Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/23

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Mo' Bettah: Zoom Lever on M
From: "Bill Larsen" <vonohlen@lightspeed.net>
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 13:55:11 -0700

Mike Johnson writes:

>>>>> That’s five. The sixth is a little lever that allows
|you to preview the viewfinder frames for other lenses when they’re not
|on the camera.
|
|We know. That sixth feature, although convenient, isn’t absolutely
|necessary. Leica went nuts.


This lever is described in most texts as the "frame preview" lever.  Actually,
most people, in the know, call it the M Zoom lever.  It was originally
designed as an enhancement of the M3 which of course was designed to be
carried as a kit with the 35/w eyes/50/90 in the kit box (part number 14820).
Although the kit box (14820) was designed for the 39mm filter size lenses and
is thus no longer applicable to modern lenses, the concept has carried through
to the M6 series.  The most recent permutation of the "kit" is the Tri-Elmar.
In any event, the M Zoom lever allows previsualization of the proposed
photographic scene much more efficiently than using an actual zoom lenses on a
SLR.  While it is not absolutely necessary, it is a gives great advantage to
the M over typical SLRs with zoom lenses which require time-wasting hunting
for the exact frame.

Hope this edification is of value
Tschöh mit öh,
Bill Larsen