Is Visoflex 2 worth it?

[lct]

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1 hour ago, Squad said:

Yes, definitely. It’s almost always on my M11 (except when I use a flash).

Don’t forget to put some tape on the case as otherwise dust can get in that you won’t be able to clean (similar to compact cameras and their lenses).

Where do you put that tape precisely? Just curious.

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[Squad]

22 hours ago, lct said:

Where do you put that tape precisely? Just curious.

As this is digital and you can’t see through the viewfinder, and there is only glass in the back… just kidding 😁

I taped the diopter adjustment on the right side of the EVF.

[AnakChan]

I just picked up a used Visoflex 2 recently and just playing around with it, it's a game changer for my use cases :-

• My eyesight isn't where it used to be (I've been shooting Leica Ms for the past 23 yrs)
• I only have Lux lenses and a Noct
• I like shooting wide open

As much as I'd like to be "gung ho" and tell myself I don't need it, unfortunately I nail focusing with the EVF (esp with the Noct) at a much higher rate than with just the OVF - in fact the hit rate is high enough that I wonder if I have to send my M11 in for an OVF adjustment (I did buy my M11 used too some time back).

23 yrs ago with the M6TTL I wouldn't even need any kind of aid.

[Kiwimac]

Mostly I don’t use it. But. 
 

my 75 Apo is very tricksy to focus at f2 and for that it’s very useful. 
 

Also if I want precise framing on my 21. 
 

For general photography I don’t use it. 

[sdk]

Yes, if you want to use lenses shorter than 28mm or long telephotos, or macro/closeup lenses, or be precise about framing, for landscapes or portraiture. No, if you want to just use a 35mm or 50mm lens for street photography or event photography and work fast. For those uses the rangefinder-viewfinder on its own will be better.

For me, I just leave it on the camera, even when I use the RF optical finder. And I often focus wideangles with the RF then use the RVF for precise framing for landscape work. 

Edited August 2, 2024 by sdk

[AnakChan]

Yes I have seen mentioned of wider FLs benefiting from the Visoflex too. Having said that, I really didn't have that problem with my 24Lux with my M11 (or M7) 0.72x OVF. This is for a more general case.

I think the EVF has benefited me mainly because of aging eyes.

[Jon Warwick]

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I have a mirrorless medium format and M11, and increasingly seem to put the Visoflex 2 on the Leica, in part for more accurate composition, but especially to dial in my exposure with the histogram. Using the histogram to gauge exactly when the highlights are maxed out has been superb for the scenes I’m shooting this week, being landscapes in the French Alps with a mix of darker forest in the foreground and bright snow in the background. I would have got something without the histogram (which, of course, can also be read off the rear screen without the Visoflex), but I bet I would have erred on the cautious side and overly and needlessly underexposed many of the images without the histogram. 

[tdxxas]

Even though I'm a 50+ year M4/M9M/246 user, and fully onboard with the rangefinder experience, the V2 never leaves my M11M. 

[lct]

New use case of M11 + VF 2 is perspective control to me. While my favorite focal length is 50mm, i use more and more 35mm lenses with perspective control to get a similar straightened field of view. None of my mirrorless cameras can do that so far. FWIW.

[Jan1985]

When I use it my keeper rate is lower than using the rangefinder. When the red focus lines are where I want them the focus plane is often not there. Dont know why. And this often put me under pressure especially in candid or wedding shoots. Since then I use rangefinder more often to be safe.

[Buscap]

 

Yes