Tell me about your .85 Viewfinder

[kivis]

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I have a black chrome (always been a black paint bigot but have grown to like black chrome, too) M6 .85 on the way to me. I use mainly 50 and 90 mm lenses (I do also have a 21 mm w/ an external VF). Love to hear from other .85 owners, your experiences, body types and lenses you use.

[Ellie]

I have a M7 0.85 but only uses a 50 mm lens with this. It should be close to the M3 magnification and I think it was a reason why Leica choose this, it work well with 50 and 90 lenses.

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[rulnacco]

I love my M6 (non-TTL) 0.85--I traded in a 0.72 version on it, and have never regretted it. 

 

I don't have anything wider than 35mm at present, and for me it's the perfect magnification for that lens--it fills nearly the whole viewfinder, but you can see the frame lines without too much trouble. And as Ellie says above, you have the advantage of getting nearly M3 magnification (I have one of those as well, and they're quite similar--you can comfortably shoot both with both eyes open if you choose), so it's also better with the 90mm lenses (and, for that matter, the 50) than a viewfinder with lower magnification. It is sort of like having an M3 with the advantage of a built-in meter.

 

Mine also seems to suffer rangefinder patch flare a lot less frequently than my 0.72 M6 did--it still does it occasionally, but nowhere near as often as my previous body did. I don't know if mine has the original rangefinder mechanism, or was upgraded to the MP modification--I bought mine second-hand as well--but I'd think it hasn't.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it--and I hope you do!

[pico]

I have an 85 finder on one M7. The very good thing about it is that we can focus with both eyes open to get an almost 1:1 view. I use it only with the 75mm Summilux.

[too old to care]

I have a .85 TTL with a 50mm Summicron.  Because of my poor eyesight I chose this combination when I bought the camera new in the late 90s. I love the combination and would not change it. 

[gberger]

I have an.85 MP   (a la carte).  I chose the 35/135, 50 and 90 frame lines as I don't like clutter. The 35frame line almost completely fills the viewfinder, so I have to "glance around" significantly to compose. It's like using the 28mm frame lines in a .72 view finder. 

 

IMO, the .85 is ideal for the 50 and 90 lenses, and I believe the .85 will really help you both to focus and  to compose with your 90mm. I believe you'll find yourself using the 90 more than before. 

[nikau]

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I have a .85 M6 TTL plus a .25x magnifier – that really gives me a view to work with when using the 90mm and 50mm lenses! Then I have an otherwise identical M6 TTL for my wide lenses.

[ThePioneer]

I have a nice M6 with a 0.85 finder. To be honest I don't really notice it being all that much different from my M-A that has the 0.72 finder. I do get some flare in the finder under the right circumstances but it isn't terrible bad. Most of the time I can work through it, either by moving the camera slightly or squinting through the flare. If it gets really bright outdoors it can be a bit obnoxious.

 

I do see a clear difference in the viewfinder when I use the M3 and I was a little disappointed with the M6 as a result. Especially since I paid more for the extra magnification. I do suspect that my keeper ratio would be higher with the 135mm lens but I rarely pull that lens out. If I find something else I want more at some point in the future I'll use the M6 for swapping goods.

Edited July 27, 2015 by ThePioneer

[Mark T]

Perfect for a system based on a 50mm. Excellent for longer than 50mm and anything which uses an external viewfinder, as you'll get more accurate focussing. Not that you need it with ultrawides. I also find my 75mm lens much easier to use with the 0.85 finder of my M7. The 0.72 is accurate enough but I find the (awkward) framelines somewhat easier with a 0.85 viewfinder.

 

When Leica introduced 35mm framelines, they chose to do so with a viewfinder with magnification 0.72 on the M2. That is my preferred magnification for 35mm lenses.

 

For a system based on a 28mm lens, use the 0.58 finder.

[Rolo]

I use a x0.85 VF on an MP for lenses from 90mm to 15mm.  Not surprisingly, I get pin-sharp images from all of them at any aperture, or distance.  If I bought a second body (again), it would be another x0.85, or possibly a x0.91 M3.  I'm also awaiting the announcement of a x0.85 MhyphenA.

 

With 24mm and 15mm lenses, I need an external VF, but still want precise focus at closest distances and wide-open apertures.  Using a 35mm lens, I can easily judge the frame using the outer boundary of the VF.

