Thumbs up for Megaperls 1.3x magnifier

[jlw]

Today was my first serious shooting session with the 1.3x eyepiece magnifier I ordered from Megaperls (from whom I got terrific service, by the way.)

The view through the magnifier is very clear, and the extra magnification greatly increased my confidence in using longer, faster lenses on my R-D 1.

The extra magnification also meant that the only finder frameline my bespectacled viewing eye could see was the 50mm one, which could be somewhat inconvenient in shooting situations in which the 50 was being alternated with a 28 and/or 35 (the magnifier screws into the eyepiece, so removing it isn't exactly an instant operation.)

However, it wasn't a drawback today, since the lenses I was using were the 50/1.5 Nokton, for which I could see the frameline easily; a 21mm f/2.8 Kobalux/Avenon, which requires an accessory finder anyway; and a 100mm f/2 Canon, which also requires an accessory finder. This meant that with the 21 and 100 I'd focus through the range/viewfinder, then transfer my eye to the auxiliary finder to frame the shot. I'd have had to do that anyway even without the magnifier, and the extra magnification made it easier to get accurate focus, which is especially critical with the sharp-but-demanding 100.

So, this accessory gets my thumbs-up.

I was interested to note on the Megaperls site, though, some text that hadn't been there when I ordered my magnifier: "ATTENTION: due to Leica patent restrictions, this product is not available to customers in Germany and the United States of America!" Glad I got mine before the lawyers got their licks in! And if the customs agents come knocking at my door, I plan to tell them that "magnifier" stuff was just to fool the Japanese authorities -- the gizmo I imported is actually a very tiny gun, my right to own which is Constitutionally protected!

Here are a few pix (from a studio rehearsal for the new Arcanum contemporary dance ensemble) showing examples where I thought the magnifier was especially helpful. All were shot at full aperture with the 50/1.5 or 100/2 lens, using EI 1600.

Incidentally, all these were shot in the R-D 1's raw mode, and I applied the toning and vignetting effects using Adobe Lightroom beta 3; still struggling a bit with this, but it's getting a bit easier the more I struggle!

 

[Peter Klein]

Interesting. Before, they had a "patent restriction" text up for the Leica magnifiers only. Now, it's on the magnifier that fits the R-D1, Bessa etc. Does this mean that Leica is claiming a patent on any magnifying device with a gallilean telescope that affixes to an eyepiece? Sounds awfully broad to me.

Note that the 0.85x "reducer," though called a magnifier, does not have the "patent restriction" text on it.

Nice pictures! The R-D1 is quite viable at ISO 1600 in B&W. Certainly smoother than Neopan 1600, though I suspect Neopan has a bit more dynamic range when developed exactly right.

--Peter

--Peter

 

[Chuck A]

This is annoying. If you are in the USA you can't order a magnifier for the Bessa cameras because Leica has a patent on magnifiers for ALL rangefinders. That doesn't seem right. I have an R3A but was considering getting an R2A and a magnifier for the longer lenses.

So, if you want a magnifier Leica is going to try to force you to buy their magnifier and one of their cameras. Why would Leica consider making people angry to be a good marketing strategy? I can see them having a patent for their own magnifier but, for all rangefinders?

 

[rxmd]

So does that mean that I, being in Germany, will have to ask a Dutch friend to import it for me?

This is ridiculous, but definitely Leica-style, given how they sat upon their vaguely worded horizontally-travelling shutter patents in the 1930s and 40s.

Philipp

 

[jlw]

This is annoying. If you are in the USA you can't order a magnifier for the Bessa cameras because Leica has a patent on magnifiers for ALL rangefinders. That doesn't seem right.

The really annoying thing is that Leica wouldn't actually need a valid patent. All they'd have to do is have their law firm write a mildly threatening letter. Megaperls, being a very small company, probably couldn't afford to risk fighting the issue in court, even if it were likely to win. After all, this isn't a particularly expensive accessory, and they'd have to sell an implausible number of them to recover their legal fees.

That's how it works under the legal-system version of the Golden Rule: "He who has the gold makes the rules."

 

[Rich Silfver]

That's how it works under the legal-system version of the Golden Rule: "He who has the gold makes the rules."

In this case it was more along the lines of 'He who invents it and locks in the patent controls the rights'. Many solid, prosperous American companies also rely upon that legal right.

 

[jlw]

In this case it was more along the lines of 'He who invents it and locks in the patent..

Got a patent number? It stretches my credulity a bit that Leica would be able successfully to patent such a utilitarian device, especially considering that Japanese SLR manufacturers have been offering add-on eyepiece magnifiers for many years. In fact, we've had posts on RFF from people who use Nikon's magnifier (with the appropriate D50/D70 adapter) on Bessas and R-D 1s.

 

[Rich Silfver]

Keep in mind that most patents are only valid for 20 years.

When it comes to this particular patent I belive the German patent# is
DE20201592U1 and the American equivalant is US6,621,986B2 / 6621986 - but have not read up on them.

This was filed in 2003: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6621986.pdf

You may want to search further on http://freepatentsonline.com/

Also, to quote the patens laws in the US:
The right conferred by the patent grant is, in the language of the statute and of the grant itself, “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the invention in the United States or “importing” the invention into the United States. What is granted is not the right to make, use, offer for sale, sell or import, but the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling or importing the invention.

 

[anselwannab]

Patents, have gotten out of hand. Examiners need to get out more, but I think they can't figure out a novel device like a door handle.

