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M240 -- 2m default rangfinder distance


kkcsm

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In Jono's artical "Testing the Leica M (240)"

 

Testing the Leica M (240)

 

He writes this:

 

Leica have changed to using electronic framelines, and have changed the rangefinder default distance to 2m (as per the much loved M8.2 framelines).

 

What is the "rangefinder default distance?"

 

Thanks,

 

-Kelly

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At 2m distance the frames for different focal lengthes in the optical viewfinder of the M240 show exactly the frame of your photo. At longer distance the viewfinder frames show less, at a shorter distance the photo shows less than the frames.

 

And how does that change (2m distance) compare to M9/MM's for us that haven't used previous Leica cameras?

 

Will the framelines be more precise?

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Well, this is a long story...;)

 

Let's beginn with the pre-historical times of the M-viewfinder in cameras for film. The frames in the viewfinder were calibrated for the shortest focussing distance of the lenses - i.e 70cm for 35 and 50mm, 1m for 90mm. M-users didn't care much about this, there was no internet to discuss this and therefore no problem.

 

Suddenly - and it was already in the times of the internet-reign - the M8 appeared and even Leica-photographers started to look at the camera's display (not even some odd coffee stains could put them off doing so...). And what did they find out? Very often there was more on their photo than they thought when they looked through their beloved viewfinder. This was a big scandal - why did they pay so much for the camera if it put more on the photo than they wanted? For 75mm it was just horrible - they often got about 25% more!

 

So many users complained - especially in a certain corner of the internet, called L-Camera Forum: the M8 was a failure because the frames were so vague!

 

Some people at Solms almost spilled their coffee over the display when they read all this. Something had to be done - immediately! So they brought out the M 8.2 where the frames in the viewfinder were calibrated for a distance of 2 m. Compared to the scandalous original M8, the photos of the M8.2 lost between 1.3 to 1.5 % of their size in relation to the frames. This was a big step forward so quite a lot of people spent some hundred Euros to get their bad M8 upgraded to this loss.

 

With the M9 laziness and compromizing crept in again at Solms. Viewfinder frames were all calibrated at 1m - so they showed less less than the original viewfinder but less more than calibration of the M 8.2.

 

With the new M - and its much bigger display - , there were fears at Solms that more users would remark that their photos showed more than the frames indicated. Complaining about this could start again, and the hard magenta couloured times of the original M8 with lots of coffee spilled were not forgotten at Solms. So they gave up the laziness and compromizing attitude of the M9 and got back to the great progress of the M8.2.

 

Isn't it a shame, that after all that experience in the history of rangefinder calibration some people come around and ask: what's it all about?

 

It is joy to read the work of a fine historian :).

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The M9 is calibrated for 1m, so you tend to get a lot more in the frame than was indicated by the frame line, when shooting at 3m+, which is most of the time for me. You do adapt to the extra coverage though.

 

I think this is a great move, as generally closeup the parallax error is huge anyway, and with the M we'll have live view for better framing all round.

 

M6 and older were optimised for 2m too, IIRC.

 

- Steve

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Really funny.

Now you pointed out the real benefit of LiveView and the EVF! :D :D

 

Yes... when you'll have the time to check via LV those atrocious doubts about precision of frames can be finally forgotten... :p , and when one cannot check because is a dynamic-"decisive moment" subject... the precision of frame is not so important... :o (as always was...)

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So they gave up the laziness and compromizing attitude of the M9 and got back to the great progress of the M8.2.

 

Exactly, and return to a better LCD and standard chrome option. But, sadly, still no top display (although battery life may be far less of an issue). There is often truth in comedy (which was fun!).:)

 

Jeff

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About frames on M240 .... I don't remember to have read about their LOOK... being totally new (based on LEDs, not on projected masks) have they kept the shape of the old frames (lines with cut corners) or have "redesigned" them ?

 

They changed the illumination of the frames only, not the frames. Hence, they are lit by LEDs instead of light from the middle window in front of the camera.

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I seem to recall as well that the frame-lines in the M3 era were meant to simulate the visible area of a transparency, that is inside the slide mount not a nominal 24x36 area and the actual exposed area on the film varies with the lens used anyway.

There is nothing in the historical forums (AKA letters to the editor) of LFI where people took this up as an issue though.

 

I can't comment on Leica Camera's thinking regarding the 1m/2m changes over the models but I am pleased that we are back to 2m. I shoot much more often closer to 2m than 1m.

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i am a naysayer here and admit i prefer the M8 over the others. i had fits (still do) over cutting out parts of the image when i focus at .7m on the M9 after shooting with the M8 for a couple of years... 2m calibration would drive me insane!

 

i'd honestly rather get more in an image than cut things out.

 

but that's me.

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