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Trouble installing viewfinder magnifier on M-A

logan2z

By logan2z
in Leica M-A / M7 / MP and Film M

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logan2z

logan2z

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At the risk of asking what may likely qualify as the dumbest question ever posted on LUF:

 

I recently bought a 75mm Summarit/2.4 lens and opted to go with a 1.4x viewfinder magnifier to make it easier to focus the lens.  Installing the magnifier should be a very simple matter of screwing it into the eyepiece of the camera.   I consider myself a relatively intelligent person and somewhat mechanically inclined - I even manage to screw in the occasional lightbulb around my house ;)  But for some reason I am unable to screw this magnifier into the eyepiece of my M-A!  No matter how I orient the magnifier or how carefully I attempt to align the threads with those of the eyepeice, the threads won't engage.  I called the Leica store at which I bought the lens and magnifier and they said "it should screw right in, although the tolerances are tight".  Clearly I must be missing something incredibly obvious as this thing just won't screw in.

 

Anyone else have experience installing a magnifier on the M-A eyepiece and care to offer any words of wisdom?  I'm prepared to feel like a complete idiot...

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logan2z

logan2z

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Two questions, as I've never had trouble installing magnifier on M-A .

 - is it the right 1.4x  mag Leica ref 12006 ?

 - don't you have a diopter correction lens on the M-A ?

 

- Yes, it's the 12006

- No, I have not installed a diopter on my M-A

 

Either it's defective or I am :)

Edited by logan2z
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a.noctilux

a.noctilux

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Very strange.

 

For sure, I just screw in my M-A VF a mag 1.25x a couple of times (I don't have 1.4x anymore, on loan to another user).

Took the rubber side of the mag. in my two fingers, then screw in and holding the chain so the thing would not fall.

 

Just an idea: when I have trouble to screw in a LTM lens on LTM Leica, I put the camera back on flat surface ( easier to hold steady flat ), then screw in the lens is far easier and no risk it would fall.

 

Try to put your M-A on a flat surface (lens down ) then retry to screw the 1.4x in another time.

Edited by a.noctilux
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logan2z

logan2z

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Just tried again and no go.  It can't be this hard to screw a magnifier into an eyepiece, something is wrong somewhere.  Of course it's a long weekend here in the US and nobody is open to talk to until Tuesday.  Frustrating to say the least.  I just know I'm going to look like an idiot when all is said and done :)

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logan2z

logan2z

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Hi logan2z.

 

You might be holding the magnifier the wrong way. When you screw it into the eyepiece, hold the outer lip of the magnifier between your thumb and forefinger. The center section of the magnifier rotates freely and this will prevent the threads from engaging properly.

 

Right, I realize the center barrel spins freely and I'm not holding that part of the magnifier when attempting to screw it into the eyepiece.  There's got to be some incompatibility between this magnifier and the eyepiece of my M-A, as the threads will simply not engage, no matter how much I try and finagle things.  So bizarre.

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250swb

250swb

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Have you ever had your M-A serviced? 

 

I don't know if it's even possible, but at some point in its recent life could a later M10 viewfinder eyepiece have been put on the body by mistake? This would suppose the eyepiece's between the M-A and M10 have the same thread and diameter to the body, but the internal accessory thread of the M10 is too large for the magnifier without an adapter. 

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logan2z

logan2z

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Have you ever had your M-A serviced?

 

I don't know if it's even possible, but at some point in its recent life could a later M10 viewfinder eyepiece have been put on the body by mistake? This would suppose the eyepiece's between the M-A and M10 have the same thread and diameter to the body, but the internal accessory thread of the M10 is too large for the magnifier without an adapter.

Thanks for the reply, but I bought the camera new about a year ago and it's never been in for any kind of service.

 

I guess I'll swallow my pride and take the camera in to the Leica store on Tuesday and see if they can figure out what's going on.

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250swb

250swb

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:) There's some kind of internal thread machined into the eyepiece. Whether or not it's the proper thread is still to be determined.

