Stupid Question of the Week

[Timmyjoe]

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Okay, this is going to sound really dumb, but do the current production Leica MP cameras have the "MP viewfinder upgrade"?

 

I know someone who has an older MP that he had to send in for the anti-flare, bit higher contrast, "MP viewfinder upgrade". Which seems incredibly stupid if the Leica MP doesn't have the "MP viewfinder upgrade".

 

Do all the "new from Leica" MP cameras have this fixed in the viewfinder, so the viewfinder will be better than my M6 TTL? Or is this an aftermarket upgrade, even on a new MP?

 

Any and all info is appreciated.

[Messsucherkamera]

I got my MP in 2003 shortly after they hit the store shelves. It has the MP viewfinder.

 

I can't see why any MP that was purchased in 2003 or later would not have the new MP viewfinder - unless Leica has gone back to a lesser viewfinder as a cost cutting measure.

 

You say your acquaintance sent in an "older" MP for a viewfinder upgrade. Was it one of the original MP bodies from the 1957 era? I hope not as there were only 400 or so of these bodies made; any modification to an original MP would knock tens of thousands of dollars off its market value.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Messsucherkamera

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[earleygallery]

Yes. New Leicas have the improved viewfinder.

[xalo]

Hi Tim,

I have no knowledgeable answer, but like the thread's title. A stab in the dark would be, yes, all MPs have an MP finder, but some MPs are more equal than others...

 

Cheers,

 

Alexander

 

P.S.: Btw, your question made me discover your site. Much appreciated and total respect.

[Timmyjoe]

Thank you for the comments so far. My friend's MP was from about 2005 or so. Sent it to Sherry for the viewfinder upgrade. Said it made a big difference.

[CalArts 99]

Thank you for the comments so far. My friend's MP was from about 2005 or so. Sent it to Sherry for the viewfinder upgrade. Said it made a big difference.

 

When I had my MP it was from that vintage (I bought it in 2005.) Doing an upgrade would have been frivolous since the finder is already the "MP upgrade." Sounds suspect to me. Maybe your friend got the finder cleaned and calibrated and "it made a big difference." Or maybe Sherry has a 'golden touch' magic formula of some kind

 

Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The MP was released in 2003 with one of the changes being this:

"RF patch flare has been "eliminated" by redesign of rangefinder mechanism and optics, mainly by re-introduction of a small condenser lens in the RF light-path."

 

Leica FAQ — Leica MP

[otto.f]

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Your acquaintance could be mistaken with the M7, which became the MP viewfinder after serial number ..ty.

[Timmyjoe]

I stand (or sit) corrected. I misunderstood what my friend told me. Just talked with him again. He has two cameras which I mistook for MP's when actually one is an MP and the other is an M6 TTL. Both got sent to Sherry, but only the M6 TTL got the finder upgrade, the other got a shutter curtain problem fixed.

 

So it appears that all the MP's have the viewfinder upgrade.

[thrid]

I've never heard of an MP without the MP RF unit.

 

Some of the very early M7 bodies did not have the MP finder and required the flare upgrade.

 

I have an early M7 and it needed to be upgraded. For the life of me I can't remember if Sherry just added the flare fix or replaced the whole unit.

 

Regardless the M7 and my upgraded M6TTL no longer flare and provide a very high contrast viewfinder.

[k_g_wolf ✝]

Cameras above # 2.885k should have/ have the improved finder.

SOLMS never went back to the old finder.

 

 

Best

GEORG

[aesop]

Cameras above # 2.885k should have/ have the improved finder.

SOLMS never went back to the old finder.

 

 

Best

GEORG

 

...any idea where the MP actually started, number-wise, Georg? My oldest MP is a 298K.

[k_g_wolf ✝]

Acc. to the E. Puts >>LEICA Chronicle<< 2012

MP-production started in 2002 at # 2880 101.

 

That should substitute # 2885 000. The improved finder

came with the first MP ...

 

Your camera falls into 2003-production.

 

 

best

GEORG