Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] finder flare
From: John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 13:59:56 -0600

Take your M2 and one of your M6TTLs and try the following. Look thought 
the center of the finder, as you normally do, and then slowly let your 
eye go off-center to one side. The M2's super-imposed image will shift 
slightly, grow dim and finally go white starting at one edge. This 
requires a good deal of movement by the eye relative to the finder so in 
practice you do not notice it. The M6TTL's super-imposed will shift 
slightly, dim and go white all at the same time. It takes very little 
eye movement for this to happen so you notice it frequently.

It really annoyed the h*** out of me at first but I have become used to 
it now. When it happens I just center my eye again and it disappears. It 
is all second nature now such that I do not even notice it happening. 
There is another finder flare that is induced by a strong oblique light 
hitting the viewfinder. This causes the finder patch to white out and 
eye centering will not get it to reappear. All M cameras suffer from 
this equally.

The M7 with its coated windows is better than the M6TTL but not as good 
as the M2. It is a good compromise though and, if Leica does not soon 
announce its long awaited fix for the finder flare, I will get the M7 
windows fitted to my two M6TTLs.

John Collier

On Monday, September 16, 2002, at 11:02 AM, Steve LeHuray wrote:

> I have been wondering about the dreaded M flare for several years now,
> wondering because flare has never occured with any of my Ms (2 M2s, 
> M3, 2
> M6TTLs). Many others have also have no flare problems. Could it have
> something to do with the difference in peoples eyes? Could it be there 
> is a
> correct and incorrect way to look through the viewfinder?

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