Hi, Just looking for opinions on the "eyes" for the M mount 135mm f2.8-- Do they make a real difference in your ability to focus? How about distortion? thanks

-- Marke Gilbert (Bohdi137@aol.com), October 16, 2001

Answers

The eyes will make a difference. FWIW, on a lot of the 135 Elmars the eyes are permanently attached and cannot be removed.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), October 16, 2001.

In other words, they are not optional. They were added to the 135 f/2.8 because at such a long focal length and wide aperture the depth of field is very shallow, and the rangefinder would not be accurate enough to realize the full potential of the lens to resolve detail in the plane of focus, without the added magnification. This is especially true with the 0.72 magnification finders (M2, M4, & most M6's). With the .58 finders, it would be out of the question, since there's no 135mm frame. I don't know if it fits an M5.

The 135 Emarit brings up the camera's 90mm frame, not the 135. But it enlarges the image to fill that 90mm frame, giving a larger useful area for composing (in addition to the focusing improvement). This in turn makes it useable on the M2 and the M6 with .58 finder, which otherwise lack the appropriate frame. There is some question in my mind about whether it ought to be used at full aperture with the .58 finder, since the effective rangefinder base, even with the added magnification, is probably less than Leica originally had in mind when they introduced the lens. At f/4 it would probably be safe.

All-in-all I think it's a great solution, as long as the added bulk of the lens in the gadget bag isn't a problem. It certanly won't fit in the padded lens dividers of most bags. A little fussing with the velcro should solve that, though. I get tempted to buy one every once in a while; but I have the 135 Elmarit for my R4, and so far have decided to avoid duplicating the focal length on the M cameras.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 16, 2001.

Marke: I have a 135 Elmarit with the eyes purchased new in 1974. The lens is very heavy compared to modern standards. You need to make sure the rangefinder is correct with the eyes. If the images do not line up properly either horizontally or vertically, and it is correct with your other lenses, there is an adjustment in the eyes of the Elmarit to correct for this. I have adjusted mine, but I am not very skilled at it. The eyes do improve the focusing on the lens as I use it (rarely) on my M6 and M3. The focal length is not one of my favorites hence the light usage, but the eyes make a large difference on the ability to focus properly, especially wide open.

Mark J.

-- Mark A. Johnson (logic@gci.net), October 16, 2001.