Collapsible Options

[david.elliott]

You can use the 50mm framelines & just imagine a border around it, roughly equivalent to the entire VF in the M3. To deal w/the eye relief problem (I can see most of the area around the 50mm frames in the M3 w/my glasses, but I feel your pain), if you're right-eyed, try keeping both eyes open when focusing/framing.

None of this is perfect, but I think you may find that it is workable, though much depends on your style of shooting (if I cared a lot about precise framing, I would shoot SLRs more often).

I cant really see the entire framelines because I use my left eye. If I use my right, I can though.

I should just go ahead and get contact lenses again, but that would mean waking up earlier in the morning to put them in. 😛

 

[david.elliott]

I have only shot two rolls with the lens so far so I can't fairly say. I have read that the bokeh is quite nice.

Okay, thanks. 🙂

 

[Tom A]

David, it sounds like the vI 50 Elmar f2.8 would fit your "pocket". The hood problem can be solved by grabbing some 39mm filters (remember the "color" correction ones that nobody wants?) and pop out the glass and stick 3-4 of then on the front of the lens - you could also spring for a vII hood, though, being Leica the filter route is probably cheaper. The original hood for the vI is big and defeas the whole purpose of a collapsible lens. Oh, there a lots of vI shots on Flickr to peruse too.

 

[vrgard]

Note that you can also use the very nice modern Elmar cylindrical hood on the vII Elmar lens. That's what I use and it's a perfect fit/match. Extends the front of the lens out just a bit but not so much as to be objectionable.

-Randy

 

[Erik van Straten]

The collapsible Summicron 50mm is a great lens. See my M8 test on 50mm lenses on Flickr. The collapsible Summicron was the winner, the rigid Summicron was very close second.

Erik.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erik_van_straten/sets/72157618788564480/

 

[david.elliott]

Thanks for all the help everybody.

I think what I will do is keep my eyes open for an elmar in the classifieds. If I dont manage to find one within a decent period of time, I'll go for the CV 50/2.5.

🙂