Using Leica M10 only with Visoflex

[0luke1]

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I found the sony (a7riii) to be irritating. Buttons, dials, joysticks, more buttons, buttons on the lenses, plasticy large heavy lenses with no apature ring. Found myself using Leica M lenses with adapters.

 

Now I like my M10. I don’t use the viso often, but use LV frequently. A dearth of menus and options. Thankfully.

Edited July 22, 2018 by 0luke1

[pmendelson]

There is one nice side benefit to the Visoflex - it flips up so you can be more discreet by looking down at the EVF rather than looking towards your subject, and makes it easier when you are shooting low to the ground.  Since the LCD on the M10, SL, CL, etc doesn't flip up (I wish they did), this is the next best thing.

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[trequartista]

Well, I ordered a M10 after all and I feel it‘s the right decision. Thanks to anyone for sharing their opinions.

[jkcampbell2]

This whole thread summarizes very well my issues with the M10 + Visoflex 020: the damn EVF is just terrible. It's great optically, has a nice high resolution, and the feature-set is brilliant, but:

 

 - long blackouts 

 - punch-zoom-in-to-focus still has a frame rate of ~5-10 FPS and is basically unusable, even years in 

 - the GPS takes literal minutes to get a lock 

 - it's massive 

 

Why couldn't they just get this right? It feels like a sloppy afterthought, and the SL shows Leica can do it well. Frustrating. 

 

I agree, the current Visoflex is mediocre. Maybe it's the best Leica could do when it was developed but it's time for a replacement. If Leica developed a new best-in-class Visoflex I don't care what it would cost. Brightline finders are already more expensive than the current Visoflex and the Universal Wide Angle finder even a bit more. No more optical accessory finders! One EVF to replace them all! I love the OVF on the M10 and use it 99% of the time but a great accessory EVF I think would make the M system a lot more versatile. Cheers, jc

[jaapv]

I think some people expect too much from the Visoflex 020. It is not as if the M10 is an EVF camera. This is an auxiliary extra to expand the usability, nothing more.

The Visoflex III was no Asahi Pentax Spotmatic either...

 

In fact, Leica does offer two top-of-the-line  EVFs. They both come with a camera attached.

[jkcampbell2]

I think some people expect too much from the Visoflex 020. It is not as if the M10 is an EVF camera. This is an auxiliary extra to expand the usability, nothing more.

The Visoflex III was no Asahi Pentax Spotmatic either...

 

In fact, Leica does offer two top-of-the-line  EVFs. They both come with a camera attached.

 

Interesting point of view Jaapv but I think there is a difference between "expecting to much from the Visoflex 020" and having a desire for a new and improved Visoflex. I think a higher resolution Visoflex would greatly enhance the M camera's versatility on the extreme wide end as well as with telephotos.  I guess I don't get the argument that a better accessory EVF is trying to make the M camera into something it's not. As you said it's an "extra to expand the usability, nothing more". And why should I buy an SL or a CL just get Leica's "top-of-the-line" EFF technology when a better accessory EVF will do the job for a lot less cost and I can have the best of both worlds, a rangefinder and an EVF! Cheers, jc

[jaapv]

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The point s that the M10 expresses the desire by Leica to develop the M series further in the direction of recreating a digital M3. Forwards by moving backwards, so to speak.

One of the consequences is shrinking the dimensions to a point that the camera is literally crammed with electronics. They even had to design the motherboard in two separate sections to be able to fit it in.

This results in the heat management limiting the processing power, so they had to limit a few processing-intensive aspects. Video had to go -using some mealy-mouthed marketing, BTW-, the EVF could have a decent screen, but no high refresh rate. The camera simply couldn't handle it electronically.

it is the same story as the M240. They cannot get a more advanced EVF to work within the design. I'm convinced that they are trying

 

So yes, the design philosophy dictated the redirecting of customers with "modern" requirements, like making full use of the possibilities of a state of the art EVF, including the processing aspect,  to their "modern" cameras, SL  and CL.

 

With the happy side effect of making the camera more attractive to the purist section of their customer base. However, customers who would like to see the rangefinder concept moving forward as much as possible into everything that photography offers in the 21st century will find the camera lacking in certain, more advanced, aspects. Like the EVF, the lack of Video, stills aspects of 4K, etc.

