I found some reference on photo.net that the M6 framelines are 23x35 at infinity (= 93% coverage), and provide less coverage close up (i.e., a < 93% viewfinder).

I'm using a 50/90 combo on an M3 right now (a camera I have a love/hate relationship with) and I'm concerned about the framing accuracy with the 90. I don't have the original manual, and I'm not sure about the applicability of M6 information -- Leica stopped producing the 1:1 magnification M3 finder long ago (the best thing about the camera with the 90).

Any info out there?

-- John O'Connell (oconnell@siam.org), July 22, 1999

Answers

Keep in mind that viewfinder coverage and magnification are not the same thing. You can have a 1:1 finder, and still have only 93% coverage.

-- Ron Shaw (shaw9@llnl.gov), July 23, 1999.

Used within its range limitations, the M3 viewfinder is wonderfully accurate--as accurate as any SLR I've ever used, including the Nikon F2 and the EOS-1.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), July 24, 1999.

Well, I tested the old M3/90 against my F3/85. The M3 gives the ~93% coverage around infinity (50+' with the 90) and decreases a good deal as it focuses closer, introducing some significant parallax at about 6'. (Advice to portrait shooters: stay vertical, it helps tremendously with parallax.) I'll eventually measure the negs in mm, but my guess is that in the closer ranges (6' and less) with the 90, we're looking at <85%.

I found parallax to be a surprise sometimes. Sometimes, though, it was serendipitous so it didn't bug me.

I ended up using it for a bunch of staged portraits and the results were pretty good. Good enough to keep it in my bag, anyway.

-- John O'Connell (oconnell@siam.org), July 26, 1999.

The 90mm frame lines of my M3 match the negative exactly for a Nikor 105mm lens. If you think the coverage of the M3 is bad, try the M6. The framing accuracy is so far off (80%?)I have to use an Imarect finder! Incidentally, the 35mm lines on the M6 are perfect for the 40mm Summicron at infinity. I don't know what the hell the 28mm lines are suposed to match. The 35mm bug-eye lenses have perfect infinity coverage when used with the M2,3,4, and 5 cameras. Leitz, you're viewfinders suck on the world's otherwise greatest camera.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 24, 1999.