Quick Questions about Ultron 28mm f/2

[wilonstott]

How much of the viewfinder (Leica .72--I'll be using it with an M4-P) is blocked by the lens?

Is it useable (I realize this is somewhat of a subjective question), or is an external viewfinder a must?

Also--how big a deal is the focus shift in real world applications? Does it tend to back-focus or front-focus (not sure i'm articulating myself--does it focus infront or behind the intended focus target?)

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[mfogiel]

As far as focus shift is concerned, look here:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75314&highlight=ultron+focus+shift
On my 0.68x M7 it blocks about 5% of the VF (with the hood on), so it should block less on a 0.72x VF. A nice lens, and just about the right size.

 

[Arjay]

I have the Ultron, but I am using it on a Hexar RF. The camera has a viewfinder with .6x magnification, and this combo is quite useable without an external VF, even for someone like me who wears glasses. The lens blocks about 5% of the viewfinder's field of view (the Hexar's VF arrangement is quite similar to that of the Leica), which is acceptable to me.

So, I think the combo is indeed useable without an external viewfinder. I guess it really boils down to how well you can live with the 28mm VF framelines in your camera.

As to focus shift, I have not observed this effect in my negatives, but I predominantly shoot Tri-X (which is a bit grainy), so YMMV.

BTW - what's the equivalent of a pixel-peeper in the analog (film) world?

 

[wilonstott]

Thanks guys--good to know.

 

[Bruin]

I get a tiny bit of the VF blocked on my Zeiss Ikon. Having parallax-corrected framelines is worth it, compared to an external VF.

On film, the focus shift is all but invisible. It's not even noticeable to all the digital shooters.