Hello all together

I have a little bit problems with my eyes because of a light form of ceratokonus (I hope in English the term would be the same). I must say I am used to it and can work with my cameras, it takes me a little bit more time to focus but it works. I use my Leica R4 with a -3 correction lens and the R8 with a -2. At the R8 I am having in total with the inbuild correction about -3,5. The cameras so equiped I often have also to use my glasses to focus if the motiv has very little contrast. I playing in my mind to get an M6 TTL 0,85 with a Tri-e as travel camera. Now I read and heard a lot of the acuracy of the RF system but do not know if that accuracy and the viewer of the M6 O,85 would make live realy easier for me. The discussion her for me is not the Tele range but more the width angle 28 up to 50 mm. For you infos I have the new R2,8/28, R1,4/35 and the R2/50 and somtimes when the light is good the R4/35-70. As a an amateur photograper I consider my self as an generalist. That means I take pictures for my business purpose on industrial exebithion`s, family parties, or simply vacation and travel photos.

Is someone there that had/has similar issues and what was your solution/compromise?

I would very appreciate every comment that would help me to find a decission wheter to go for a M6 or just simply remain with my R`s.

Salvatore

-- Salvatore Reitano (salvi&chantal@bluewin.ch), August 27, 2001

Answers

With your specific eyesight problems the only way you can tell for certain is by using one yourself at a dealer. Generally, it doesn't take as acute sight to focus a rangefinder as it does an SLR. While you are at the dealer, you might want to check out a Contax G2, which has autofocus.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 27, 2001.

Salvatore

The 28 and 35mm lenses are not going to be so easy to focus on the R as on the M. Although you have the 1.4 35mm which I would imagine is pretty good. The 50mm is surely a tie, unless the light is poor in which case the M wins easily. The only trouble is that the 28mm frame is not too great on an M, unless you have the 0.58 and then you loose some focussing accuracy. Last time I used a M6 0.72 I found I could see the whole 35mm frame with my glasses on though so it is still pretty good. What you do lose by wearing glasses is seeing so much of the area around the frames which is such a nice thing about rangefinders. As Jay says, only you can tell by trying it out. As a general point and as a glasses wearer for most of the time myself - I always know that I will get good framing and viewing with an R - this is never an issue. With an M I find it more of an issue, so the 35-50-90 triumvirate is best for 90% of the shots. You gain in focussing accuracy particularly in low light, but on the other hand you miss depth of field visualization, and the ability to focus on areas other than the center. You must check it out yourself.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), August 27, 2001.

Jay, Robin

Thanks for your comments.

By using an M6 in my case here I will probably gain something in accuracy but on the otherhand I will lose the control over the picture (DOF) as you stated Robin. And because I am absolutely not used to that it will probalbly make me much more unsecure with the M6 so that what I may gain in accuracy I will loose in time waist because of thinking about DOF so that at the end I win nothing. So I really have to test an M if I can get familliar with it. I hope the dealer will borrow me a used one for a few day`s.

Thanks again

Salvatore

-- Salvatore Reitano (salvi&chantal@bluewin.ch), August 27, 2001.