Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/02/23

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica MP -- Yes, it's true!
From: Henry Ting <henryting10@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 22:36:58 -0800 (PST)

Not a difficult task at all building a zoom
viewfinder. But not for Leica....notice how much it
charges for a simple 1.25x magnifier ?


- --- Dante Stella <dante@umich.edu> wrote:
> Karen:
> 
> Building a zoom viewfinder would not be that tough
> of a task.  The 
> X-pan has one.  However, if it were clear and easy
> to see, it would be 
> huge from front to back.  Because the viewfinder is
> itself a galilean 
> telescope, the dimension would need to be twice as
> big at a 2x  setting 
> to maintain the same relative brightness (i.e.,
> f/stop).
> 
> Canon did a variable mag viewfinder (actually, a
> couple of variations) 
> in the 1950s.  It had a fuzzy-edged RF spot,
> reflected framelines and a 
> tendency to come apart.  Even in its best
> incarnation, in the VI 
> series, it was so-so.  The Canon design is flatly
> incompatible with the 
> projected framelines that Leicas have.
> 
> Where Leica has really fallen short is in making
> field-compensating 
> viewfinders.  In 1959, at least three cameras
> (selling for 1/4 to 1/2 
> the price of an M3) were out that showed 95% of the
> field at all 
> distances, not just 90% at 10 feet, as the Leica
> did.
> 
> Even if it is impractical to combine shrinking-field
> framelines with a 
> 6-frame finder, I would have loved to see, say, an
> 0.72 M6 with only 
> 35mm frames (but fully parallax and field corrected)
> or a 0.85x with 
> only 50mm.  You could actually get two sets of
> framelines in - a Konica 
> IIIM has full-and-half frame 35mm lines like this;
> the Koni-Omega has 
> lines for the 90 and 180; and the Fuji G690 and G670
> have 100 and 150 
> lines.  That of course depends on your having the
> presence of mind to 
> remember what lenses you are using.
> 
> Dante
> 
> On Sunday, February 23, 2003, at 11:19 PM, Karen
> Nakamura wrote:
> 
> >
> >>
> >>>  So let me see if I understand this.
> >>>  After 47 years they still haven't been able to
> >>>  incorporate a zoom vf and I'm suppossed to be
> excited?
> >>
> >> One of the advantages OF a rangefinder for me is
> being able to see 
> >> more than
> >> the framed image.
> >
> > Yes, but think how convenient it'd be if you could
> have a little 
> > switch on the side of the camera marked 1.0x, 
> 1.5x,  2.0x  and with 
> > that little switch, the finder would switch
> magnifications. You could 
> > always stay in the magnification level you wanted
> (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) 
> > to optimize between seeing "outside" the lines and
> RF accuracy.
> >
> > Imagine how .... groundbreaking that would be.... 
> It would require 
> > engineering of the highest degree and use of the
> most sophisticated 
> > materials.    I bet even the best Japanese
> engineers couldn't have 
> > even produced that .... 45 years ago.
> >
> > Karen
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see
> http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
> >
> ____________
> Dante Stella
> http://www.dantestella.com
> 
> --
> To unsubscribe, see
http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html


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Replies: Reply from Karen Nakamura <mail@gpsy.com> (Re: [Leica] Leica MP -- Yes, it's true!)