Michael Tyler
Member
I've been shooting a 40mm on my M2, and today picked up an M7 as well. Does anyone know if the M7 35mm framelines work well enough for a 40mm? The M2's framelines are pretty great for it.
M7 framelines and 40mm
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maddoc
... likes film again.
Actually the M2 50mm frame-lines are better for 40mm focal length while in the case of the M7 the 35mm frame lines are better suited.
kokoshawnuff
Alex
If you purchased a "normal" stock M7, then it has a VF magnification of 0.72x which is the same as the M2. Therefore framing a 40mm should be no different
maddoc
... likes film again.
Nope. Until the M4-P (brass-top) all 0.72s VF had identical frame-line size, starting with the late M4-P Leica changed the size of the frame-lines (to adapt frame line coverage to a different focus distance).
kokoshawnuff
Alex
Interesting. Are you talking about the actual frames themselves or the relative spacing of the frames within the VF?
maddoc
... likes film again.
Actually the frame-line size itself was changed. Roland (ferider) made some very nice photos where he compared what is on the negative and what is visible at the same time in the VF for the older and newer Leica VF. 🙂
kokoshawnuff
Alex
Thanks for the info. The only 0.72x camera I've had was an M2...currently I have an M3 and M7 0.85x, so nothing for me to compare it to in person. I'll have to try to remember next time I have the opportunity to look at a modern and 'old' .72 VF in person
k__43
Registered Film User
I found the 35mm frame on my M2 covers only little more than the 40mm, a comparison between a 35mm lens and my 40mm and the 50 Cron DR showed that the 40 is clearly much closer to 35 than to 50
hrzlvn
Established
35mm on 0.72 VF is about showing 38mm actually.
Michael Tyler
Member
Yes, that's my experience with the M2. My question is are the framelines of more recent cameras like the M7 different than that, or has framline accuracy been consistent since the 1960s?
Harry Lime
Practitioner
The 35mm framelines on the M7 (and M6 and newer cameras) are closer to the fov of a 40 than a 35. Cameras from the M6 onward have a frameline mask that shows what will end up on the negative at 70 cm. The older cameras show 1 meter. So the area indicated by the framelines in the newer cameras is a little tighter.
As an example the 50mm markings in pre-M6 camera with the 1 meter mask are a good match for that focal length at most distances. In camera from the M6 forward the 50mm markings are closer to a 60mm at anything but the closest focusing distance (70cm).
Notice how for the M9 Leica went back to the 1 meter markings. With the instant feedback of shooting digital it became blatantly obvious just how far off the 70 cm mask really is.
The M8.2 even featured a 2 meter mask, which was even more accurate at normal working distances (2 meters to infinity).
I'm not sure what is on the new M 240.
The MP3 uses the old 1 meter mask and frames the most accurate of the modern cameras. I really wish Leica would offer this mask as an upgrade for M6 and newer cameras. The 70 cm mask is horrible for anything wider than 35mm. Probably the worst engineering decisions Leica has ever made.
jsrockit
Moderator
As with any framelines and a lens that is close in mm (40mm lens vs. 35mm framelines)... it'll be accurate somewhere between .7 meters and infinity. 😉
emiguevara
Member
The above is correct in my experience.
Another variable is which particular 40mm lens you are using. I haven't found exact figures, but I feel that the CV 40mm f1.4 is quite long (maybe around 43mm), while the Summicron-C/Rokkor is shorter, very close to 35mm.
Summing up, on a modern camera (M6, M7, MP, M8, M9), the CV 40mm is really half-way between the 35 and 50 framelines, while the Summicron-C/Rokkor is pretty exactly close to the 35 framelines.
On an older camera (M2, M4), the CV 40mm might be better off with the 50 framelines, while the Summicron-C/Rokkor still works better with the 35 frame, but it is not a very close match.
I've been told that 40mm works best on an M3 using the whole viewfinder, but I still haven't tried it.
Cheers!
Harry Lime
Practitioner
On a .72 body the entire viewfinder shows the fov of a 28mm quite accurately (no parallax compensation obviously)
Not sure about the M3 with it's .91 finder.
sparrow6224
Well-known
In any case for the OP's purposes it should be noted, and perhaps he knows already, that the 40mm Summicron brings up the 50mm framelines, not the 35mm, on the M7. I don't know about the other 40s. I've been using my Summicron C on my M6 and popping the preview lever to 35mm once in a while to check out what I'm actually photographing. But even with that it's guess work.
