Which VF set for MP?

[crittertoo]

Hi there,

I am torn between the 0.72 and the 0.72-3 frame sets. I like the 0.72-3 frame set as the 35/50/90 frame appears one at a time but the trade of is I am limited to those lens. With the 0.72, least I get a wide and a tele (135).

Just of out curiosity, how much does a new VF cost for the MP cost?

thanks for your forth coming comments....

great forum....i am going to like it here...🙂

 

[DNG]

Don't know on the MP, but my M5 had a VF upgrade from it's 2nd previous owner. (added 2 frames) to have a 28/90, 35/135. 50/75, Sherry charges around $300.00. M5 OEM was 35/135, 50/90 I believe. The OEM 50 with meter guide is still in tact.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Two frames at a time is distracting at first but you get used to it. And if you like 75mm...

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Cheers,

R.

 

[dh-photo]

Hello! 🙂

If you already own a .72 finder, you can send your camera to Leica to have it masked. What they do is put a mask inside the frame-line window, and this mask blocks out the light for certain frame-lines. In your case (and mine too), the mask installed would block out the 28mm, 75mm and 135mm frame-lines. I've had my MP masked so it shows only the 35mm, 50mm and 90mm frame-lines.

Masking your viewfinder is reversible. If you don't like it, send it back to Leica and have them remove the mask. Buying a .72-3 viewfinder and you're stuck forever. I forgot how much the masking cost... not much, but it's the German labor that was expensive! Without knowing for sure, buying a brand new .72-3 viewfinder would be way more expensive than just a mask.

Me personally, I shoot 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. I don't have the 28mm frame-line anymore, but for me the 28mm focal-length is pretty much just everything I can see through the .72 viewfinder. I use the edges of the viewfinder roughly as my 28mm frame-line.

Hope that helped you out.

/David

PS.: If you do send your camera to Leica, consider having other changes done to it. Such as black hot shoe, black shutter ring and maybe vulcanite covering? Just some ideas.

 

[sepiareverb]

I've got an a la carte M7 in .58 with the reduced frameline set, and an MP3 with the 35/50/90 set. Don't really see the point. I'm not at all distracted by the 'extra' lines, and actually use them in my other bodies. Had my M5 upgraded to include all the lines.

My advice? Don't pay extra to have less.

 

[peter_n]

Both crittertoo and dh-photo - welcome to the forum! 🙂 Like sepiareverb above, I also use both and like both. However I like the solitary frame lines more. If you only see yourself ever using a 35/50/90 kit with one body then get the other frames masked.

 

[glchua]

Two frames at a time is distracting at first but you get used to it. And if you like 75mm...

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Cheers,

R.

I second that. The additional framelines are also useful to get straight verticals etc. Maybe I'm used to the grid lines on my nikon's E screen.

 

[dogberryjr]

I'd be happy to lose my 75 and 135 framelines. I just don't want to pay a fortune to get there.

 

[dh-photo]

Both crittertoo and dh-photo - welcome to the forum! 🙂 ...

Thanks Peter! 😉

I've got an a la carte M7 in .58 with the reduced frameline set, and an MP3 with the 35/50/90 set. Don't really see the point. I'm not at all distracted by the 'extra' lines, and actually use them in my other bodies. Had my M5 upgraded to include all the lines.

My advice? Don't pay extra to have less.

Yeah, I also think it's a bit unreasonable price Leica is asking to have the frames masked, but I really like it this way: three simple focal lengths to choose from. Especially I like the 50mm frame-line now, without the 75mm frame-line.

To each his own, I'm happy with my MP now! 😎

/David

 

[Rob-F]

I never use 135mm lenses on my RF cameras, so I'm just as happy that my .58 bodies have no 135mm frameline. And I could see having the 135 framelines removed from a .72 body. But I agree with the others: one learns to ignore the framelines that are not in use. When we are viewing in 28mm mode, the 90mm frameline is irrelevant and goes unnoticed. When using a 50, the little corner brackets for the 75mm frame go unnoticed. (Unfortunately, they also go unnoticed when using a 75mm lens!)

It's really a matter of making an association. Something one's brain and body learns to do. When holding a Leica with a wide-angle lens, I see wide-angle, and thus don't see the 90 or 135 framelines. With a 90 on the camera, my eye is trained to see the 90mm frameline.

 

[peter_n]

Yes, I don't find the 75mm frameline on my 0.85x MP confusing even though the 50mm frameline on my MP3 is solitary. I agree with the learned associations explanation above.

 

[dh-photo]

Just happened to find the receipt from Leica. €130 (with VAT) for the masking of the viewfinder. Remember to add labour charges.

Best,
David