ColColt Posted August 6, 2015 Share #1 Posted August 6, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) My M2 and MR-4 meter came today and both look good. I mounted the Zeiss 50 f2 Planar *T ZM lens and found out right away I'm going to be in the market for another diopter. Since the viewfinder is -.5 I think I'll probablyi need a +1 diopter since the one I got on the Nikon is +0.5 but their viewfinders are -1. does that sound reasonable for a diopter for the M2? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 6, 2015 Posted August 6, 2015 Hi ColColt, Take a look here New To Me M2 and MR-4. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
ColColt Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted August 7, 2015 I guess no one knows. I got the +1 diopter and it's definitely better than without one at all but looking through the focus window is still not as sharp as looking outside that area nor as contrasty. Is that common? In other words it looks sharper on the area outside of the focus area. It's been about 18 years since I looked through a rangefinder and don't recall how sharp that image should be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 8, 2015 Share #3 Posted August 8, 2015 I guess the best description I can offer is that the rangefinder image should look 'normal'. The rangefinder patch image is a little less bright but if there's a significant issue with your camera it might need a CLA. The finder can also suffer from separation but that tends to result in sudden failure as the cemented elements break apart - be careful not to knock or drop your camera, just in case, but don't be afraid to use it either - I don't baby my M2 and it's still perfectly fine, and possibly, the best M model ever made! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) The camera just went thought a CLA via DAG. I was sent the paperwork with the camera so I'm thinking it must be something else...me, the Zeiss lens or maybe something else. I tried a +1.5 diopter and it was even worse so, the +1 must be right as without it I can't see to focus well at all. I guess I'm looking for snap in/snap out focus like with an SLR I don't remember having any problem with a previous M2 but that was back in the mid 80's when my eyesight wasn't what it is today. No diopters were needed back then even though I did wear glasses Edited August 8, 2015 by ColColt Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted August 8, 2015 Share #5 Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) I guess I'm looking for snap in/snap out focus like with an SLR I don't remember having any problem with a previous M2 but that was back in the mid 80's when my eyesight wasn't what it is today. No diopters were needed back then even though I did wear glasses You mentioned something similar in post #2 and I wonder if you are looking for the wrong effect. The rangefinder/focus patch doesn't pop the image into sharpness, it simply aligns two superimposed images to confirm focus and the easiest way to look at it is to focus until you see maximum contrast and that shows the two images are aligning, but the image in the patch won't get any sharper, certainly not sharper than the surrounding area. The age of the camera can mean the focus patch is a bit softer and less sharp that the surrounding clear area that you compare it with, but it doesn't really need to be, you aren't focusing an image in the patch in the same way a Fresnel screen focuses an image. If you need a dioptre it will be because the entire image through the viewfinder is out of focus, so a dioptre shouldn't be used just to see the focus patch clearly. As an experiment if you still use glasses (I use glasses) it may be worth trying some reading glasses to see if it makes any difference to the overall clarity of the view. Steve Edited August 8, 2015 by 250swb Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) It's been so long since I've peered through a rangefinder I couldn't recall how they looked. I do know I had no problem with focus back when I had my last one, the first M2. I was looking at some text on the computer screen, back far enough to focus, and never could get the letters to look sharp. They would align but as you moved the focus one was very slightly on top of the other preventing sharp focus. I'm a bit nearsighted having to wear glasses to watch TV, drive, etc. I can and always do, take them off to see the computer screen. Even though I have bifocals I don't really need them to read and generally take them off for that purpose. With the glasses on I can see the outside area of the viewfinder great but not the patch. Focusing using the patch always looks more out of focus than the surrounding area. As yo mentioned, I was expecting text to pop into foucs like a split image finder or Fresnel screen-it doesn't. The +1 diopter I bought makes things look a bit sharper but not as drastic as I had hoped for. Edited August 8, 2015 by ColColt Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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