Viewfinder, Frameline, - HELP!!!!!!!

[harmsr]

OK let me explain my request for opinions.

Facts:

- I wear eyeglasses.
- I have an M7 (.72) early body (27xxxxxx without MP condensor upgrade) & an M5.
- The M7 finder is much brighter than the M5.
- The M5 seems to have more eye relief for me with my glasses.
- I love the 50 frame line on the M5. I also seem to be able to use 35 frame line on the M5 better than the M7.
- The 50 / 75 frame line on my M7 is distracting to me.
- I can shoot the 75 on my M5 just fine even though it doesn't have a frame line. Very easy to estimate based on the 50 line.
- I have 28, 35, 50, 75 lenses. My primary lens is the 50 with 35 being second. The 75 is basically for portrait. The 28 rarely gets used because I have to use an external finder to frame.
- My 50s are the 1.4 Lux ASPH (black) and the 2.0 Cron DR (silver)
- The silver lens looks weird on the black body.
- I really don't use the auto on the M7.
- I like the large shutter speed dials on both the M7 and M5.
- My M7 and M5 shutter speed dials turn in opposite directions which is confusing.




Basically what I'm considering doing is trading the M7 in on an MP type body in silver, but I don't know about a few points.

- rewind crank on the MP - is it troublesome compared to the M7?
- Should I go with a .72 or .58 finder? If I choose a .58 finder to use the 35 and 28 more, does the 50 frame line become to small for use with the 50 and 75 lenses?
- Should I just go with one of the new MP3 bodies that is .72 and has only 35, 50, 90 frame lines? Much cleaner finder for me. I also don't use the 28 much.
- Should I just go a la carte and get an MP with the M7 top and 35,50,90 frame lines.

So many choices and I'm just not sure which way to go. The M7 is the one up for trades, my M5 is staying.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Ray

 

[Gman]

Ray-

I have some thoughts on your questions/issues with the MP vs M7-

The rewind crank is much easier to use on the M7. However, you can get one of the cranks from Photo Equip that fits over the MP crank- it works really well and is far superior to the Leica item that's about 2x the price. You can check it out on the Photo Village web site (and Rich at Photo Village is a great guy to deal with- like the Tony Rose of the East Coast!)

The .58 finder is great for the 28 and 35 frame lines. The 50 lines are still pretty usable, but if they are too small for you, you could always add the 1.25x magnifier which would bring the finder back up to .72 when shooting 50/75/90.

As far as the MP3 goes- what can you say? It's a gorgeous camera and wonderful to hold and use but very pricey. If you only need those 3 frame lines then it's a great uncluttered viewfinder. It also depends on how many mouths you have to feed...

If you go a la carte you can get exactly what you want- that too is an expensive proposition, but hey you only live once. The only thing about getting just a few frame selections is that you might one day want that 75 lens- the new 2.0 asph is a great lens. If you can get 50/75 with the a la carte that's what I would do.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Jeff

 

[Doug]

The rewind knob is fine with me, and even improved on the MP to not spin back if you lose your grip on it. The tilted rewind crank... well I suppose one can get used to it. 🙂

If you think you might like the 28mm and use it if there were convenient parallax-corrected framelines, then a .58x finder would be great. That would surely be my choice because I love the 28mm (and use it on my CLE, which has .6x VF). At that magnification, 50mm is still fine but the 90mm frame is getting pretty small.

My first thought was to suggest a .58x M6 Classic, maybe have the VF upgraded. If you don't want 75mm frames then maybe an M4... but then you don't get .58x I think. You could have an MP put together with the frames you want and a rewind crank, even, so there's your "perfect" custom body... if you're willing to pay the price.

 

[harmsr]

Jeff & Doug,

Thanks for the comments. I have been struggling on this for a while.

I looked at my photos a lot and realized that I really don't use the 28, not only because of the framelines but that it gives a different depth and perspective which is not me. Since deciding to drop the 28, it looks like staying with a .72 VF is my best choice.

I also really don't like the "cluttered" multiple frame lines on the M7. The single 35 and 50 work best for me. Using the 75 with the 50 frame line as a guide, is really not an issue for me.

So I traded out of M7 and 28, and into a new MP3 body.

It is coming tomorrow. Hurray.

Thanks,

Ray

 

[Doug]

Wow, congratulations on the forthcoming MP3, Ray! That sounds like a luscious choice, well thought-out. Sort of a re-creation of the M2, plus some modern updates, don't you think?

 

[Gman]

Beautiful camera and handles like a dream- you won't regret it (maybe some bag lunches and frozen dinners- but what the hell) 😛

Jeff

 

[harmsr]

The advantage here (keeps me away from the frozen dinners) is that I was trading equipment.

I love using the M5 except when the light on the camera is low and I can't see the meter. I do like being able to see the shutter speeds inside the M7 finder, but it turns opposite to the M5. The MP3 gets me consitency on the shutter speed dial and a meter which I can use in low light.

I have also really wanted my second body to be chrome.

So I traded the M7, because I just couldn't resist the classic looks of the MP3. This gets me the viewfinder/frames that I think will work best in a silver body, that should hopefully hold its value. It also got me a body now (instant gratification - you know) without have to go a la carte and wait several months.

Best,

Ray

 

[jim0266]

Too bad Leica didn't go really retro on the MP3 and make the frameline coverage area the same as on the older Leicas. Then the MP3 would be the reborn Leica M2-R, perhaps THE best Leica M of all time.