Re: "Leica has filled about the only "hole"in the M lens line with the 24mm" ...

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

Lucien,
It is an interesting comment you have on the goggled 21=92s and =93hole i=
n the
Leica line-up=94.
 I did show the 21/2,8 converted to goggles to Leica at Photokina-96. The
responses varied from =93 Why=94 to =93great idea, but probably economica=
lly not
feasible=94 The goggles on the 35 Summicron were expensive to make and wo=
uld
add more to the cost of the lens than the auxiliary finder does. I haven=92=
t
converted the 21/2,8 ASPH yet but will probably do it once the finder is
lost. The new plastic finder seems to take more of a beating then the old
metal one did. The one for my 24/2,8 ASPH is still intact after almost a =
year
and that is probably a record for me and auxiliary finders.
 The biggest hole in the Leica Lens line up is in my mind the lack of a
small(er) 75 mm lens. I have the 75/1,4 and I like the focallength and lo=
ve
the quality of the lens, but it is too heavy to drag around. In the 70=92=
s
Leica Midland (ELCAN) made a 75/2,4 APO lens in a M-mount for the US Navy=
. It
was never produced in quantity, but supposedly is a top-quality lens. If =
one
can find one, they sell in the $ 7-10 000 range and however good it is,
that=92s too much. Imagine a M6Tele with a M3 finder, solid 50 mm lines, =
the
75/2,4 clicking in a second set of lines, also solid and the 90/135 lines=
 too
when these lenses are used. The current M6 has a too cluttered viewfinder=
 and
the 75 lines are difficult to see for some users.
 There are persistent rumors about a new line up of M6 and even a electro=
nic
M camera with a 1/250 flashsynch, different shutter, auto advance/rewind,
focusconfirmation system and a M-lens mount. It is probably most likely t=
hat
the first camera would be a M6J type finder in a plain black camera and t=
he
other pieces would be released for Photokina-98. So far they are on the r=
ight
track, upgrading the lenses and improving them. The current line-up 21/24=
/35
ASPH does indicate that the next one would be a 50. Hopefully the 50/1,4 =
and
maybe later the 75/2,4 APO and the 90/2 APO. ( The latter has been around=
 for
awhile as a prototype, at least since -95 when I first heard about it).
 A small tip, if you want to use a 75/1,4 and use a M body with no 75 mm
frame, the Nikon 85mm finder for the Nikonos is a good auxiliary finder a=
nd
it stays on too. Zeiss made a 75 finder for the Robot but it is a
=93collectible=94 and is pricey. There are also some finders for Russian =
85=92s
around, cheap and OK to use. I prefer to use a finder that has a longer
focallength than the lens if I cant find a =93perfect fit=94. "
Tom Abrahamsson