 

Given how long the M10 has been out and when you bought your camera the specification may have simply been updated so they now use the same eyepiece on all variants. So older cameras take the magnifier, newer ones need an adapter. You could perhaps ask Leica for an older style eyepiece or an adpater. Just to partially confirm the theory my M10 does not take my 1.25 magnifier, the inside diameter is much larger and way off even being close.

Edited by 250swb
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a.noctilux

a.noctilux

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Given how long the M10 has been out and when you bought your camera the specification may have simply been updated so they now use the same eyepiece on all variants. So older cameras take the magnifier, newer ones need an adapter. You could perhaps ask Leica for an older style eyepiece or an adpater. Just to partially confirm the theory my M10 does not take my 1.25 magnifier, the inside diameter is much larger and way off even being close.

 

Steve, your theory of M10 eyepiece on this M-A may be the answer to this trouble.

 

 

:) There's some kind of internal thread machined into the eyepiece. Whether or not it's the proper thread is still to be determined.

 

If you go to a Leica Store and if they have same trouble as you have now, I suggest thread adapter 24001 if it can screw in the M-A.

 

I bought one 24001 adapter to use my magnifiers, but the M10 VF is so good that I don't use them, nor the thread adapter after trying.

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logan2z

logan2z

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Given how long the M10 has been out and when you bought your camera the specification may have simply been updated so they now use the same eyepiece on all variants. So older cameras take the magnifier, newer ones need an adapter. You could perhaps ask Leica for an older style eyepiece or an adpater. Just to partially confirm the theory my M10 does not take my 1.25 magnifier, the inside diameter is much larger and way off even being close.

Interesting thought. When I first realised that the magnifier wouldn't screw into the eyepiece on my camera I searched online to see if anyone else had a similar problem. I came across the fact that the M10 needed an adapter to use the magnifier. When I spoke to the Leica store that sold me the magnifier I asked if it was possible that I needed an adapter like the M10 and was told that this wasn't necessary for an M-A. But perhaps the salesperson was unaware that some M-A's require it. Hopefully this mystery will be solved tomorrow - without me looking like a complete idiot :)

 

The irony of all this is that I used the lens this weekend and I'm not even sure that I need the magnifier. I seem to be able to see the 75mm frame well enough to correctly focus the lens (although I've yet to actually see the photos so I could be wrong). But I think it would be nice for the 75mm frame to more fully fill the viewfinder so I'll keep the magnifier if I can actually manage to attach it to the camera.

Edited by logan2z
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logan2z

logan2z

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Mystery solved!

 

I took the camera and magnifier into the Leica store today and let them attempt to install the magnifier - thank goodness they couldn't install it either or I would have felt like a complete idiot! But it took the salesperson one second to figure out why - there was an M10 thread adapter attached to the magnifier! They couldn't explain how it got there as the magnifier doesn't come with the adapter. I obviously didn't put it there as I don't own an M10 :). I couldn't tell there was anything there as it's a thin piece of black metal that completely blends in with the magnifier.

 

My theory: they test drove the magnifier in the store on an M10 at some point and forgot to remove the adapter before putting the magnifier back in the box. Anyway, I guess I have a free M10 thread adapter ;) All's well that ends well...

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semi-ambivalent

semi-ambivalent

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Mystery solved!

 

I took the camera and magnifier into the Leica store today and let them attempt to install the magnifier - thank goodness they couldn't install it either or I would have felt like a complete idiot! But it took the salesperson one second to figure out why - there was an M10 thread adapter attached to the magnifier! They couldn't explain how it got there as the magnifier doesn't come with the adapter. I obviously didn't put it there as I don't own an M10 :). I couldn't tell there was anything there as it's a thin piece of black metal that completely blends in with the magnifier.

 

My theory: they test drove the magnifier in the store on an M10 at some point and forgot to remove the adapter before putting the magnifier back in the box. Anyway, I guess I have a free M10 thread adapter ;) All's well that ends well...

It's a sign. Start saving.

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