusing on is within the notch, than the object will be sharp depending on which notch and which f-stop is used. I hope this makes sense.

I never used this feature during my M2 and M3 days and since it was dropped from consecutive models, I was probably not the only one.

I am happy that Luigi is probably Christmas shopping somewhere - he would have surely beat me to the answer.....

Glad to share!

Best,

Jan

[Philippe D.]

Hi Jan,

Originally Posted by doubice

The upper, wider notch was used for f:16, the lower and narrower one for f:5.6

Thanks a lot for sharing, but i'm still unable to use this feature.
Here a copy of the explanation, from the french M2 User Manual:

IndicPF-M2.jpg

[jc_braconi]

Hello Bill,
May be this will help (from Leica M2 Manual)
Cheers
JC

[bill]

Ah, splendid!

Thank you so much! I know I've seen that diagram somewhere before, I just can't lay my hands on it at the moment. That's exactly what I was thinking of, but, innumerate ninnymuggins that I am, I had forgotten the F-stop values

Jan, Philippe, JC, I am indebted to you.

Regards,

Bill

[sergiolov]

Interesting info, thanks.
in my m2, sn 1103973 there are no notches, frame lines are straight.
Strange, is'nt it?
Sergio

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by doubice

Bill and Philippe,

I am happy that I can share another bit of relatively useless Leica trivia which stayed for many years within the folds of my feeble brain........

The notches were on all M2's and on later M3's. Their purpose was to give the photographer a rough idea of depth of field when using a 50mm lens. The upper, wider notch was used for f:16, the lower and narrower one for f:5.6.

To use it is "relatively" simple. As long as the vertical line that one is focusing on is within the notch, than the object will be sharp depending on which notch and which f-stop is used. I hope this makes sense.

I never used this feature during my M2 and M3 days and since it was dropped from consecutive models, I was probably not the only one.

I am happy that Luigi is probably Christmas shopping somewhere - he would have surely beat me to the answer.....

Glad to share!

Best,

Jan

Jan, you're DAMN RIGHT ON TARGET !!! Not only I was Christmas shopping... but I came back home also with my new Summarit 75 !!! Shooping for the family.. of course... but a man with 4 women at home (wife + daughters x 3) has definitely the right to have something for himself ....

... the "DOF evaluator" was one of the most unuseful modifications made on the M's RF... strange the absence of it in Sergio's M2... my one (1.061.125) has it... I also thought it was present in all std. M2s...

[sergiolov]

My mistake. The notches are where they are supposed to be, and not on the frame lines...
Thanks again.
Sergio

[cocker]

Thanks for the explanation too. "Chocolate Fireguard" springs to mind having tried to make use of this "feature"

Hello! As far and as subdued as I can remember, my M2 didn`t have the notches, when I got it, but after its first full service in 1980 or 81, there they were!
Best regards Wolfhard

[bill]

Having used it a bit, I now regard my M2 as my Spanish night camera.

Bonus notches...

Regards,

Bill