Wide framelines on M8

[JohnL]

I've sort of touched on this issue before, but was wondering if anyone yet can tell us if the whole of the viewfinder area relates at all to the FOV of a 21mm lens, the widest frameline being 24mm. If it relates tolerably well, we could use 21mm lenses without separate viewfinders. This would save buying an extra viewfinder, because for the 21mm lens we'd need a 28mm finder, which I'd guess few of us already have, and also avoid the bulk and hassle of the auxiliary viewfinder. Anyone?

 

[J. Borger]

I answered this before 🙂
This was what i tried at Photokina .. the 21mm without a finder.
Well you get a bit more in the picture compared to what you see in the finder.
BUT ... i think i can addapt to it. I framed a couple of people on the border of what was visible ... in the actual picture they were nicely framed .. with just enough room to breath.
I hate external finders myself .. for the bulk & barreldistortion these finders have .
I would say try before you decide on a finder .. and if you want a finder ..... think twice before buying the new one .. the older zoomfinder looks better and has far less barreldistortion from what i have seen.
For me it comes down to using my 21 elmarit without the finder and addapting to it or selling the lens ....!

 

[rvaubel]

I intend to use the VC 28-35mm minifinder for my 21mm and 28mm. On my RD1 I have one permanently mounted so there is no fiddling with finders. I think what most people hate about accessery finders is changing them, not so much using them. I practice, sometimes I just use the viewfinder even though the minifinder is right there. Other times, for more precise framing I use both. Or other times just the minifinder (when zone focusing). It's nice to have all these wide angle options. Plus the minifinder is so small that its bulk is not annoying.

Its a great finder, really better than anything except the huge $$$ Zeisses.

Rex

 

[J. Borger]

Rex .. the problem i have with the cv 28-35 minifinder is it is metal and scratches my glasses .. but i agree it is a very nice small finder .. and no worse than every other finder i tried ( i use an older plastic leica 28mm finder on my R-D1).
If i did not wear glasses i would have stayed with CV minifinder myself.
The Leica Zoomfinders are both VERY LARGE .. the latest is plain ugly too.

 

[Alm3000]

i have a flame line question. If using the Zeiss 25mm ZM Lens on the M8, what frame line will pop up?

Thanks

 

[jaapv]

What one pops up on any other M?

 

[JohnL]

I answered this before 🙂
This was what i tried at Photokina .. the 21mm without a finder.
Well you get a bit more in the picture compared to what you see in the finder.
BUT ... i think i can addapt to it. I framed a couple of people on the border of what was visible ... in the actual picture they were nicely framed .. with just enough room to breath.
(snip) ....!

Many thanks, JB, this is just what I wanted to hear! Sorry if I missed your earlier post.

 

[JohnL]

Thanks also to others who responded ... I'm with J. Borger on this as the big attractions of RF cameras to me is their relatively small bulk and fast operation. Using separate viewfinders goes against both these ... and introduces a modified working procedure as well. For that reason, so far, I only have lenses that I have framelines for. Having said that, if I do get an M8 and a 21mm lens, it will probably be the CV which comes with a finder, so I might very occasionally use that on the M7 for ultra-wide situations.
Sorry but I can't help with the 25mm frameline question. I would hope it would produce the 24mm lines, but there's no "legal precedent" for this that I know of.

 

[gurtch]

From Sean Reid's review of the Leica 24mm and ZM 25mm lenses, he said the ZM brings up the 28mm frame lines, a big disadvantage on the M8 with that lens, in my opinion.
Dave

 

[Grober]

i have a flame line question. If using the Zeiss 25mm ZM Lens on the M8, what frame line will pop up?

Zeiss (or SOMEONE) will help us all by offering a service to simutaneously 6-bit encode our 25mm Biogons AND modify the mount to invoke the 24mm frame on the M8.

As it stands now, an unaltered Biogon invokes the 28mm frame on any M.

This Biogon is one of my new favorites, for sure!

 

[sreidvt]

From Sean Reid's review of the Leica 24mm and ZM 25mm lenses, he said the ZM brings up the 28mm frame lines, a big disadvantage on the M8 with that lens, in my opinion.
Dave

That's correct, it currently brings up the 28 lines.

Cheers,

Sean

 

[jaapv]

Thanks also to others who responded ... I'm with J. Borger on this as the big attractions of RF cameras to me is their relatively small bulk and fast operation. Using separate viewfinders goes against both these ... and introduces a modified working procedure as well. For that reason, so far, I only have lenses that I have framelines for. Having said that, if I do get an M8 and a 21mm lens, it will probably be the CV which comes with a finder, so I might very occasionally use that on the M7 for ultra-wide situations.
Sorry but I can't help with the 25mm frameline question. I would hope it would produce the 24mm lines, but there's no "legal precedent" for this that I know of.

For the 21, you'll need the 28 mm finder on the M8.It should be possible to have the frameline coupling on the ZI lens modified for Leica

 

[JohnL]

For the 21, you'll need the 28 mm finder on the M8.It should be possible to have the frameline coupling on the ZI lens modified for Leice

Quite correct, but my OP was to determine if I could get away with no separate VF and just use the whole area of the M8 VF. As I suspected, it seems likely it can be done. Not a precision solution, but then RF framelines are not too accurate anyway. I have hopes it will be good enough. I think I already mentioned that the 28mm VF - extra cost 🙁 - would be needed if this is not so, and would also entail all the hassle discussed before. Further hands-on info on this issue always much appreciated.

 

[Leicaiste]

Quite correct, but my OP was to determine if I could get away with no separate VF and just use the whole area of the M8 VF. As I suspected, it seems likely it can be done..

Just put some masking tape on the M8's illuminating window and all those annoying frames will disappear, and you will have a nice plane finder for your 21mm.

I don't think that previous Leitz/Leica 21mm viewfinder are more precise than this solution.

Only the new Leica multifinder made for the new Tri-Elmar may be more accurate.