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.58 vs .72 vs .85 ?


peterjcb

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  • 4 weeks later...

The Hexar RF should be mentioned...again.

its .60 finder works great for M mount 28 and 35 lenses without the need for an external finder. They are wonderful cameras, every bit the equal of an M7 with the added built in motor drive. And you can find them for 1/4th of the price of an M7, as their prices have fallen substantially over the last few years.

 

why not buy an M3 for your 50 and 90 and a Hexar body for your wides? You can probably do that for the price of an M6. And you'll have the best of both worlds - an iconic Fully manual unmetered M and an M7 equivalent with AE, motor winder and great WA viewfinder.

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I must admit that I'm a big fan of the 0,85 and the M3 viewfinders - I was genuinely surprised that the new M-A camera went for 0,58 but I'm not sure if you can change this on an à la carte menu.

 

The M-A has a standard 0.72x finder magnification. There has been talk that Leica will include the M-A in the à la carte programme at a future date but I wouldn't hold your breath.

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  • 5 years later...

Side comment on viewfinders. I find wider ones to help with street shooting. They create illusion of distance between you and your subjects, so just close the other eye and you'll feel braver, and will be getting closer! :)

To add to the data set: I shoot 35mm and 50mm lenses with 0.85 finder and find it gorgeous, only wish a bit more magnification for the 50mm. Have no idea how people manage to shoot anything longer than 50mm with rangefinders.

Edited by Steven Seven
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On 3/5/2021 at 12:26 AM, Steven Seven said:

...Have no idea how people manage to shoot anything longer than 50mm with rangefinders.

With external viewfinders on a Barnack I have a 1:1 viewfinder and, more importantly, a 1.5:1 rangefinder. I have no trouble with an 85/1.9 or 135/3.5, both are LTM Canon lenses.

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On 3/5/2021 at 12:26 AM, Steven Seven said:

Side comment on viewfinders. I find wider ones to help with street shooting. They create illusion of distance between you and your subjects, so just close the other eye and you'll feel braver, and will be getting closer! :)

To add to the data set: I shoot 35mm and 50mm lenses with 0.85 finder and find it gorgeous, only wish a bit more magnification for the 50mm. Have no idea how people manage to shoot anything longer than 50mm with rangefinders.

Hello Steven,

Welcome to the Forum.

If you would like to try an "M" camera with a 0.91X range/viewfinder you might look at an M3. The first "M" camera.

Using wider than 50mm lenses with an M3 requires either an additional viewfinder or wider angled lenses that come equipped with angle of view widening optics. Some of these optical systems are permanently attached & others of are removable.

Best Regards,

Michael

 

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After studying the frames while wearing glasses I have found that the higher magnification might be better for me like .85.  When wearing glasses I can only see the center 1/2 or the center 2/3rds of the viewing area within the rangefinder.  Higher magnification seems to put the frame lines smaller closer to the middle of the rangefinder viewer, so as a glasses wearer I can see them better.

This all changes for people not wearing glasses since their eye is closer they can see to the outer parts of the rangefinder viewing box easier.  Even then, users complain that really wide frame lines, near the edge of the rangefinder viewing box, force a person to "look around to find them" since they are so far off to the side - thus framing is slowed and they don't like it.  

While they were selling the .58 as showing the wider frame lines better, wearing glasses I still had a hard time seeing them.  Most of the general comments I've read on the web about rangefinder magnifications seem to be for people that do NOT wear glasses. If you do wear glasses then the frame lines need to be in a smaller format as caused by the .72 and .85 magnifications and adding a screw the magnifier makes the frame line boxes even smaller so you as a glasses wearer can see them easier.  Of course, it can be frustrating if the frame line boxes are too small even though you do see them. 

Add to the above that frame lines in a Leica rangefinder are not a perfect representation of what you will be getting in the picture, you make get more (maybe less too, but I don't know), so seeing the frame lines is only an imperfect experience anyway.  This is not the terrible problem it seems since you will miss most pictures, the subject will move or leave on you,  if you wait around to get perfect framing anyway. 

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