mindlessdocumentation Posted August 20, 2008 Share #1 Posted August 20, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi there, primarily a lurker here. I did a brief search on my query and didn't see what I was looking for. I'm wondering if it's possible to get a .58 viewfinder put into my M6, and, if so, who can do it. I almost always use a 35mm lens and am unable to view the frame lines when I wear glasses. Thanks for any advice in this matter! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 20, 2008 Posted August 20, 2008 Hi mindlessdocumentation, Take a look here Viewfinder Replacement. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted August 20, 2008 Share #2 Posted August 20, 2008 A lurker with 4.29bn posts? Leica can do all sorts of things with viewfinders. Drop them a line, or call your local Leica agent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Ridyard Posted August 20, 2008 Share #3 Posted August 20, 2008 I recently asked a Leica technician the very same question for the exact same reason. He told me that it is indeed possible, but that it would be costly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindlessdocumentation Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted August 20, 2008 All things Leica-related are costly. But it's the only thing I don't like about my M6 and cheaper (though nowhere near as fun) than buying a second M-series camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
veraikon Posted August 20, 2008 Share #5 Posted August 20, 2008 there are third party 0.85 eye piece lenses which convert a .072 finder to an 0.6 finder. Look at the evil bay Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mongrelnomad Posted August 21, 2008 Share #6 Posted August 21, 2008 Just got off the phone from Solms - thinking about doing the same to my MP. Technician said they'd be happy to do it: 400 Euros for you sir. 8 week turnaround, not including shipping... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bastian A. Posted August 21, 2008 Share #7 Posted August 21, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) It might be cheaper to buy a M6 TTL 0.58 and to sell your M6 - and faster. It is a pleasure to use the 0.58 finder with a 35mm lens ... (I wear glasses, too, and use a M6 TTL 0,58) B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted August 21, 2008 Share #8 Posted August 21, 2008 Depends on where you live. Don Goldberg or Sherry Krauter and do a swap for you. Sherry turned my .85 in to a .72. Cost was about $400. If the camera didn't have sentimental value to me, I probably would have sold it and bought a .72 instead... : :LHSA : : Independent Camera Repair Facilities Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindlessdocumentation Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted August 21, 2008 Same. I want to keep the camera. Thanks for the responses! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted August 22, 2008 Share #10 Posted August 22, 2008 Take a look at the list thrid posted. Don Goldberg is completetely & utterly swamped with work and is not returning lenses or bodies for months now, and doesn't have the time to hold his fretful customers by the hand. I love Don, he's the only Leica tech I've ever used and he does incredible work but I don't think I'm going to send him stuff for a while. Do your due diligence on Sherry Krauter. You're on the west coast so Steve Choi of Steve's Camera in LA (top of the LHSA list) looks like a real possibility. Excellent reviews for him on photo.net and RFF. Worth looking into. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted August 22, 2008 Share #11 Posted August 22, 2008 Seems to me that there is a business opportunity here, for someone with the right skills, tools and training. Do Solms offer training to third parties for servicing work? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hiles Posted August 22, 2008 Share #12 Posted August 22, 2008 You might check with Gerry Smith at Kindermann in Toronto. They/he does outstanding work, with great commitment and delivery on quality work. And my recent experience is that they are relatively fast - I had a problem requiring dismantling done with 3 week turnaround door-to-door. Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted August 22, 2008 Share #13 Posted August 22, 2008 Seems to me that there is a business opportunity here, for someone with the right skills, tools and training. Do Solms offer training to third parties for servicing work? Andy you're absolutely right, there is a business opportunity. Leica seems to have no interest in it however. They want to keep servicing in-house and there is very little support for independant Leica technicians. At one point a number of years ago I seem to recall that Leica tried to stop supplying indies with parts here in the US and there was a general outcry and they relented. I've used Leica NJ a number of times and have personally found their work to be of high quality. They are especially good about items that are still covered by a Passport warranty and in many cases have gone above and beyond what was necessary to just strictly get the job done. However since the M8 came along they have been just overwhelmed on both the lens side and the body side and a lot of work gets shipped to Solms with varying results. We've all read the posts on this forum about Leica's apparent inability to get certain lenses to focus properly on the M8, I think this is true of both Solms and Leica NJ. It seems there's a resource issue in both places, they both need more staff and quality staff too. It is ironic that Leica won't certify independents, because in many cases the 3rd party guys really know what they're doing. People who have sent a lens to Solms more than once because of backfocus issues have eventually sent it to DAG. Don of course was able to fix these lenses perfectly the first time. Where training would come in is with the more modern cameras. The indies are wonderful with the mechanics but not so much with the electronics in the M7 and M8. I think if you have an electronics related problem in these cameras they have to go to Leica. Its kind of analogous with cars, I've always driven Volvos and had them serviced by a wonderful local indie mechanic. The latest car is an XC70 which is essentially a computer on wheels with a LAN, firmware downloads from Sweden to fix problems, etc., etc. I have to take it to the dealer to get it serviced... Don is the only independant Leica tech I've used but I'm looking for an alternative becuse I have a stack of work to be done and don't want to wait for a year. Business is up, rangefinders are a niche but apparently a growing one. I think Leica is missing out on having happier customers by not supporting these 3rd party shops. At the very least, they should certify for lens and mechanical camera work until the electronics side of the business settles down, and they should promote 3rd party shops on their website so that customers have a choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrid Posted August 22, 2008 Share #14 Posted August 22, 2008 If Don is swamped check with Sherry at Golden Touch and Kindermann. Sherry is about as good as they come and so is Gerry at Kinderman. I've used both of them and Don. The nice thing about Kinderman is their fast turnaround time. Gerry rebuilt my M4 and had it back to me in 2-3 weeks. First rate work. Leica NJ is also good. They were backlogged for a while with M8 bodies, but seem to have caught up. They serviced my R6.2 and cleaned some lenses. Good work and fast turnaround. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindlessdocumentation Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share #15 Posted August 26, 2008 Thanks for the advice, people! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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