I'll purchase a new Leica M6 ,Which body will I choose? Because I do not understand what the Mechanical or Effective measuring base are? How we measure them in mm;69.25 mm for all mechanical base,40.2 mm,49.9mm58.9mm respectively for 0.58x,0.72x,0.85x. Where are both of them when looking through the viewfinder ? Why are they varied from 0.58 to 0.72 to 0.85? Besat Regards, PJ

-- Peter Jen (piano_j@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001

Answers

What lens(es) do you plan to buy with the M6? The .85 model has increased focus accuracy, a very good thing to have when shooting at large apertures with the longer focal length lenses like the 75, 90 and 135mm. If you're more into wide angle lenses a .58 model is a good choice, the reduced finder magnification means the 28 mm frame is fully useable.

If you like to do a bit of both (wide angle and tele) go for the standard .72 finder.

All the camera's share the same mechanical base of 69.25mm. When you take the finder magnification into account you get the effective base (mechanical base x finder magnification = effective base).

Bert

-- Bert (bkkn@wanadoo.nl), October 15, 2001.

One way of looking at things is like this: the framelines on a 0.72 body let you frame in all lens' perimeters, the 0.58 all except a 28 mm lens, and the 0.85 all except a 135 mm lens. The "advantage" to be seen here is that the 0.58 is especially good for wide-angle lenses, whereas the 0.85 especially good for telephoto lenses.

Do yourself the favour of checking out everything in Leica's own site, too:
http://www.leica-camer a.com/index_e.html

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 15, 2001.

Geez, sorry, the first half above I wrote wrong. Of course, it's all just a matter of magnification. That's why the 0.85 was made for the 135 frame (which is otherwise already pretty small) and not good for a 28 frame (which is otherwise already too big). And the 0.58 is better for a 28 frame, not for a 135 frame. The "advantages" I mentioned hold true.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 15, 2001.

I really think that unless there is some strong reason to prefer the .58 (as in, the need to see the 28mm frame while wearing glasses); or the .85 (you shoot mostly with 90mm and 135mm lenses), then the wisest choice for all-around versatility is the 0.72 finder. For most of us, a .58 or .85 is best when added as a second M body.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 15, 2001.

Thank you for all the answers.

-- PJ (piano_j@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.