[Leica] Digital Leica M

[Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)]

Hi Frank,
If you look at a picture of the Epson RD1, or the CV similar Bessa  
you will see how big the front viewfinder lens is. With a lens of  
this size I can not see the framelines for the 42mm equivalent FOV  
realised by the 28mm lens on this camera. This camera has an even  
smaller sensor than that of the digital M. The widest view I can see  
through this viewfinder with spectacles is the 53mm equivalent (for  
the 35mm lens). Any framelines wider than the equivalent of about  
50mm would be bigger than the view through a viewfinder this size for  
spectacled users. The alternatives are:-
1.  use a supplementary viewfinder for all lenses with an angle of  
view wider than about 50mm (as the 0,92 mag M3 finder required)
2. Make a (much) bigger viewfinder and the big top plate to go with  
it - very expensive.
3. use a magnification suitable for the FOV of lenses your customers  
are likely to use most.
Leica seem to have adopted solution 3. I personally consider this too  
be the most sensible option.
Frank

On 15 Jun, 2006, at 13:55, Frank Filippone wrote:

> I do not understand this part of your comment.... the
> viewfinder can only be used with 50ish mm lenses and  
> longer......Can you explain your thinking?
>
> In a RF camera, since you never look through the lens, but rather  
> at a set of frame lines in the VF, it makes no difference what the
> FL is.  Your magnification of the VF allows you to keep both eyes  
> open during shooting with the RF lines effectively superimposed on
> the scene.   Even with a 180mm lens or a 24mm lens, the effect is  
> the same.  ( yes, the image gets pretty hard to frame correctly at
> these extremes, but it still allows the superimposition to work,  
> for you to see the entire scene and pick out areas that are outside
> your lenses view: A the trick that an SLR can never accomplish.
>
> Comment about the WA lenses is understood, and I agree with you.   
> However there is no fix to this problem for film cameras except a
> smaller mag VF.  On the Digi-M, because of the smaller sensor, will  
> be effectively negated.
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i@earthlink.net
>
>
> You are right Frank for 2 eyes we need nearly 1x mag but then the
> viewfinder can only be used with 50ish mm lenses and longer. The
> worst part of my Epson RD1 is the 1x viewfinder, I can't see the
> whole 28mm (equiv 42mm field of view) frame with my glasses on. Most
> of the time I have to use an additional viewfinder. Mind you I expect
> with the small rangefinder baseline the higher mag viewfinder is
> necessary for focussing precision.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
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