Will next M feature internal Epson EVF?

[Jed Orme]

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Addressing the above references to the Fuji hybrid OVF/EVF as used on the the X-100/S/T & the X-Pro1, I just spent 4 years using the X-100/S & the X-Pro1, & can testify that it amazed me when I first saw it & continued to do so until I made the switch to my M-240.  And my reasons for the change weren't so much related to viewfinder unhappiness so much as just not really a rangefinder camera.  And I adapted a number of M mount lenses also with Fuji's excellent X-M adapter.  However, I will admit that I did not find it totally satisfying when focusing with the XP1 to have to initially compose with the OVF, then switch to the EVF to use the magnification & focus peaking features of it to focus (which were also quite well developed), & then return back to the OVF for final composition & shutter release.  It wasn't so much time consuming as disconcerting & a bit distracting.  I don't have any experience with the X-100T with its EVF window in the OVF & perhaps this is a real improvement - many on the Fuji forums appear to think so.

 

But I don't miss the EVF on my M, particularly since I have live view if I need it to help focus with my 21mm & 90mm lenses.  So far I haven't need to use it.  And my short experience with the M system really doesn't make me qualified to suggest anything that should or should not be done to change the M, unlike many of you who have already done so based on your long experience with it.  But from the point of view of a newcomer, I would hope that Leica might only make those changes necessary to stay competitive with its M system as a true rangefindeder, & experiment with its other models as they appear to have been doing.

[jaapv]

I do not have 40plusthousand posts so there is always a chance I am not getting it 

Well said.

[wattsy]

Oh and wattsy, please don't quote me out of context. The "mistaken…" line was part of the following paragraph and not referring to the paragraph you chose to include in your quote of me. :-)

 

That makes it twice now you seem to have got the wrong end of the stick. Never mind.

[wattsy]

The SL is very big and needs a ring

 

True about the "ring" but it's not all that big. About the same size as the M240 with GPS grip attached (and maybe a wee bit more  ).

[Joshua Lowe]

In the early 20th century optical rangefinders were used on warships to enable data to be passed to an analogue computer (slide rule) which calculated the range for gunnery.

(A system developed by Frederic Dreyer of the Royal Navy. I knew his son, Desmond.)

 

The last recorded use of an optical rangefinder in action was by the US Navy during the 1991 Gulf war. Even during the second world war many warships had replaced the use of optical rangefinders with radar.

(Although they still had optical rangefinders in case their radar went on the blink.)

 

Perhaps the optical rangefinder of an M will be replaced by a more modern and accurate method?

 

Should a Steinway be replaced by a laptop?  A laptop can retain a perfect reproduction of the Steinway's sound, accurately simulate any type of room down to specific concert halls, never requires tuning, and is physically tiny in comparison.  You don't even need a human being to play the laptop.

[jdlaing]

That depends ob how many megabytes the Steinway has.

[Jeffry Abt]

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The only time I use the EVF with my M(240) is when I use the Macro Adapter M. If the clip-on EVF is updated with the next M, then great.... If the current EVF was better I might find myself using it a bit more often. But I would truly grieve if the next M had a EVF in place of the OVF.

[Joshua Lowe]

I should add that when I said that I think the SL exists to appease people who want to add more tech to the M, it wasn't meant to be a knock on the SL.  I like the SL quite a bit, I'm just not sure about the accuracy of the "pro" mantra.  I tried one out and I'm giving a lot of thought toward buying one.  The high ISO performance and compatibility with so many types of lenses make it really appealing.  The EVF's good, the AF's quick, it has a lot of useful tech.  It's just not what I'd want from an M.  

[pop]

(....) A laptop can retain a perfect reproduction of the Steinway's sound (...)

That would be one hell of a laptop, with the same physical dimensions to begin with, and without any parts that can rattle.

[MRJohn]

Well said.

... but Leica user since 1988...

[pgk]

Should a Steinway be replaced by a laptop?  A laptop can retain a perfect reproduction of the Steinway's sound, accurately simulate any type of room down to specific concert halls, never requires tuning, and is physically tiny in comparison.  You don't even need a human being to play the laptop.

But what's the performance like? 

[ayewing]

The only time I use the EVF with my M(240) is when I use the Macro Adapter M. If the clip-on EVF is updated with the next M, then great.... If the current EVF was better I might find myself using it a bit more often. But I would truly grieve if the next M had a EVF in place of the OVF.

 

I doubt if Leica is consdering replacing the OVF in the M with an EVF.  If it is possible to fit an updated EVF into the camera body as well as the opto-mechacical viewfinder that would be really good as the present clip-on device is rather a clumsy arrangement.

 

I find the EVF extremely useful both as a viewfinder for very wide lenses and when using magnification with longer lenses. I never realised how sharp my Tele Elmar 135mm was when I used it on my M9 until I upgraded to the M240 + EVF. Perhaps I am not as eagle-eyed as Jaapv who finds the rangefinder satisfactory at this focal length. I also find it useful for macro work and it has given my old visoflex lenses a new lease of life.

 

I look forward to the new M series and hope to be surprised by Leica's ingenuity in embracing modern developments while retaining the traditional rangefinder experience.