1.25x magnifier compatible with 35mm lens on M9?

[Deliberate1]

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Friends, I am considering this magnifier and would like to know whether it "reduces" the viewfiner perspective to the point that the 35mm lens frame lines are obliterrated or at least rendered useless.

Many thanks.

David

[Paul J]

I use my 1.4 magnifier with my 35mm. If I push my eye RIGHT up to it I can just see the whole frame but that is a little uncomfortable if left like that for too long. Otherwise, at normal viewing distance only a little look around the frame shows the whole frame.

[Deliberate1]

Paul, thanks for your comments. Do you keep the mag on all the time or use it selectively?

On a 0-10 scale (pos to indispensible) where does it rate.

Cheers.

David

[Paul J]

Hi David, you're welcome.

 

I use it alot. Depends on what I'm shooting and how much I want to see outside the frame lines.

 

I tried it out at the Leica store. They asked which lens I wanted to try it on. I said a 50mm. The man there said they recommended it for use on 75mm and longer only. So I tried it on a 75, liked it and bought it. When I had it home I tried the 50mm and couldn't understand why he wouldn't put a 50mm on in the shop as I could see the whole frame. So I was even more surprised when I could see the 35mm frame when i pushed my eye right up to the glass.

 

I would rate it a 9/10 probably. I would say personally it's indispensable. It really helps me focus and I have perfect vision already. The only thing I take a mark off for is the slight loss of contrast (doesn't bother me - but it bothers some) and also there is a very, very, very slight blurriness at times. If your eye isn't dead on it has the feeling that your wearing someone else's glasses. It's only very slight though. I think I have read that the nature of the optic means you need a +.5 correction diopter to correct the design back to normal.

 

It's worth trying out for yourself though as some people don't like them.

[Deliberate1]

Paul, again, much obliged for sharing your thoughts.

Happy shooting

David

[billib]

Hi Deliberate 1, I use the 1.25x Magnifier on an M9-P. It never comes off.

Their is no problem seeing the 35mm Frame Lines. Shifting your eye a bit

behind the Viewfinder enables you to see the 28mm Frame Lines. I had

recently acquired a 21mm so I bought the a 28/24/21 Viewfinder to go

along with it and it lives in the Hot Shoe. When I use a 28mm Lens I still

find myself using the M9's Viewfinder with 1.25x Magnifier and not the

28/24/21 Viewfinder. So I think you'll be happy with how truly useful

the 1.25x magnifier really is.

[Deliberate1]

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Billib, thanks for yours. Strikes me, from your coments and those from Paul, that the mag is a lot more versitile than Leica would let on. It is next item on my dance card. Imagine that, a Leica lens you can get for only the low three figures.

Cheers.

David

[bpalme]

Ditto for Billibs comments. I use it with 28 lines but have to move your eye around to see the lines. If I know I'm going to be mainly using 28 I may just take it off but if going back and forth it's fine to leave it on. 35 no problem.

[lars_bergquist]

It all hangs on a matter that has not even been touched on here – do you use spectacles?

 

Specs force your eyes further away from the eyepiece, reducing the field of view through the finder. I use thin-lens specs with light frames, and with no magnifier on, I still see the 35mm framelines very near the edges of the field. Any magnifier will completely obliterate them.

 

Using a corrrection lens instead of the spectacles does not really help, because this too increases the eye distance. Add to this the distraction of having to remove your specs for taking pictures.

 

Without specs, you may be able to see parts of the 35mm frame. But the magnifier is not really suited to any focal length shorter than 50mm.

 

Besides, why should you want to use a magnifier to focus a 35mm? This is child's play. I do suspect that some people who have not learned proper rangefinder focusing, instead of learning the ropes, grasp for a gadget to do it for them – a solution that our whole techno-advertising culture encourages, because it sells gadgets. I, with eyeglasses and 76 year old eyes, do successfully focus my 135mm Apo-Telyt without any extra aids. If I can do it, then everybody with half-adequate eyesight can.

 

The old man from the Spectacular Age

[Paul J]

Is it essential for focussing? No

Does it make it easier? Yes

[Jeff S]

Is it essential for focussing? No

Does it make it easier? Yes

 

For you.

 

Not for me and many others...as your second post said.

 

And I do wear glasses.

 

Jeff

[Deliberate1]

Besides, why should you want to use a magnifier to focus a 35mm? This is child's play. I do suspect that some people who have not learned proper rangefinder focusing, instead of learning the ropes, grasp for a gadget to do it for them – a solution that our whole techno-advertising culture encourages, because it sells gadgets. I, with eyeglasses and 76 year old eyes, do successfully focus my 135mm Apo-Telyt without any extra aids. If I can do it, then everybody with half-adequate eyesight can.

 

 

OP her. Lars I appreciate your input. No, I do not wear glasses.

And I quite agree that the mag may become less utilitarian as the lens focal length diminishes as does the need for critical focusing, especially with the lens stopped down. I couched my question the way I did because the 35 is my widest. I wanted to know if the lines would be obliterrated because I do not want to go to the trouble of removing the mag as I switch back and forth between lenses, which I might have to do if the 35 lines disappear with the mag attached.

Regards,

David

[Ruhayat]

I use my M7 as a platform for fast lenses (Nokton 1.2, Summicron 90) and my M4-P for small and light lenses. After I stuck a generic 1.25x magnifier on the M7, it has helped with the focusing accuracy appreciably. It has since become a permanent fixture on my M7.

 

EDIT: I find that it helps a great deal when focusing the 35mm Nokton at f1.2, cos I use that lens wide open all the time (otherwise why bother, right - might as well get the 1.4 version).

 

I wear glasses and the 35mm basically fills up the whole VF, much like the 28mm framelines did before the magnifier "surgery". I can still see them but only just, so I just assume that the entire VF is the 35mm frameline.