Did early M2's have smaller windows?

[leicamshooter]

On cameraquest's list of M serial numbers, it states that early M2's had smaller windows. Can anyone elaborate on this? Was it a smaller viewfinder window... less eye relief using the 35mm frameline?

 

[Erik van Straten]

The early push-button rewind M2's had a slightly smaller rangefinder window, with sharp corners. Later ones were slightly bigger and had rounded corners.
The eyepiece - entrance pupil - on the early ones are oval, while later they were rectangular. On the M4 they are oval again, but now top and bottom are rounded, not the sides, as on the earliest M2's. Sounds more complicated than it is, actually.
The biggest difference is however the frame lightning window. On the earliest M2's they are made of glass, with a smooth front surface and a knurled back. On later M2's they are made of plastic with on the outside reflecting prisms.

Erik.

 

[JohnTF]

Was the focusing aid also added, the DOF indicator in the viewfinder? Did this go hand in hand with the other changes? I have a button rewind, but it has the notches in the top and bottom of the RF frame.

Regards, John

 

[Erik van Straten]

John,

To my knowledge, all M2's had the dept of field notches. Why, no one knows.

Erik.

 

[JohnTF]

John,

To my knowledge, all M2's had the dept of field notches. Why, no one knows.

Erik.

I don't think it is a bad idea, if you are sticking to one lens. ;-)

I think I have one with and one without.

I never heard anyone talk about actually using them.

Regards, John

 

[Al Kaplan]

It'd be great if you could remove the "Film Reminder" dial from the back door and replace it with a "notch reminder dial" so you could remember what they stood for.

 

[JohnTF]

It'd be great if you could replace the "Film Reminder" dial from the back door and replace it with a "notch reminder dial" so you could remember what they stood for.

Well, one is for one f stop--- yeah, I would have to look in the book, if they remained serious about it, I supposed they would have also marked the lenses.

Still it reminds you to shoot when you get close if something is happening? Not exactly AF.

John

 

[gcsk76]

Sorry to hijack your thread leicamshooter,

Can someone show me how a DOF notches look like? Thanks.

 

[Artorius]

They represent the 50mm lens' DOF, the wider top part is for f/16, and the lower is for f/5.6.

You can download the M2 Manual here;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/pdf/leica_m2_manual.pdf

 

[JohnTF]

I never noticed the notches until I read it in a Leica book, but it is interesting, if you are really in a hurry to get a shot, I can see the utility.

John

 

[gcsk76]

They represent the 50mm lens' DOF, the wider top part is for f/16, and the lower is for f/5.6.

You can download the M2 Manual here;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joechan/pdf/leica_m2_manual.pdf

Thanks Artorius.

Now I understand well.