semi-ambivalent Posted January 29, 2019 Share #661 Posted January 29, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) I had been wanting to do something like this because one reads of these differences around the L-forum. Denver was having one of its damnable blue skies (albeit 32degrees F.) but it gave me a chance to do some measurements without variability of illumination. I fashioned a 3 inch long tube out of paper thick enough to make it opaque. One end "fit" over the eyepieces of my Leicas and the other fit much tighter over the incident dome of a Sekonic 308. Out on the porch I placed in turn each of the bodies on a tripod and aimed the rangefinder patch at a window of a house across the street. Then I placed the tube over the eyepiece, placed the dome into the tube, crunched it all together and took a reading. Dome was always used, meter set to ISO 1000, output in EVs. Measurements were repeated twice. This is very low tech so a grain of salt is advised: Meter, no tube, no camera: 14.7 Meter + tube, no camera: 10.7 Meter + tube + M3: 6.7 Meter + tube + MP: 7.5 Meter + tube + M-A: 8.8 These differences are clearly visible in actual use as well. I'm not one to be perpetually disappointed but the VF on the M-A is just so clear and bright I wish the M-A was available when I bought my MP; it's that nice (meter arguments aside). If Leica placed it in the a-la-carte program it would be killer, if one was inclined to spend that amount of money. Bonus! An image of a catalog that arrived just now. One of those the delivery of which will not die no matter how many times we call them. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/236926-i-love-my-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=3673976'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 29, 2019 Posted January 29, 2019 Hi semi-ambivalent, Take a look here I love my M-A. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
a.noctilux Posted January 30, 2019 Share #662 Posted January 30, 2019 Thanks for this "brightness measuring". I've seen the brightness in M-A 's finder but how amazing can be the contrast gain in contre-jour situation comparing to "older Ms". This contrast gain makes M-A's VF the most comfortable to focus and frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 3, 2019 Share #663 Posted February 3, 2019 It is the reason I bought the MA, compared it in store to my M6 and M4 at the time and swapped them for the MA. The MA VF was visibly brighter. I have since re-added the M4 back into the fold (one click is all it takes 🙂 ), but the MA is better when its dark and critical focusing is necessary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnuyork Posted February 3, 2019 Share #664 Posted February 3, 2019 1 hour ago, sblitz said: It is the reason I bought the MA, compared it in store to my M6 and M4 at the time and swapped them for the MA. The MA VF was visibly brighter. I have since re-added the M4 back into the fold (one click is all it takes 🙂 ), but the MA is better when its dark and critical focusing is necessary. how would the MA finder compare to an M6 with the upgraded MP finder? Just curious... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 3, 2019 Share #665 Posted February 3, 2019 55 minutes ago, gnuyork said: how would the MA finder compare to an M6 with the upgraded MP finder? Just curious... I believe the MA and MP finders (today) are the same. The focus mechanism was upgraded for the M10, and this is what's in the MA. So from a brightness (and flare) standpoint, retrofitting the M6 with an MP finder would do the trick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted February 3, 2019 Share #666 Posted February 3, 2019 2 minutes ago, sblitz said: I believe the MA and MP finders (today) are the same. The focus mechanism was upgraded for the M10, and this is what's in the MA. So from a brightness (and flare) standpoint, retrofitting the M6 with an MP finder would do the trick. This assumes the customer does not receive one of the 'old' pre-M10 MP rangefinder assemblies. I'd imagine there's some of those sitting around as stock on hand. Just make it clear what you're asking for and expecting to receive for your money-the latest mechanism. Maybe get a unit model number from leica so there's no confusion. Language often fails us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 3, 2019 Share #667 Posted February 3, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1 hour ago, semi-ambivalent said: This assumes the customer does not receive one of the 'old' pre-M10 MP rangefinder assemblies. I'd imagine there's some of those sitting around as stock on hand. Just make it clear what you're asking for and expecting to receive for your money-the latest mechanism. Maybe get a unit model number from leica so there's no confusion. Language often fails us. True enough, or you can just swap an M6 for an MA and skip the risk. I would assume the latest MP has the latest rangefinder assembly, doubting that the inventory is very large. But, this is a total guess on my part, and I have no idea how one can tell even from the unit number -- it tells you when it was assembled but not the parts used. Sometimes one has to go on faith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted February 3, 2019 Share #668 Posted February 3, 2019 4 hours ago, sblitz said: True enough, or you can just swap an M6 for an MA and skip the risk. I would assume the latest MP has the latest rangefinder assembly, doubting that the inventory is very large. But, this is a total guess on my part, and I have no idea how one can tell even from the unit number -- it tells you when it was assembled but not the parts used. Sometimes one has to go on faith. I was addressing the retrofitting of an MP finder into an M6. I doubt a tech would pull a finder out of an MP. More likely purchase a complete MP finder as a module, one that might have been in stock for a long time; either Leica's or the tech's own. But I'm guessing too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnuyork Posted February 4, 2019 Share #669 Posted February 4, 2019 1 hour ago, semi-ambivalent said: I was addressing the retrofitting of an MP finder into an M6. I doubt a tech would pull a finder out of an MP. More likely purchase a complete MP finder as a module, one that might have been in stock for a long time; either Leica's or the tech's own. But I'm guessing too. Good to know. I'll keep that in mind if I upgrade my M6. I' sure would love a MA one of these days too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted February 4, 2019 Share #670 Posted February 4, 2019 Ok, so to clarify that I’ve understood this right ..... 