 

Reason why I did not buy the M10 and sold the M240. The M9 is the last of the real rangefinders for me. No EVF at all, I'll use the real, optical Visoflex, albeit rarely.

[a.noctilux]

As I have (and use) some Visoflex III, I tried and used on digital M since M8 (even engraved the lines on viso's sreen for x1,3 framing ) untill now.

It was heavy and cumbersome in use with Visoflex lenses (Telyt-V 280/400/560) but in macro or proxi photo it's nice with smaller lenses.

 

Now, I use happily the new small/light electronic Visoflex 020 that even tilt and diopter corrected = nice move for me.

[Keith_W]

Reason why I did not buy the M10 and sold the M240. The M9 is the last of the real rangefinders for me. No EVF at all, I'll use the real, optical Visoflex, albeit rarely.

 

Let me see if I understand you correctly ... you are saying that the M10 is not purist because it offers you the option of using it with an EVF? 

[cp995]

...I love the OVF on the M10 and use it 99% of the time but a great accessory EVF I think would make the M system a lot more versatile. Cheers, jc

 

For the first part, I agree!

But for me the EVF is an emergency solution for Telelenses and for other lenses, I don't have an external OVF for ...

Edited July 25, 2018 by cp995

[trequartista]

Wow, the Visoflex is not that bad at all. But I will mostly shoot with the Rangefinder. What really shocked me was the fact that it is not possible to deactivate the zoom while focusing! That is horrible! The refresh rate sucks and the zoom is just too much. I would prefer to have focus peaking without zoom. WHY LEICA, WHY? :-(

[Jeff S]

Wow, the Visoflex is not that bad at all. But I will mostly shoot with the Rangefinder. What really shocked me was the fact that it is not possible to deactivate the zoom while focusing! That is horrible! The refresh rate sucks and the zoom is just too much. I would prefer to have focus peaking without zoom. WHY LEICA, WHY? :-(

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269388-when-i-engage-the-magnify-focus-aid-feature-nothing-happens-why/

 

Jeff

[jaapv]

For clarity:

 

 

USING FOCUS AID:

 

1- Enable Focus Aid in settings: Capture Assistants/Focus Aid (Manual or Automatic)

2- Engage focus aid by focusing the lens if in Auto or pushing the front button if in Manual

3- Select your preferred zoom level with the thumb wheel (1x or focus peaking only, 3x or 10x)

4- Focus the lens using the selected aids

5- Tap the shutter release to zoom out to normal view and shoot.

[trequartista]

Yeah but what I‘d like to have is focus peaking all the time and being able to focus without automatic magnification. Like on the Leica Q. That‘s not possible or I am missing something?

[jaapv]

You must switch focus aid on and set magnification to 1x. 1x=off.

[Jeff S]

For clarity:

Linked already.

 

Jeff

[wann]

has anyone tried leitz telyt 280mm R lens on an M body? 

[a.noctilux]

2 hours ago, wann said:

has anyone tried leitz telyt 280mm R lens on an M body? 

yes Apo-Telyt-R 4/280mm

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And many more, just a bit of search to view them.

 

Very nice indeed 😉

[jeff_m]

I find the Visoflex useful in special case use. I find it very useful with the Noctilux, my keeper rate has gone way up. Prefer it to optical finders with 28mm or wider. It is not as good as built in EVFs, but I have no problem using or recommending it. Is it perfect, no, but forums can find something wrong with everything. For 35mm and 50mm where the majority of my shooting is at, the rangefinder rules, that is why I shoot Leica. 

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[howard_cummer]

The M10 visoflex is the first reasonably useable EVF for the M. The previous models didn't have enough resolution IMHO.

I don't find the blackout lag objectionable but then I don't use my M10 with EVF for many speedy action shots and when I do action shots I tend to zone focus and use the rangefinder. One thing I really like about the EVF is that using it turns the M light meter into a spot meter and that is, for my usage, quite a bit better than the average metering off the shutter.

Also, if you are in search of sharp eyelash focusing in portraits - the EVF is really your friend - when using telephoto lens like the 90 Elmarit for portraits. My in-focus hit rate for that kind of shot is definitely higher with the focus enlargement of the EVF.

Just my personal experience.

Howard

 

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