What happens if you mount a goggled 35mm lens on an M11?

[Kiwimac]

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I have no experience of the goggled lenses at all - other than to generally think that they look ridiculous!

There is a very expensive lens - looks like an original Steel Rim - with goggles for sale locally. I have no intention of spending that much but it did make me wonder.

An M11 can display 35mm lines. I think the goggles were designed for a camera that could not. So what do you get if you put the unit on an M11?

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[erl]

A frog?

[adan]

The goggles on goggled 35mm lenses "shrink the view of the world" (about a 42% reduction or minification), just before it enters the camera's viewfinder. So that the (normal) framelines for a 50mm lens without goggles will define the edges of a 35mm view of the scene. Such goggled lenses have the auto-frameline selection geometry changed (different machining of the lens mount) to bring up the 50mm lines in any Leica M, when they are mounted.

I.E. the goggles work about like this wide-view stick-on-"goggle" for automobiles, that give the driver a "wider view" when backing up. Except they cover the entire viewfinder area, rather than just a patch. You look through the goggles and the 50mm framelines - the 35mm lens records the same area you see.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353270593393?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item&srsltid=AfmBOoqQTl7xnVqxuPAmxj6rrFiVSEi91peswn9cbvDy_VYtanfM4ioY9hc

 

Therefore, unless there are physical fitting or alignment problems (jamming when mounting, etc.), goggled 35mm lenses will work exactly as designed and intended, on ANY Leica M that has 50mm framelines. Which will be about 99.99999% of Leica Ms.

 

[dkCambridgeshire]

34 minutes ago, Kiwimac said:

I have no experience of the goggled lenses at all - other than to generally think that they look ridiculous!

There is a very expensive lens - looks like an original Steel Rim - with goggles for sale locally. I have no intention of spending that much but it did make me wonder.

An M11 can display 35mm lines. I think the goggles were designed for a camera that could not. So what do you get if you put the unit on an M11?

If you'r referring to e.g., the Leitz 35mm f2.8 Summaron with M3 goggles, the goggles provide a 35mm FOV within the M11's viewfinder by scaling the 50mm framelines to show the wider 35mm view.  The goggled lens usually sells for £$€reasonable and within its aperture range is as good a performer as an early 35mm Summicron. 

[adan]

Of note: Once Leica was producing cameras that included 35mm framelines (M2 and most that followed) - a lot of people had their "M3-goggled 35mm lenses" converted back to normal un-goggled 35s. Remove goggles, revamp lens mount for correct 35mm frameline selection, focus tweaks.

Where did all those "junked" wide-angle goggles for M3s end up?

Some people had them added to their 21mm lenses, so that they could use the built-in 28mm framelines to frame a 21mm-view, without the need for an external viewfinder. 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/extremely-abrahamsson-leica-21mm-3-1815373483

The "shrinkage ratio" was not perfect for that combo (about 33% vs. 42%) - but close enough if one really wanted simultaneous focusing and framing with a 21mm lens (and before live view or EVFs).

[Kiwimac]

1 hour ago, dkCambridgeshire said:

If you'r referring to e.g., the Leitz 35mm f2.8 Summaron with M3 goggles, the goggles provide a 35mm FOV within the M11's viewfinder by scaling the 50mm framelines to show the wider 35mm view.  The goggled lens usually sells for £$€reasonable and within its aperture range is as good a performer as an early 35mm Summicron. 

It’s the equivalent of US$10,500.

 

“Leica MF 35mm F/1.4 Summilux Lens in M Mount with Goggles and OLLUX Hood”

Edited 6 hours ago by Kiwimac