1) the M6 and very earliest of M7s (I have the latter) have viewfinders that flare. 2) these could be retrofitted with the non-flare “film MP” version of the viewfinder that was in existence since that MP analogue camera was launched in 2003 3) the “film” cameras (since the M10 was launched in 2017) have a NEWER viewfinder mechanism, ie, the very latest film MP and M-A built in the last year or so now have such a redesigned mechanism? 4) if that’s the case and it was redesigned, what’s the benefit of this latest version over the film MP version that had existed for c 15 years - ie, is it now even more flare resistant, or more resistant to going out of calibration, etc?? 5) if retrofitting an M7 (as I’m investigating) one should find out if it’s the previous film MP viewfinder vs. a latest and greatest version of the MP / M-A viewfinder? I’m very curious by all this - if I heard it right (not quite sure), I think I was recently told by a Leica rep in the UK that the hardware for an MP “1” viewfinder was EUR 300+VAT, excluding labour. I didn’t ask what “1” meant at the time, and really wasn’t sure if I’d heard it correctly - but if there ARE different versions, then maybe that makes more sense? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share #671 Posted February 4, 2019 47 minutes ago, Jon Warwick said: 3) the “film” cameras (since the M10 was launched in 2017) have a NEWER viewfinder mechanism, ie, the very latest film MP and M-A built in the last year or so now have such a redesigned mechanism? I think this is just speculation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 5, 2019 Share #672 Posted February 5, 2019 4 hours ago, wattsy said: I think this is just speculation. The M10 has an improved rangefinder mechanism, I believe, underline believe, that the same viewfinder and focus mechanism are in the MA. Do the latest MP cameras have that as well? I would assume so, but I have no idea of how you can find out. As for the viewfinder itself, it can be changed and it is simply a case of better glass for transmitting light, and coatings and all that, but this has nothing to do with the focus mechanism. That is a separate issue, of this I am sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted February 5, 2019 Share #673 Posted February 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, sblitz said: The M10 has an improved rangefinder mechanism, I believe, underline believe, that the same viewfinder and focus mechanism are in the MA Mechanics, maybe. Optics, no. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 5, 2019 Share #674 Posted February 5, 2019 2 hours ago, pico said: Mechanics, maybe. Optics, no. correct, pure mechanics . . . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frakaphoto Posted February 18, 2019 Share #675 Posted February 18, 2019 Bought a new MA in Paris last month....they don’t have so much black availlable but it arrived after few days. s/n 4914805. in Paris, the leica center is selling no more than 5 to 10 film MP and MA each year, and one or two black MA. So I think we are still on the first batch. I used a lot of M, film and digital, qnd this one is my best ever one. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 4 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/236926-i-love-my-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=3686468'>More sharing options...
frakaphoto Posted February 18, 2019 Share #676 Posted February 18, 2019 with his old grand father Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/236926-i-love-my-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=3686469'>More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted February 18, 2019 Share #677 Posted February 18, 2019 M-A serial number "lot" was allocated since 2014, as I understand but I may be wrong. In 2019, n° 4 914 xxx can be odd as my M-A bought at Leica Store Paris, november 2014 has n° 4 915 5xx . I'm curious if the manufacture date of your M-A is 2019. Can you share the manufacture date on the box's label ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frakaphoto Posted February 18, 2019 Share #678 Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) “ manufacturing date” writen on the box of this leica MA black number 4914805 30/10/2018 and sell in january 2019 at Leica Shop Paris Baumarchais. My usual Leica seller told me they were no black MA availlable but the Leica shop found me this one after few days. Edited February 18, 2019 by frakaphoto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted February 18, 2019 Share #679 Posted February 18, 2019 Thanks François. This was my main Leica Store when I spent fortune there, for decades when I lived in Paris. Dominique is she always there ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frakaphoto Posted February 18, 2019 Share #680 Posted February 18, 2019 yep, dominique is there, very friendly and soft. she found me this MA. I am use also to Photo Suffren for lens, body and serious M maintenance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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