21mm Elmarit: which v/f frame on the M8?

[grober]

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My trusty 21mm pre-Asph and now-encoded Elmarit pulls up the 28/90 frames on my M8. Pitty it doesn't deploy the 35/24 frames, eh? (OK, I've taken to shooting withtout an accessory viewfinder anyway.)

 

Curious: what frame does the current 21mm Elmarit Asph deploy on the M8?

 

-g

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[stunsworth]

I believe the most recent version brings up the 28 too. Not sure why the 24mm frame lines would be better.

 

Anyhow, if Leica bring out a 16mm prime it will probably bring up the 50mm frames, there's a pattern to the frames that the 24/21 lenses bring up.

[luigi bertolotti]

I have a current 21 Asph, originally uncoded but made it coded at the factory : it brings up the 24/35 frame, but I prefer anyway to use my old 28 Leitz metal finder: from medium f stops like 5,6 you can forget the RF (btw, the hood covers part of the M8 VF), guess the distance and use the VF only, that has a very good view and precision.

[stunsworth]

...it brings up the 24/35 frame...

 

Is that correct? I was pretty certain that it was the 28/90.

[Shootist]

My trusty 21mm pre-Asph and now-encoded Elmarit pulls up the 28/90 frames on my M8. Pitty it doesn't deploy the 35/24 frames, eh? (OK, I've taken to shooting withtout an accessory viewfinder anyway.)

 

Curious: what frame does the current 21mm Elmarit Asph deploy on the M8?

 

-g

 

 

Lets look at it this way.

All M lens mounts are made the same with all the individual locking lugs the same size from mount to mount, whether they are made by Leica or CV or Ziess or whoever.

The one that works the framelines, and moves the frame line selector switch on the front of the camera, is the one just to the left of the top of the lens when looking at the back of the lens. That lug is always made the same length when the mount is cast or forged. Then depending on what MM lens it is going on it is ground down to the proper length to bring up the proper framelines for the MM of the lens and move the selector switch from it's position when there is no lens mounted on the camera, IE the farthest left position.

Because there are no built in viewfinder framelines for a 21mm lens there is NO reason to bother grinding down that lug.

All 21mm lenses, made by whomever or the date it was made, will always move the frameline selector switch all the way to the right and bring up the same viewfinder frame lines.

[Shootist]

I have a current 21 Asph, originally uncoded but made it coded at the factory : it brings up the 24/35 frame.

 

Is that correct? I was pretty certain that it was the 28/90.

 

 

That is because Leica used the wrong mount when they did the coding. Otherwise it would bring up the 28/90 framelines. Which is the standard for 21mm lenses.

[luigi bertolotti]

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Is that correct? I was pretty certain that it was the 28/90.

 

... Now you make me guessing... I went by memory... as I said use only the ext. VF: when at home I'll verify (have not a 24 and am unaccostumed to this frame... can be I remember wrong).

[stunsworth]

I've been wondering for some time if Leica planned to release a wide angle rangefinder at some point. The 24mm and 21mm would support this

 

24mm - used existing 35/135 - dropped the 135

21mm - would use the 28/90 - would drop the 90

16mm - would use the 50/75 - would drop the 75

 

So the new sets of framelines would be...

 

24/35

21/28

16/50

[carstenw]

The 21 should use the 28/90 frames, which is why the WATE brings them up (the 21mm focal length is the only one which was ever framelined so it "won").

[luigi bertolotti]

... Now you make me guessing... I went by memory... as I said use only the ext. VF: when at home I'll verify (have not a 24 and am unaccostumed to this frame... can be I remember wrong).

 

Really remembered bad... my 21 Asph effectively brings up the 28-90 pair...

[grduprey]

On the M8, the 21 view is the same or very nearly the same as the entire viewfinder. What frame lines come up are pretty much irrelevant since there is none for the 21. Just use the entire viewfinder image and you will be in fat city.

 

Gene

[sean_reid]

On the M8, the 21 view is the same or very nearly the same as the entire viewfinder. What frame lines come up are pretty much irrelevant since there is none for the 21. Just use the entire viewfinder image and you will be in fat city.

 

Gene

 

Actually, at most focus distances the full frame of the M8 fairly closely matches the EFOV of a 24 mm lens which is why the conservative frame lines for that lens come so close to the edge of the finder view itself. A 21 mm lens covers more than the finder can show. I use an external 28 mm finder for 21s.

[jaapv]

Actually, Sean, I find that shifting ones eye around relative to the ocular gets the FOV of the viewfinder rather close to the 21 mm crop. Peering around the corner as it were. My 28 mm finder leads a lonely life at the bottom of my camera case.

[sean_reid]

Actually, Sean, I find that shifting ones eye around relative to the ocular gets the FOV of the viewfinder rather close to the 21 mm crop. Peering around the corner as it were. My 28 mm finder leads a lonely life at the bottom of my camera case.

 

Well, if one wants to work that way, I suppose its possible. Maybe your method explains why some find the finder to be usable for the 21.

 

What the M8 finder doesn't do is to show one the full 28 mm EFOV all at once. My own way of working requires that I see the full image in the finder as a unified piece that I can consider all at once. The limit for that, in this camera, is the EFOV created by a 24 mm lens.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[jaapv]

Well, if one wants to work that way, I suppose its possible. Maybe your method explains why some find the finder to be usable for the 21.

 

What the M8 finder doesn't do is to show one the full 28 mm EFOV all at once. My own way of working requires that I see the full image in the finder as a unified piece that I can consider all at once. The limit for that, in this camera, is the EFOV created by a 24 mm lens.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

That is indisputable, Sean. It is just my workaround for being so lazy a b****r that I cannot be bothered to dig up my external viewfinder....

[jlm]

the M8 also has an electric switch operated by the same tab that selects the framelines. In the case of the WATE, this must be actuated properly (as a 90, 28) or the lens coding will be off. I don't believe anyone has found another lens that makes use of this switch in coding detection.

[Paul_S]

the M8 also has an electric switch operated by the same tab that selects the framelines. In the case of the WATE, this must be actuated properly (as a 90, 28) or the lens coding will be off. I don't believe anyone has found another lens that makes use of this switch in coding detection.

 

I believe the 28-35-50 Tri-Elmar also relies on this switch for proper detection and correction.