I'm a chemist by training, paints and coatings for the past 15 years, and the number of patents I see that are in the "Duh!" category are incredible. Maybe specialization and technology have made 'Non-obvious" not so obvious, but it is really a pain. Most of these BS patents would be thrown out, but who wants to fight it?

Plus, patents were to foster innovation and progress, they are used more now it seems by patent laywers to shave money off of companies that are actually trying to make something.

Not that I have an opinion on it or anything.

Mark

 

[rxmd]

OTOH this got me really interested in the magnifier 😉

You're using it on an R-D1, right? Ever put it on a Bessa? With my unbespectackled eyes, would I be able to see the 35mm frameline on a Bessa R with its 0.7 magnifier? The R's rangefinder image is not small, but still it would aid focusing accuracy with faster and longer lenses.

Philipp

 

[jlw]

Keep in mind that most patents are only valid for 20 years.

When it comes to this particular patent I belive the German patent# is
DE20201592U1 and the American equivalant is US6,621,986B2 / 6621986 - but have not read up on them.

This was filed in 2003: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6621986.pdf

Thanks for the link. Well, I'll be darned -- they actually DID manage to secure a patent on a generic viewfinder magnifier, exactly the same device that Japanese SLR manufacturers have been offering since the 1950s. Apparently they pulled it off by specifying that it's for use on a rangefinder camera.

There's nothing new or "inventive" about the optical principles used, the components of the device, or its construction. I assume that's why the patent text spends so much time talking about its specific applicability to a rangefinder camera.

I wonder if that means Megaperls could get around the restrictions by offering the magnifier with its little adapter that allows it to be used on Nikon D50/D70 SLRs. Since Nikon and various independents already offer a similar magnifier, nobody could claim this would be covered by Leica's patent. Those in the know would just know that if you unscrewed the adapter, the magnifier would just happen to fit the Bessas and R-D 1.

Meanwhile -- wow, if the Patent Office is such dupes that they'd allow a patent for a very slightly different application of a device that's been around since the time of Gallileo, the possibilities are endless. I wonder if I could get a patent on the wheel, or the hammer, or fire, or sex...

 

[pfogle]

... I wonder if I could get a patent on the wheel, or the hammer, or fire, or sex...

I think sex has already been taken 🙁

but you could try for the wheel (if you can re-invent it 😉 )

 

[Ukko Heikkinen]

"Thumbs up for Megaperls 1.3x magnifier "

I second that.

No problems in Finland.

Ukko Heikkinen

 

[jaapv]

Meanwhile -- wow, if the Patent Office is such dupes that they'd allow a patent for a very slightly different application of a device that's been around since the time of Gallileo, the possibilities are endless. I wonder if I could get a patent on ...................or sex...

What different application of the device did you have in mind?

 

[anselwannab]

I might file a patent on the process of filing for a patent. Ok, maybe I'll restrict it to if you use a computer to produce the documents.

 

[JapanExposures]

Hello all, I am happy to hear you're all happy with those little things. I am using the 1.35 on my 0.58 M6 and it works very well too!

As for the patents... a long story, but rest assured that I have discussed and thought a lot about this and the bottom line is that it is a patented device and illegal to import to US and Germany. The manufacturer and myself are keen to stay in the clear on this. Time to make friends in Canada, the Netherlands etc.

Lastly a question for you all: a potential customer is asking me if the magnifier can also be used on a Zeiss Ikon. I don't own one of those, perhaps one of you can comment.

Regards

Dirk
(Megaperls Webshop)

 

[pfogle]

Hello all, I am happy to hear you're all happy with those little things. I am using the 1.35 on my 0.58 M6 and it works very well too!

As for the patents... a long story, but rest assured that I have discussed and thought a lot about this and the bottom line is that it is a patented device and illegal to import to US and Germany. The manufacturer and myself are keen to stay in the clear on this. Time to make friends in Canada, the Netherlands etc.

Lastly a question for you all: a potential customer is asking me if the magnifier can also be used on a Zeiss Ikon. I don't own one of those, perhaps one of you can comment.

Regards

Dirk
(Megaperls Webshop)

Dirk, since the eyepiece on the R-D1 is the same screw thread as the Nikon FM/E etc, is it not perfectly legal to sell them in the states as eyepieces for these cameras? You could even state that they are NOT to be used on a rangefinder because of the patent 😉

 

[kidigital]

Anybody in Canada or Europe want to help me out in purchasing one of Dirk's magnifiers? I'm assuming that I could send a paypal payment to someone in another country and have Dirk ship the product to my address in the US?

Kurt

 

[mattmills]

Dirk, since the eyepiece on the R-D1 is the same screw thread as the Nikon FM/E etc, is it not perfectly legal to sell them in the states as eyepieces for these cameras? You could even state that they are NOT to be used on a rangefinder because of the patent 😉

this is actually how a lot of pot users get their supplies. All the pipes are marked "for tobacco only" which is how shops get away with selling them. But I'm getting off topic. I'd buy a magnifier marked tobacc... I mean SLR only. and put it on my 5D. Yeah, that's exactly where it'd go.

 

[pfogle]

this is actually how a lot of pot users get their supplies. All the pipes are marked "for tobacco only" which is how shops get away with selling them. But I'm getting off topic. I'd buy a magnifier marked tobacc... I mean SLR only. and put it on my 5D. Yeah, that's exactly where it'd go.

lol - I ain't sayin' nothin' 😉