M6 28mm lens help

[Hjortsberg]

Hello all.

I have an M3 and a 50mm lens and have enjoyed walking around my city and shooting for several years now. I use an external hand held light meter.

I've become interested in getting an M6 because of the built in meter. I'm also interested in trying out a wide angle lens, the 28mm.

However after some internet research I've become a bit confused. Is the 0.58 the best magnification for the 28mm on the M6? If I remember correctly (I haven't used any lens on my M3 but the 50mm) when you put the lens on the camera, the corresponding frame lines appear in the viewfinder and stay "locked" in, right?

If I'm understanding what I'm reading maybe the M6 isn't the Leica to get if I want to use a 28mm? But I like the built in meter idea.

Thanks for any help. I've tried the search function for this question without much luck. I've enjoyed the forum quietly for a couple of years now, especially the "book/publication" section.

Thanks in advance.

 

[YYV_146]

The M6 will auto-select the framelines for the 28mm. 0.58x finders are the best for wide lenses because you can see better, but focus accuracy will suffer a bit.

 

[FrozenInTime]

The necessity of the x0.58 is often overstated - but if you wear glasses you should heed it.
If not, you will be just fine with the x0.72 and 28mm.

 

[Hjortsberg]

The necessity of the x0.58 is often overstated - but if you wear glasses you should heed it.
If not, you will be just fine with the x0.72 and 28mm.

Thanks guys. A dumb question here: What's wearing or not wearing glasses have to do with anything? I do wear prescription (not sunglasses) glasses when I shoot.

Thanks! 🙂

 

[Hjortsberg]

The M6 will auto-select the framelines for the 28mm. 0.58x finders are the best for wide lenses because you can see better, but focus accuracy will suffer a bit.

Why will focus accuracy suffer?

 

[FrozenInTime]

Thanks guys. A dumb question here: What's wearing or not wearing glasses have to do with anything? I do wear prescription (not sunglasses) glasses when I shoot.

Thanks! 🙂

The eye point on the viewfinder is very short:
To see the whole of the viewfinder area you need to have eye very close to the port. If you wear glasses you are backed off and won't see the 28mm frame lines on the x0.72.

 

[Hjortsberg]

And the 0.58 M6 is the most expensive. Figures. Unless I owned one of course and was trying to sell it, then it would be common as dirt.😡

 

[Jerevan]

0.58x finders are the best for wide lenses because you can see better, but focus accuracy will suffer a bit.

... see better outside of the frames, that is. If you don't care for this particular thing, any old Leica M will do, using the whole rangefinder window as a 28 mm approximation.

Rangefinders are in many ways the ultimate approximation. 😉

 

[f16sunshine]

External Viewfinders are nice as well for framing.
Especially for a walk around lens where you may be pre-focussing often.
Maybe try buying the 28mm lens and an external vf for your M3 before committing to an M6.

 

[presspass]

I believe the only M6 that came with a .58 finder is the TTL version. The old style M6 was mostly .72 with a few .85 finders. I wear glasses and cannot see the 28 frames on a .72 finder; it works with the .58. The other options, although I don't know if either suits your needs, would be either a ZI or a Bessa R4.

 

[Hjortsberg]

External Viewfinders are nice as well for framing.
Especially for a walk around lens where you may be pre-focussing often.
Maybe try buying the 28mm lens and an external vf for your M3 before committing to an M6.

So if I get a 28mm lens, my M3 doesn't have the frame lines for it and I have to get an external vf?

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Presspass is right: the M6TTL came in three varieties, the 0.58, 0.72 and 0.85. The M6 (plain) was only 0.72, with only a few copies with the 0.85 magnification.

Now, I have shot with a Leica M6TTL and an Elmarit 28mm. My camera has a 0.72 viewfinder magnification & I wear glasses. You want the M6 and a 28mm lens? Go ahead and buy them. As long as you get used to the fact that the field of view is almost the entire viewfinder, you'll do fine. And the M6 came with a nice rubber ring around the VF, so it won't scratch any type of eyeglass you wear.

Hope this helps! 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

So if I get a 28mm lens, my M3 doesn't have the frame lines for it and I have to get an external vf?

With the M3, I'd say yes. The VF in the M3 is large for the 50mm FOV, but not wide enough to give you an idea of what the 28mm lens will cover. But with an M3 and a 50mm lens... who needs a wide angle lens?

 

[Hjortsberg]

Presspass is right: the M6TTL came in three varieties, the 0.58, 0.72 and 0.85. The M6 (plain) was only 0.72, with only a few copies with the 0.85 magnification.

Now, I have shot with a Leica M6TTL and an Elmarit 28mm. My camera has a 0.72 viewfinder magnification & I wear glasses. You want the M6 and a 28mm lens? Go ahead and buy them. As long as you get used to the fact that the field of view is almost the entire viewfinder, you'll do fine. And the M6 came with a nice rubber ring around the VF, so it won't scratch any type of eyeglass you wear.

Hope this helps! 🙂

That doesn't seem like it would be terribly difficult to do. Seems like it might be a little easier then fretting about frame lines in the VF. I'm never really doing anything critical. Just walking and taking pictures. 😎

 

[jschrader]

That doesn't seem like it would be terribly difficult to do. Seems like it might be a little easier then fretting about frame lines in the VF. I'm never really doing anything critical. Just walking and taking pictures. 😎

I have an M6 (classic, with 0.72 finder) and I have difficulties with my 35 mm lens (with glasses). I survive somehow and do not have much difficulties with framing, but I would perfer the 0.58 only for 35mm, not to speak of 28mm.

Maybe others have less problems, but I would recommend to try to find a camera to test it - with glasses on.

 

[Huss]

I sometimes use my M3 + 28mm lens with the Voigtlander metal 28mm VF.
That VF is actually incredibly nice to use. And looks super cool on the camera! (get the silver one)

 

[robbeiflex]

I think this is a combination of how close you can get your eye to the vf and how critical is the framing for you. I see the 35mm frame lines fine on my M6 with my glasses and the 28mm almost not at all. If I need to frame carefully with the 28, which is rare, I take off my glasses after focusing and then shoot. This slows me down of course, but like I said it is rare so I don't care. There is also the fact that I might move the camera and affect the focus, but with the 28 there is enough dof that it is not an issue for me.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[k__43]

I have no glasses and the 28mm frame lines of my 0.72 M6 were not comfortable for me at all. I sold my CV 28/3.5 because I rather use a 25/4 w/ external finder. The lens is great tho .. one of the best I had.

 

[Hjortsberg]

why is the 0.58 more expensive and rare?

 

[Hjortsberg]

I think this is a combination of how close you can get your eye to the vf and how critical is the framing for you. I see the 35mm frame lines fine on my M6 with my glasses and the 28mm almost not at all. If I need to frame carefully with the 28, which is rare, I take off my glasses after focusing and then shoot. This slows me down of course, but like I said it is rare so I don't care. There is also the fact that I might move the camera and affect the focus, but with the 28 there is enough dof that it is not an issue for me.

Cheers,
Rob

is your m6 the classic 0.72?