 

if I'm shooting only 50mm, I'll add my x1.4 magnifier, which by chance removes any need for a diopter lens.

 

Gary

[Jeff S]

 

if I'm shooting only 50mm, I'll add my x1.4 magnifier, which by chance removes any need for a diopter lens.

 

 

That's likely because your eyes are already well corrected for the VF.  For others whose eyes are in need of correction (via diopter or glasses), a magnifier will often just magnify the problem.  Correction first….then magnification, usually.  But eyes and vision preferences are personal….one often never knows without experimentation what suits or not, no matter what the numbers or logic says.

 

Jeff

[thrid]

My M6ttl started out as a .85 and I had it converted to a .72, because I found it very difficult to see the 35mm framelines. It was just impossible to see all four sides at once and I constantly found myself peering around inside the viewfinder when trying to frame.

 

I could not discern any difference in focusing accuracy with either model.

 

If you get the x1.25 magnifier for a .72 body you can turn it in to a .85.

[Rolo]

If you get the x1.25 magnifier for a .72 body you can turn it in to a .85.

 

No, you can't.  Can only presume you've not tried the MP variants.

 

As for peering around the frame, that depends on your shooting style, subject content and familiarity with the camera.  I frequently shoot whilst looking over the top of the VF, as indeed did Cartier-Bresson.  Similarity ends there, BTW.

 

gary

Edited August 1, 2015 by Rolo

[thrid]

No, you can't.  Can only presume you've not tried the MP variants.

I have the x1.25 magnifier and have used it on my .72 cameras. It works very well, except I'm not too fond how how far it protrudes off the back of the camera.

 

As for peering around the frame, that depends on your shooting style, subject content and familiarity with the camera.  I frequently shoot whilst looking over the top of the VF, as indeed did Cartier-Bresson.  Similarity ends there, BTW.

 

gary

I think I have figured out how to look through an M viewfinder after nearly 20 years with the cameras.

On my .85 I mostly had difficulty seeing the the bottom 35mm frame line, which was a PIA when shooting in portrait orientation.

 

Where did you hear about HCB shooting by peering over the deck of the camera? He was a stickler for framing and I have never seen a picture nor footage of him working where he was not looking through the viewfinder or a VIDOM.

Edited August 1, 2015 by thrid

[normclarke]

I did not like the frame/film plane relationship of the .85 M6TTL that I used for a short while. The 35mm frames were just about acceptable but the 50mm were way too tight for accurate framing. I battle on with a nice M4-2 that I rescued from a guy in France that needed extensive TLC but serves my meagre requirements. I think the extra frames introduced with the M4P were a backward step. As they say 'horses for courses'.

 

Best,

 

normclarke.

[kivis]

Edited August 6, 2015 by kivis

[pinchers of peril]

Yeah I recently bought a 1.25 magnifier and effectively now have a .85.  I currently only have a 50mm so I find it works just fine.  I do think that it would be very difficult for me to shoot with a 35mm (especially because I wear glasses).  I like seeing the rangefinder patch larger and hope it helps with focusing.  I have yet to develope a roll of film after putting in on my camera since I just bought it.  Like others have said, it does protrude a little bit from the back.

[Chuck Albertson]

I have a M6 .85, and the type should work well with your lens lineup. I like the slighty bigger frame lines for the 90 especially, with a .72 viewfinder you really have to squint. An external viewfinder for the 21 would be required for any camera. If I stick a 35 on it, I have to hunt around for the framelines, as I wear glasses.

 

When I bought it long ago, the rangefinder patch had a tendency to flare, so I had the rangefinder upgraded to the "MP rangefinder" or whatever they called it. I think it was that camera, anyway.

[BerndReini]

I wear glasses to correct my eyesight and thus use a .58 finder. I have to hunt for the frame lines of even a 50mm with the .72 finder because my glasses keep me from getting close enough. I'm also left eye dominant, so my nose gets in the way. I couldn't imagine using a .85 for anything.

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[budrichard]

I have M6 and two M7's, all with 0.85 finders.

I use 35 to 135mm and 21 mm with external finder.

So I don't require 0.72 or 0.58.

0.85 cameras are a little more difficult to find but conversely are not as sought after except by collectors.

Both my M7 finders have been upgraded and the M6 is original.

-Richard