I don't have the possibility to see a 0.85 M6 TTL or any 90mm lenses before the Wednesday deadline for Rich Pinto's Leica Day orders, so I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to answer a few questions on frame obstruction.

What percentage of the 90mm frame is blocked in (a) 0.85, (b) 0.72, by the: (1) 90mm f2.0 APO current? (2) 90mm f2.8 current?

I'm trying to figure out whether it is worth investing in a 0.85, or to just use a 0.72 that I have. For a possible future 90mm purchase.

Do such statistics exist anywhere for other lenses?

I wear eyeglasses. Does this have an impact on anything?

Thanks,

-- Vikram (VSingh493@aol.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

I have the M6 TTL 0.85 and use the newest version Elmarit 90mm f2.8 lens. I can see clearly all of the four frame markers with no trouble, as the etched lines are visible just inside of the actual viewfinder boundary. I don't recall that the lens actually blocks my field of view. For me, the 0.85 M6 is the best choice for me. Of my three M lenses, 28 Summicron f/2 ASPH, 50mm Summicron f/2, and the 90 Elmarit f/2.8, I'd say that the 90mm lens is the sharpest performer.

-- Steve Brantley (sbrantley@nccommerce.com), April 08, 2002.

Vikram:

I've only ever compared my .58 body to my .72 body with and without the eyepiece magnifier, but in my experience the frameline obstruction varies only marginally between finder magnifications as the "angle of view" for each frameline is equal regardless of finder magnification. Hence, my 90APO blocks essentially the same relative portion of the framelines on my .58, .72 and .72+1.25 magny.

I detect a slight difference in the actual appearance of the above combos, however it is slight and difficult to quantify. I think it is probably due to perspective differences more than anything else.

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), April 08, 2002.

On my .72 M6 classic with the 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit M, there is no obstruction of the 90mm frame lines at infinity. The 90mm lines do not meet at the corners, so you have to estimate the intersections, but it doesn't look like the lens barrel encroaches where the bottom right corner would meet.

At about the 4 meter point, the lens gets a bit longer and starts to merge into where the frame lines would meet.

At the closest focusing distance, the bottom right corner of the frame has a small part of the lens' hood (when extended), and a bit less if the hood is retracted, showing in the field... a small part.

In real shooting, this has never been a factor in any compositional error... in other words, I never had anything show up on film that I didn't see in the finder. It would only take the smallest arch of movement to check the part not seen in the closest range with this lens and finder magnification.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), April 08, 2002.

As Jack notes above, if Leica does their job right, then the amount of area blocked by the 90mm of the 90mm frame will be exactly the same, no matter what the viewfinder magnification.

-- charles (c.mason@uaf.edu), April 08, 2002.

The 90AA blocks approximately 10% of the area bounded by the framelines in both the .72 and .85 viewfinders. The rim of the lens describes an arc that cuts the vertical and horizontal framelines about 12mm from their intersection.

HTH, Rich

-- Richard Kayser (richkayser@aol.com), April 08, 2002.

In real shooting, this has never been a factor in any compositional error... in other words, I never had anything show up on film that I didn't see in the finder. It would only take the smallest arch of movement to check the part not seen in the closest range with this lens and finder magnification.

I have to echo Al's comment. I have the Elmarit-M 90/2.8. While I can clearly see the lens barrel in the .72x viewfinder, it's outside the framing area except at closest focus distances and is simply not a issue.

Godfrey

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), April 08, 2002.

Remember that at longer focusing distances (about 5m and farther) the 75mm framelines more accurately depict what the 90mm lens will actually imprint on film. In that case the 90 lenses to obstruct a larger portion of the view. It's something we just live with.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 08, 2002.

Thank you all for your experience and advice. I feel it is worth more than handling the equipment myself, since I know so little about the nuances of framelines!

Since I wear eyeglasses I was going to get a 0.58 anyway because I only have one body, and wanted to get another all mechanical M6, so I'll stick with Jack's combination of 0.58, 0.72 and a 1.25x.

Thanks again for all your expertise, which makes this forum a master class.

-- Vikram (VSingh493@aol.com), April 09, 2002.