Leica M-D and not-Leica lens question

[olegn]

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I'm close to buy a Voightlander Heliar Classic 75mm 1.8 lens for my leica cameras. Among them there is an M-D. I dont understand how the M-D detects focal range of the non-leica lens to give me the needed frames in the view-finder. There is no information about this in manual, so please tell me what i will see in a view-finder of M-D when there will be Voightlander attached?

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[a.noctilux]

Hello Olegn,

As all Leica M, the M-D frame lines in VF is selected by mechanical device in the M mount (since M3 of 1954 ! ).

If the Heliar (or other lens ...) has one of the four claws configured as 50/75, M-D would select the 50/75 frame lines.

Is it M mount ?

If the Heliar is LTM (screw 39mm), choosing the "50/75" type 39-M adapter can do the trick.

[scott kirkpatrick]

If your Voigtlaender 75 works in your other M cameras it will work in the -D.  The mount hardware is exactly the same.

[a.noctilux]

To see how it works ...

Have a look at your M-D without lens from front, by moving the field selector lever, you would see inside the M mount near the lever the selection device.

Moving up-down when we move the field setector lever.

Like here on M5, the field selector lever at right.

On M-D the left lever (timer) is not present.

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[olegn]

Thanks you for answers!

I took my M-D without a lens and there is 50-75 frame by default. So i suppose i'll see the correct frames even if named lens doesnt have a mechanical detailes for correct detection.

[pippy]

As has been said the 75mm framelines will appear as usual.

What you won't get - due to there not being any 6-bit coding on the rear of the lens-mount - will be any EXIF data relating to the focal length of the Heliar attached to the file nor will there be any in-camera lens-correction at the shooting stage. If the latter is important to you (althought 75mm lenses usually don't require too much correction in comparison with, say, 28mm-and-shorter) then you might be able to dial-in correction of the DNG file depending on which Post-Prod software you use.

FWIW I regularly use a couple of Voigtlander lenses on my M-D (a 28 and a 40) and have never once experienced any IQ issues whatsoever.

Philip.

Edited December 27, 2020 by pippy

[jdlaing]

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The 75mm Heliar will bring up the 50/75 framelines.

 

[epand56]

On 12/26/2020 at 2:25 PM, olegn said:

So i suppose i'll see the correct frames even if named lens doesnt have a mechanical detailes for correct detection

I use a Voigtlander Color Heliar 75/2.5 LTM with a Voigtlander 50/75 adapter and it brings up the correct framelines (I also 6bit coded it and is detected by the camera as a 75/2.5 lens). The same will do your Heliar 75/1.8 (you can even code it if you feel like).