visiondr
cyclic iconoclast
I'm thinking about either buying a new M with a .85 finder or retrofitting my MP with a .85. My widest wide for use with the built-in finder will be 35mm (anything else will have an external finder). I have a .72 finder in my MP and know the coverage the 28mm framelines give. The question is: does the .85 finder allows for more or less "breathing room" around the frame for 35mm vs the .72 finder and the 28mm frame? It seems from the Leica frameline comparisons on their website and the MP manual that the 35mm framelines in the .85 give just a bit more open space around the outside (i.e., easier to see the whole frame without peering around the viewfinder). Can someone with both finders compare them for me?
aizan
Veteran
they're pretty much the same.
visiondr
cyclic iconoclast
Thanks for checking. It seems any difference would be pretty small anyway.
peter_n
Veteran
They are more or less the same. I find a 35mm usable on a 0.85 mag VF but prefer to use it on the 0.72 mag because of the extra room around the framelines.
R
rich815
Guest
Seems others directly addressed your question but let me add something. If you wear glasses and 35mm will be a predominant length you use then get the 0.72. If you do not wear glasses and especially if you plan to use 90mm frequently I'd get the 0.85. I have the 0.85 on my MP and although I'm 50/50 sometimes glasses and sometimes contact lenses I find that although the 35mm framelines are sort of tough to see overall with my glasses I find it ok because I'm not overly concerned with exact framing myself. And I much prefer the 0.85 as I shoot 50mm about 75% of the time and it's perfect IMO for 50mm. That plus I use my 75mm and 90mm lenses about as much as the 35mm (all three evenly split in use in that other 25% of use) and the 0.85 I feel is best for 75/90 use.
FrankS
Registered User
Ditto what Rich said. I have an M6 with .85. I use 50mm the most and it is great. When I do use a 35mm lens, I can't see all the frame lines at once because I wear glasses, but it's no biggie. But if you wear glasses and plan to use 35 a lot, get the .72 finder.
Chris101
summicronia
Glasses aside, it all depends on how much stuff you want to see outside the frame. When watching action or visual lines, it's a real treat to use the low mag finder.
visiondr
cyclic iconoclast
All good points. Thank you. I don't wear glasses (yet). So, the .85 sounds like an option. I'd really like to try it out first.