I recently bought a Hektor 135 lens to use with my Leica M2. The question is: which frameline to be used with the lens ? Thank you very much.

-- Chih-Chien (chihchienlintw@yahoo.com.tw), December 05, 2001

Answers

The Hektor, if it's like other M-mount 135s, will bring up the 35mm frame lines - not much use. To use a 135 on the M2 you are supposed to get an accesory finder for framing. But the focusing should work fine without a finder - at least as well as any other 135 on a .72 body.

However - in my M4-P the 135 frame lines form a box just about exactly 3 times as wide and three times as deep as the rangefinder patch. So if you can visualize 9 RF patches stacked 3x3 and centered on the real RF patch, that will give a fair approximation of the 135 framing.

My 4-P's RF patch also shifts with the frames when focus changes, so it's "correcting" for parallax. I assume the same is true for the M2, but it's been a while since I looked through one.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), December 05, 2001.

Chih Chien

This is not a trick question, I assume? The M2 does not have a 135mm frame, so you will need to get a clip on 135mm v/f, unless you want to try and guess a 135mm frame inside the 90mm frame you do have. The Leica 135mm separate v/f is very nice, but not cheap.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), December 05, 2001.

The 90mm frame, the smallest one on the M2, will still substantially overestimate the area covered by the 135. I think you'll need an accessory 135mm finder, to be used in the accessory shoe. These can be picked up used, with a little searching of the various Leica dealer's websites; or on ebay.

Have fun with it!

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), December 05, 2001.

If your M2 has a serial number above 105 xxx then you can have the six frame mask set added for around $150US.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), December 05, 2001.

The rangefinder focusing patch is not always in the centre of the frame. I have come across several cameras where it is significately lower.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), December 05, 2001.

You can get one of the old Imarect finders. I have one in a drawer somewhere I haven't used in years. Set it on 135, use the M2 finder to focus and the Imarect finder to frame. This is of course clumsy but doable. I never used a 135 with either my M2 or my M3. Purely personal preference. I have the 135 Elmarit that occasionally goes on my R4 and works great. Cheers.

-- Don (wgpinc@yahoo.com), December 05, 2001.

Accessory 135mm (early ones say 13.5cm) Leitz bright-line finders are not that expensive. They're cheaper than the 90's because fewer people want them. You can find one with good glass but so-so body cosmetics for under $150. There are also 135 finders in Canon and Nikon which are less expensive yet.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), December 05, 2001.

Pick up a canon 135mm finder on ebay. Not to expensive, and well made with parralax compensation. I use my 135mm on my Minolta CLE from time to time this way.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), December 05, 2001.

The short answer is NO. A proper Leitz 135 clip-in viewfinder is obviously the best way. Alternatively try the less expensive and readily obtainable VIOOH multiframe finder,but if you intend to use a 135mm regularly then go the full hog and buy a proper finder.

-- David Seaman (Lincolnshire,England) (david@leicam.freeserve.co.uk), December 06, 2001.

Hi Thank you all. Your answers really helped me out! I have been using my M2 for less than one month and found the framelines really confusing. Now I know where the problem is and how to resolve it. Again, thank you very much! Chih-Chien

-- Chih-Chien (chihchienlintw@yahoo.com.tw), December 06, 2001.