M8 with bifocals?

[edslaughter]

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I wear bifocals--the kind with a clear line--and wonder how they would co-exist with an M8 rangefinder.

 

There are no M8s around for me to test, and searching the net has dredged up only conflicting and suspiciously glib (mis?)-information. I would be grateful if someone could point me to a source of accurate information.

 

With my Canon SLR the virtual image is a fixed (far) distance--it merely goes in and out of focus. So I can use the top (distance vision) part of my glasses for all focussing--from the closest flower to infinity.

 

I have read that the M8 rangefinder image appears to be 2 meters away, which I think would be just workable with the top of my glasses. But is that true for all focussing distances, like the SLR, or does that distance change with the actual distance of the object as you adjust the rangefinder?

 

Also, as a glasses wearer I've learned that with optical devices eyepoint height is important. I can easily use naval night binoculars with a 23mm eyepoint, but have difficulty seeing through smaller ones with much lower eyepoints.

 

What is the eyepoint for the M8 (uncorrected--I know that diopter add-on lenses will change the eyepoint)?

 

In general, how do bifocal wearers get on with Leica rangefinders?

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

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[sc_john]

Ed,

 

I do not know what the eyepoint is for uncorrected M8 finder, but I do know that I can focus it well wearing my seamless bifocal glasses. I focus out of the central part of the bifocal, so I am not using the reading (close) portion of the lens. Additionally, I have a 1.25x magnifier "permanently" attached to M8 viewfinder. I can see framelines to 35mm easily, 28mm lines take a bit of concentration, and 24mm take some searching.

 

Hope this helps.

[gurtch]

Hi Ed:

I can't answer your question with certainty, but I can relay my situation. My distance vision is close to 20/20 without glasses, because I had Lasik surgey, but because of my age, my eyes cannot focus close up, so I use close up/reading glasses. But my close glasses are bifocals like yours. The top is for computer distance (about 24" to 28"), and the bottom part for reading and real close work. I am able to use the M8 with no glasses, which indicates to me the virtual image in the viewfinder must be out to about 3 feet or more. With my Canon SLRs there is an adjustable diopter, which unfortunately the M Leicas do not have. They do supply add on diopters in plus and minus strengths, but you would have to probably try several on an actual camera, and through trial and error, select the proper one. My guess is that because your distance vision is good through the top part of your glasses (as mine is with no correction), that you would be OK with the M8 rangefinder. Maybe someone else here has personal experience with glasses similar to yours.

Good luck

Dave G

Beach Haven NJ

[gdewitt]

I wear trifocals, the kind with lines. I have no trouble at all focusing my M8. I look through the top, distance, part of my glasses.

 

As for eyepoint, I have been wishing all along that the M8 had an option of a lower-mag finder, maybe a .58. I can use the 28mm lines with my glasses, but only just. It is my most-used lens by a long shot and I really wish I could see the lines better, but it is OK. All the other framelines work fine.

[edslaughter]

Thank you all for the helpful replies.

 

Ed

[blakley]

I wear bifocals with lines, and don't have a lot of trouble focusing through the top (far distance) portion of the lenses. I do find that I tend to get fingerprints on my glasses when photographing - and also on the rangefinder windows. Cleaning both makes me much more efficient at using the viewfinder.

[ho_co]

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Ed--

Viewfinder image of M8 is fixed at 0.5 meters if I'm not mistaken, and I think that distance is the same for Canons and Nikons and everyone else.

 

The Leica rangefinder cameras definitely do not have a high eyepoint viewfinder, due to constraints imposed by the optics of the rangefinder itself. With an SLR you've got a focusing screen plus a prism, and with that extra bulk you've got the room to do more optical diddling than you have with a rangefinder.

 

Your best bet is to call Leica Technical in whatever your country is. Your questions are good and Leica could give you firm answers to both. If you have problems using the M8 finder, Leica does make separate screw-in diopter lenses, though their use becomes a bit finicky if you also use the 1.25x magnifier that a lot of M users like.

 

--HC