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Old 7th July 2012, 04:25 PM
peterlg peterlg is offline
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Default leica M3 viewfinder lines

Recently I acquired an M3 in fine working order. The viewfinder is big and clear, something like 0.92 enlargement, very comfortable in use. There are three frames to be seen in the finder depending on the lens I put on : the standard 50mm, the 90mm and a small rectangle for the 135mm (which I don't have and probably won't want). However, I have a 75mm lens which I often use but there is no frame for that focal
Now my question: does anybody know if it's possible to have a 75mm focal lens frame built into the M3? I've heard various other changes can be made to older Leicas to put them up to date but don't know about the viewfinder
Any help would be much appreciated, Peter
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Old 20th July 2012, 09:09 PM
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If you post your question in the Film Forum section of the Leica User forum, I am confident that the requisite information will be swiftly forthcoming!
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Old 21st July 2012, 12:35 AM
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Hi Peter,

Someone else may be able to say for certain but the M3's viewfinder is such a complex affair that I can't see how anyone would be able to do what you ask at anything approaching an affordable price, if it's at possible in the first place.

You might be aware of this already but the Leica viewfinder is quite imprecise. With the 50mm frame line up in the M3's viewfinder, there can be, at its worst, 20% of the field of view outwith the framelines. The field depicted by the framelines get smaller the closer you are focused. This means that if you mount the 75mm lens, use the 50mm frameline and compose for a little bit extra outwith the frameline then you're not going to be too far off. Experience will quickly tell you how much to allow.

The diagonal angle of view for a 50mm lens is around 46 degrees and for a 75mm lens it's somewhere around 34 degrees. If you take 20% off the 50mm's angle of view then you're quite close to that of the 75mm. It would probably be OK for casual use but you might want to consider a Leica from the M4P onwards which I think all have the 75mm framelines. If being able to frame a shot with complete accuracy is important to you then why are you using a Leica in the first place?! Better with an SLR that shows 100% coverage.

The viewfinder compromise is one of the reasons I never really took to Leicas although I'd still like to have an M3 for its fondleability. I handled one, a double stroke from 1953, at an estate auction recently and the engineering is quite sublime. There really is nothing to touch it in the photography world in my opinion.


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Old 21st July 2012, 09:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brock View Post
Hi Peter,

The field depicted by the framelines get smaller the closer you are focused. This means that if you mount the 75mm lens, use the 50mm frameline and compose for a little bit extra outwith the frameline then you're not going to be too far off. Experience will quickly tell you how much to allow.


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Sorry, that should have been "compose a little tighter within the 50mm frameline". Brainfart.


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Old 25th July 2012, 09:39 AM
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A Leica specialist I know of is Malcolm Taylor. He should be able to help.

http://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/ma...-14479425.html
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Old 26th July 2012, 10:30 AM
peterlg peterlg is offline
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first, thanks for your comments and advice.
having looked more at the idea of adding a 75 frame into the finder, I have realised that it is a hugely expensive operation if it can at all be done! And somebody else pointed me to the external finder and the Bay had a nice little Voiglander 75 which I got for 31£ - not a bad price. But probably the best idea is Brock's : use the 50mm frame and learn how much space to deduct from it to get a 75 coverage.
And the M3 is a wonderful tool
Peter
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