I just bought one of these. Terribly expensive, but a beautiful accessory. For those who have not seen it, it comes in a beautiful leather case which can be clipped on to the camera strap, and has a retaining chain that can be clipped on to the loupe on one end and to either the carrying strap fixing ring or on to the leather case itself. I plan to carry it on the strap and use it when I use a longer lens wide open.

The manual says that the effective measuring base of the range finder of the .72 M6 becomes 62.3 mm (from 42.9 mm), greater than that of the .85 M6 without the loupe (58.9 mm)and exactly equivalent to that of the M3 (nice coincidence). Of course the .85 M6 can also be increased to 73.6 mm, and even more so that of the M3.

Am I missing something, or does this mean that it no longer makes any real sense to buy a .85 viewfinder unless you are sure that you will not use anything below the 50mm focal length with it? Is there some disavantage to using the 1.25 loupe with a .72 body over using a .85 body?

At the moment I am thinking that I have made a great purchase! This seems more progress than the M7 or the new Bessa, since it can actually improve photos. (I do not mean to be controversial, the AE is useful in certain situations, but mostly I would be using a SLR in those anyway).

Enrique Munoz

-- (dem331@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002

Answers

I bought one of these too. Initially used it on my .72 body but then used it on the .85, and what a wonderful tool it is when using the Noct or a 75/90 lens.

I am buying a .85 body and will use the 1.25x extensively for critical focusing or when using a longer lens.

Expensive, but it reminds me of looking through an M3 viewfinder...

-- Kevin Baker (kevin@thebakers.org), February 24, 2002.

I also just got the 1.25x mag. I will use it on an M4 and an M6 .58. Super clear view and no lose in brightness.

So far I do find that my glasses get in the way. Well, I may have to get used to it or I can shoot w/o glasses. The small frames, 90+135 are what you want to see larger and it does that for sure.

I just need more time with it.

-- Neil Swanson (neilsphoto@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

The 1.25X magnifier is TERRIFIC on the .85 body with a 90mm lens. The frameline is magnified to the size of a typical 50mm frame. Wonderful.

-- Robert Schneider (rolopix@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

Watch out for the little rubber eyeglass protector. It can come off pretty easily.

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), February 24, 2002.

Can you tell me where you purchased it? It seems that the dealers I normally buy from have been out of stock for awhile. Any help would be appreciated.

Regards, Tom

-- Tom Gallagher (tgallagher10@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

I haven't looked through one of these magnifiers but have wondered whether the magnifier (which supposedly is a simple two element achromat) distorts the image, particularly in the outer zones. The view through an M Leica is very clear, but what happens when you put a magnifying lens in front of it? Maybe some of you who have used this item can comment. I like the idea of a larger frame for 90 and 135 mm without having to buy an 0.85X. All of my M users are 0.72X.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), February 24, 2002.

Tom,

Probably not much use to you since it is in Germany, but I obtained it at A-C Foto in Aachen, website http://www.ac-foto.com/. This really is a great shop. Although Aachen is relatively small, it is near the border to Holland and Belgium and so they have a lot of business. They gave me a very fair deal on a part exchange of Canon equipment.

I had the same question as Eliot, although my post was a little long- winded and it probably got lost in there somewhere:

Is there any advantage in using a 0.85 M6 over a .72 M6 + 1.25x, other than the fact that you can also put the 1.25x on the .85 M6 and get even larger framing?

Regards.

-- enrique munoz (dem331@yahoo.com), February 25, 2002.

No distortion or dimming, at least I haven't noticed any.

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), February 25, 2002.

the view MUST, MUST, MUST be dimmer - simple physics!

-- chris chen (chrischen@msn.com), February 25, 2002.

Hi,

I find the 1.25X very useful with my M3 when using the 90mm. lens. In fact, it makes viewing and focusing so much easier, I am thinking of getting a 135 mm. I used it with my M6(0.72X) as well but with my 50 mm.

It's a great accessory and I believe it is in short supply. I had to wait for two weeks to get mine.

Regards,

N.S. Ng

-- N.S. Ng (nsnga@pacific.net.sg), February 25, 2002.

The view is noticeably dimmer, especially in low light. The framelines are dimmed too, of course. The difference is pretty obvious if you compare say an unmagnified .72, versus a .85x1.25.

For me, the 1.25 makes the 90mm very usuable as a portrait lens, but is of little use otherwise...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), February 25, 2002.