M8 Bright Lines - Please Help!

[marktomaras]

Ok, I am about to get back into Leica. I miss my M6 dearly, so an M8 is in my near future. Here's the question that I can't find the answer to:

How EXACTLY do the brightlines in the M8 work? If I attach a 50mm lens, and a set of corresponding bright lines appear, are they calibrated to show me the adjusted field of view for a 50mm lens which is about 65mm, that is, will the lines be exact to the lens i attach, or will they be a true 50mm, forcing me to guess where the frame edge will be?

Leica says the bright lines are set in 3 pairs, as I am used to with my old M6: 24 and 35 mm/28 and 90 mm/50 and 75 mm

I plan to purchase a zeiss planar 50mm f/2 & a zeiss biogon 25 f/2.8
So, if the bright lines are perfect, the 24m & 50mm lines will show me what I am seeing with those lenses right?

Please explain....

(and if you have any opinions about the zeiss lenses, I'd love to hear them. I used Leica lenses in the past, but I can't afford them at the moment)


Cheers,
Mark

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Mark,

There'd be little point in frames that don't show the actual limits of the field of view, so that's more or less what they do. Only 'more or less', though, because these are the tightest frames I've ever encounterted. You can frame right to the edge of the brightline and there will still be more around the edge.

The 50/1.5 Sonnar is one of my favourite lenses on the M8.

The 24mm frame is keyed at the same time as 35mm; there is no 135mm frame (but the 135/2.8 'spectacles' lens, which brings up and magnifies the 90mm frame, is stunning on the M8).

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Andy Aitken]

Yes, the framelines are adjusted for the crop factor as you suggest. You get quite a bit more on the neg, ahem, sensor than the frames show though - much the same as happened on the M6. The only change with the frame pairs is that the 135mm frame is deleted and replaced with a 24mm frameline - which caught out some of the lensmakers a bit. The Zeiss 50mm will be fine but I believe the problem with the Zeiss 25mm is that it keys the 28mm frame so it needs to be modifed (time to get the file out again!) - although it could be that they've changed the mount by now. I don't have any Zeiss glass but most here seem to think they're damn near as good as Leica - and sometimes a bit better!

Oh, and welcome to RRF BTW...

 

[kbg32]

I agree with Roger. Also the 135 goggled Elmarit is a stunning performer on the M8, as is the CV 50 1.5 Nokton.

 

[jaapv]

I don't agree. The 135/2.8, although not a bad lens, is outperformed visibly by the 135/4.0 tele-elmarit. That one brings up the 90 mm framelines as well, by this simple trick: press the lens release button and rotate the lens to the stop. And is very close to the sensational 3.4/135 apo (same frame-line trick)

Isn't it great to have the choice between a very good fast, an outstanding slower and a industry standard lens? 🙂

 

[marktomaras]

Andy, are you sure?

Andy, are you sure?

The Zeiss 50mm will be fine but I believe the problem with the Zeiss 25mm is that it keys the 28mm frame so it needs to be modifed (time to get the file out again!) - although it could be that they've changed the mount by now.

How can I find out for sure? Anyone have a new zeiss biogon 25 zm and an M8? Please help, as the people at B&H were helpless. Sadly nobody carries the zm lenses near my place...

- Mark

 

[Avotius]

How can I find out for sure? Anyone have a new zeiss biogon 25 zm and an M8? Please help, as the people at B&H were helpless. Sadly nobody carries the zm lenses near my place...

- Mark

Drop a line to Tony at popflash, im sure he will help. You might also want to check out his prices before shopping anywhere else.

 

[Andy Aitken]

Perhaps someone who bought a 25mm Biogon recently can help us out here. Anyone?

BTW Mark, if you can suffer the lost stop of speed, the new CV25mm f4 is superb on the M8. Sharp, solid, tiny and about half the price. And it brings up the right frameline right out of the box...

 

[Andy Aitken]

Otherwise you can just get the Biogon and try it, if it brings up the 25mm frame, great. If it brings up the 28mm frame the DIY modification is pretty simple and painless.