Leica M6 0.72 vs 0.85

[roger_1987]

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For me even shooting 35mm focal length 0.72 is preferable. And it's useful when I occasionally shoot 28mm. But lately I have been eyeing an M6 millennial with 0.85x viewfinder to shoot 35mm and 50mm only, partly because I like the M3 style body and partly because I am thinking of switching from 28mm to 21mm for wider angle applications, and use an external OVF, so that the 28mm frame lines becomes quite irrelevant. 

Edited February 19, 2018 by roger_1987

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[Guest Nowhereman]

One thing to consider is whether the M6 viewfinder is of the MP non-flare variety. My 0.72x original viewfinder flare badly, and in blazing tropical light was virtually unusable. I had it replaced with an MP 0.85x non-flare VF. Couldn't be happier: I don't mind using an external VF for 28 or 35mm lenses, and get a much better view with a 50mm lens than with a 0.72x VF, which I consider too small. 

 

I have the small 28/35mm Voigtlaender external viewfinder, as shown on my M3 below. Years ago I bought it for $85. Unfortunately, they're no longer made. The used price is probably high. The last price I saw was on Cameraquest, where there were still some new ones listed at $600: that I wouldn't pay.

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[abrewer]

The viewfinder can always be swapped out for .72 and upgraded to MP standard. It costs a couple hundred dollars and I know a man in Massachusetts who does it regularly and well. If "the deal" is so super that you can justify a little work on the camera, you can get what you want and live happily ever after.

[abrewer]

That's indeed a good question!  The honest answer is unfortunately that I've no idea.

 

When I read the thread's title I remembered that I saw pictures that illustrate the different viewfinder magnifications in the M7/MP (sic!) à la carte configurator a couple of years ago.  Note that the website looked a bit different back then. Since the original pictures from the configurator weren't really suitable for posting here I looked for an alternative.  I came up with the picture I posted above, which is taken from an overview article about the Leica M system on La vida Leica!. I think it's a collage made out of several pictures that were taken from a previous version of the M7/MP à la carte configurator.

 

However, like you said, the framelines of the M7/MP (and M6 AFAIK) look in fact a bit different. I edited the picture I posted above to better reflect how they actually look:

Viewfinders_L_edited.jpg

(Yes, my edit of that picture is a botch job, but it should give people who don't know how the viewfinder looks a rough idea about what we mean by "broken lines".)

 

I didn't know what you meant by the »faint "4 corners"«, but I assume you mean something like this:

These are the 50mm/75mm framelines from an Leica M4P (thanks to ferider who posted that picture in the RF forum). I assume that the shape of the framelines in the M-A and the M4P are the same (apart from the 1m vs 0.7m minimum focus distance difference), since they both don't feature a meter.  The 75mm framelines too look quite different from the ones found in the M6/M7/MP.

 

I can attest that the image of the viewfinder frames at different focal lengths is from the MP manual. My recollection is it is in the M6TTL manual as well.

[MT0227]

I shoot the M6 0.85 comfortably at 35 and 50mm focal lengths; I prefer the added magnification and don't shoot at 28. I have no issue using the 35mm frame-lines with glasses (I use contacts too), for me it's the whole finder as the frame-lines are just on the outer permitter of what I can and can't see (when my glasses are on).  The 50mm frame lines work for me; I'm also right eye dominant and shoot with both eyes open when I need to.   If you have no plans to shoot at 28, the 0.85 will give you some added magnification especially if you want to shoot at wider apertures.  If you have very good eyes an plan to shoot at 28mm at some point, the 0.72 gives you the added option and versatility.  

[pinchers of peril]

I wear glass and I actually put a Leica viewfinder magnifier on my viewfinder to turn it from a .72 to a .85 (I got a really good deal on one so it was much cheeper than getting it swapped out). I like the bigger rangefinder patch.  I only have a 50mm lens, but when I use the frame selector I can still barely see the 35mm lines with my glasses on.  If you don't wear glasses I think you'd be fine with the 0.85, especially if you can get it for a good deal.