[Leica] Brief thoughts on a wider frame of mind

[John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>]

I recently acquired an 0.58x TTL and thought I might post some comments 
on it. The camera is a fairly recent one (2720557) that I purchased used 
from Rich at photovillage.com. Everything went very smoothly and I am 
delighted with its condition.

The camera is significantly smoother and quieter right out of the box 
that my now three year old 0.72x TTL (2472064) ever was. I have not 
scratched the top plate to see if it is brass (which I doubt) but the 
shutter noise has more of a low frequency noise than my 0.72x . It makes 
my 0.72x sound somewhat jangling. My 0.72x also has the that slight 
click when the shutter is wound and you press against the wind lever 
which the 0.58x does not. The 35/1.4 always mounted with a slight catch 
on my 0.72x but that is also not there on the 0.58x. Better quality 
control? Better assembly now that it is at Portugal? Monday verses 
Wednesday assembly? Who knows but the different is pronounced.

The finders are very similar in brightness and, unfortunately, focusing 
patch flare. The difference in magnification is not dramatic but it is 
nice to see more around the 35mm framelines. You certainly cannot see as 
much as the Leica website indicates even though I do not wear glasses or 
look particularly Neanderthal. With the 0.72x I practiced so I could 
open both eyes and the views would merge giving the floating frame 
affect. With the 0.58x  the views do merge but you get very large heads 
on tiny bodies or some other weird giggle inducing effect. Definitely a 
one eye closed camera.

The 0.58x is a black chrome camera and it is significantly darker than 
my silver chrome 0.72x :-). However, to me, the black chrome screams 
professional while the silver chrome is not as threatening. I have had 
many people ask how old 0.72x camera is. Probably this is all in my head 
but it is something I have noticed.

The 0.58x will now become my main camera with a 35/1.4A mounted 
permanently (yes B.D., I was able to finally get the lens off the 0.72x) 
and the 0.72x (with a 1.25 mounted) will cover the less used long end.

John Collier

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