I never saw this question raised by fellow M-Users:

If you look at the sales brochure for the M6 (rangefinder cutaway), it seems that cutting a bigger rangefinder hole in the front of the top plate and mounting a bigger rangefinder mirror (up to FULL frame possible?!) inside would be a really cool idea. It would lessen recomposition, make the view brighter (?), and make fast focusing easier. Leica could make the top plate level (to help fit the bigger mirror), not stepped, raising the shutter speed dial (not recessed), wind lever and trigger. I wonder what it would look like; sort of like an M5, I guess.

It probably would cost Leica much, either, except for the modified top plate. I wonder how much room, in the present top plate for a bigger mirror. I think it's a great idea.

Christian

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 11, 2002

Answers

If you all don't like the idea of the relatively small viewfinder and frameline window proportions, Leica could make those windows larger too. The viewfinder would be even brighter, and might enable Leica to add 24 and 21 framelines (?).

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 11, 2002.

The quest for big viewfinder led to SLR :)

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 11, 2002.

These changes would, I gather, increase the size of the camera. That might make it less appealing to carry and use. I'd be happy if they would just fix the whiteout problem.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 11, 2002.

Please reread, use existing top plate, or remove the step ONLY

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 11, 2002.

Chris: Not to argue with the benefits of your idea for viewing, but take a look at the brochure cutaway again and study the whole optical path.

The RF image travels through a long skinny prism, and then through a lens tube (which is what moves via lens connection and shifts the image around), and then through a hole in the middle of the frame that holds the frame line masks. All of these would have to grow larger as well.

You maybe could enlarge the RF spot 5% (?) before you'd have to really remake the whole top of the camera. For "full screen" focusing the RF window would have to be as large as the main viewing window - and all those intervening parts would have to grow to an inch in diameter - you'd end up with something the size of a Mamiya 7 for 35mm use (!!)

I'd probably go cross-eyed if EVERYTHING in the viewfinder was a double image (except the thing in focus, of course).

And what happens to the frame lines? If you think the M6 has RF flare now, when the RF patch and framelines are widely separated - just imagine what the flare would be like if they were superimposed.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), January 12, 2002.

Andy,

As always, you're right. I stand corrected. I couldn't find the diagram when I posted. I was just thinking out loud.

My Leica Heros:

Andy, Andrew, Lutz, Bob (not Todrick), Rob, Tony, Tom, etc. Always well thought out answers. Before this forum I was always around f8. I thought faster lenses allowed you more speed stopped down 2-3 stops where lenses generally perform better: a 1.4 at 4.0 instead of a 2.8 at 8.0. I never thought about shooting wide open before. Although, I, and others, am quite satisfied with my technique. I'm scanning some now and will post more in the future. I do have one in the critique forum: "ultimate street photography?" It's been more than a week, so I don't know if it's still viewable.

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 12, 2002.