I'm looking for a rangefinder or P&S camera (non-zoom) that can give me a 100% viewfinder magnification (NOT image). I would like to have both eyes open when I focus so the image magnification from my seeing eye (left) and shooting eye (right) should be the same. I know I'd be limited to a 50mm lens, but this is not a problem for me.

-- Ron Gregorio (gregorio@ksc.th.com), November 03, 2000

Answers

Ron,

I can't comment on the P&S range out there, but as a user of Leicas for many years, the closest to your desired camera in that line is the M3. It forgoes the use of wide angle lenses, 50mm is the widest, so it does not need the reduced magnification that is required for the other cameras which have frames for 35mm or 28mm lenses.

The magnification for the M3 is .91, which for all intent and purpose is so close to life-size that shooting with both eyes open is totally possible. The frameline just floats in a 3 dimensional world. The biggest hindrance, the one that keeps me from doing this, is that it only works if you can use your right eye. If you are left eye dominant, then it is all moot... your free right eye will be obstructed by the back of the camera.

The last alternative is to use one of the life-sized viewfinders on whatever camera you have. It slows the operation down, you must focus via the RF then move your eye, but many users like these. They have been re-introduce from Cosina, (Voightlander).

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), November 03, 2000.

Screw mount Leicas have ~100% viewfinder magnification for less money than an M3 and sport even funnier film loading. I think the Russian Leica copies share this feature also.

Try www.cameraquest.com for more info.

-- John O'Connell (boywonderiloveyou@hotmail.com), November 03, 2000.

Thank you both. I compose and focus mainly with my right eye even though I'm left eye dominant. I went to a second-hand classic camera shop today and looked at an M3 with a 50mm lens. The lens had a strange device that mounts on top of the lens and over the viewfinder for close-up use only. I can focus with both eyes open with this setup. The salesman told me that the M6 with .85 finder is close to the M3. I wanted to try that one too, but he didn't have it in stock since it's relatively new. I'll compare both before I finally decide if spending more for the M6 .85 is better for me.

I also tried out a IIIf, but I'll have trouble adjusting to the two separate finders (focusing and viewing). I like the smaller size of the latter though. I'll let the fixed les P&S option go as it was silly to even consider it.

-- Ron Gregorio (gregorio@ksc.th.com), November 04, 2000.

This is an addendum to Al Smith's information from an original user of the Leica M3: All he says is correct, escept that there were a number of 35mm lenses equipped with attached "glasses" that fit over the viewfinder and rangefinder windows, reducing the image size to provide a parallex-corrected 35mm viewfinder image. The .85 M6 can be used with wide-angle lenses without additional accessories, but I find its viewfinder too busy (with frame lines visible for multiple focal lengths). It does provide an easy-to-use through-the-lens metering system and TTL flash, though. Except for the 35mm with the M3, the images remain near life size and can be viewed with two eyes. Leica touted that feature when the M3 first appeared--but I always closed an eye, anyway.

-- Stanley Bank (bank1273@earthlink.net), November 09, 2000.