Just curious, what framelines does the 75/1.4 Summilux bring up on the M2 & M3? Does anyone have experience using this lens on the older Ms? Thanks in advance, Chris

-- Christopher Chen (furcafe@cris.com), June 22, 2001

Answers

Because the 50mm and 75mm framelines are paired together, they use the same lens cam. Therefore the 75mm lens on any M will bring up the 50mm frameline. I've used the 75 on the M3, and you just have to use your imagination to keep the framing in the ballpark.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), June 22, 2001.

The 75 on an M3 would be the nuts, but for the lack of a "real" 75mm frameline. On an M2 it is possible to get M6 frameline masks installed, obviously including a 75mm frameline. An ingenious technician could even delete the 135mm framelines so that you would retain a certain amount of M2 "feel."

-- Robert Schneider (rolopix@yahoo.com), June 22, 2001.

One idea that came up in a discussion on this on CI$ years ago was the idea of making goggle-eyes similar to that used for the 135 Elmarit so that the 50mm framelines would be usable with the 75 lens. The effective RF base length wouldn't need to be increased, just magnification. Perhaps such a contraption could be mounted onto the accessory shoe and simply flipped up when not in use.

Thoughts anyone?

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), June 22, 2001.

The M2 finder came in two versions with different finder mask assemblies. M2 cameras above 1 050 000 or so can have the new six finder frame mask set added inexpensively (cost $150US I think). Cameras below 1 050 000, with their original viewfinders (mine still is original), cannot be updated unless you change the whole viewfinder.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 22, 2001.

At distances from about 3m onward, the 50mm framelines actually show a closer approximation of what the 75 lens will put on film than the 75 framelines. One look through an M6 and you can easily memorize the 75 framelines (actually just little corners)and apply the memory to the 50 frames in an M3 at the close focus distance.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 23, 2001.

Jay:

Yeah: I have always wondered at the value that, otherwise, very knowledgeable folks, assign to those finder lines. Not a criticism, just a statement of wonderment.

Not accurate: but I have been using the cameras for years and have adjusted. They work very goodly

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), June 23, 2001.

The Voigtlander Viewfinder 75mm is very well made, very much like the old Leitz viewfinder 50mm.

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), June 25, 2001.

I never understood why one of the most expensive lenses in the Leica M range had such a frame in the M6 and M4P cameras, now I understand how helpful the 50mm framelines can be, still a high price for almost no frames. Without doubting of this lens quality.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001.