When the Tri-Elmar came out I had absolutely no interest in it but I've given it some second thoughts. It would make a really fine travel lens along with a 90 Elmarit and it's performance seems to be outstanding.

My question is this...has anyone used this lens on an M3? I will eventually get an M7 but that would be a Hi Mag version anyway so I'll be using a 28 viewfinder in any case.

Would the use of a separate viewfinder be inconvenient on either the M3 or the M7?

I have a pre-ASPH 35 Summicron that's been in the box since I bought it so I might as well swap it towards a 3E.

TIA

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), May 30, 2002

Answers

Hi Bud, Do you want to sell your pre-ASPH 35 Summicron?

-- John (jamriman@yahoo.com), May 30, 2002.

Bud

Would the use of a separate viewfinder be inconvenient on either the M3 or the M7?

I think it would. I wouldn't do it myself (a 3E on an M3). It would work nicely on a 0.58 and maybe on an 0.72, even possibly with a 0.85 plus a 28mm v/f but on an M3 I think it is very poorly matched.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.

Thanks Robin,

I suppose I'd be just as well off keeping my 35 and adding a 21 or 24.

BTW, I cover the center window on my M3 when using a 35 and just use the edge of the frame. It works fine for the type of photography I do.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), May 30, 2002.

I've been using the 3E on both an M6 and an M3 for the past two years or so. I don't have a 28mm viewfinder for the M3, but as long as I'm not too fussy about exact framing (I shoot only B+W in the M3 and do my own printing) I have found that I can swoop the camera's finder about in a narrow orbit and get a good sense of what I'll capture. I also block one window on the M3 to get the equivalent of a 35mm viewfinder using the edges of the frame.

This may seem weird to some people, but it's no more difficult than getting really sharp focusing with a 135 on my .72 M6. Imagine how many other photographers would kill to have this problem!

-- Dick Baznik (reb10@po.cwru.edu), May 30, 2002.

Bud. The use of the tri-elmar on an M3 (especially) or an M7 0.85X sounds like it would definitely be suboptimal to me. On the M3, two of the three focal lengths (28 and 35 mm) would require separate viewfinders. On an 0.85 M7 (or M6TTL), you would not have the 28 mm frame. IMO, this lens is best suited for an M4-P or M6/M7 0.72 (or 0.58). These cameras have frames for 28-35-50 mm focal lengths. Of course you can use it on any M, adding the appropriate VF as needed. In fact, if you already have an M3 (which provides 0.91X magnification), why get an 0.85X?

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 30, 2002.

Bud, if you currently use the M3 finder as-is for 35mm, all you'll need for the 3E is the 28mm finder. I use my 3E on a Hexar RF (might as well be welded on)and I still use a Leica 28mm finder because it looks like what a 28mm puts on film. The in-camera finder is basically a 50mm perspective within a 28mm box.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 30, 2002.