Leica M6

That's good to hear. Its nice that the camera is usable with glasses. Thanks for the info.

James the 35mm frame lines on the M6 with .72 magnification is marginal. It will be fine for some and not fine for others. Basically you have to find one and peek in there for a little while and decide for yourself if it's good to go.

I have an M6 .72 that I have had for many years and it is a great camera. I also shoot digital Leica with an M8 and M240. While the frame lines for wide angle lenses on the M6 are not ideal with wide angle lenses I don't find this a big deal. To be fair the M240 is not a lot better for framing. The simple fact is that in the real world I don't find framing at wide angles a major issue. You can always crop and there are other challenges at wide angle (flare being a big one). With an SLR you can see it in the viewfinder. With a rangefinder (especially at very wide angles say my 12mm) I throw an accessory finder in the hot shoe but don't use it as much as you might expect.

 

I find you shoot a Leica based on feel and composition is just one of many challenges. I often shoot with a 24mm and 21mm lens and find you just keep both eyes open and estimate. In essence it is very different from shooting and SLR and this is why I still like them. I would not worry to much about the magnification - just buy a good body

One thought is to get a body with a 50mm lens and then rent different lenses form lens rentals to see how well they work.

Wow, long thread. I only read a portion of it but this is my experience. I wear glasses but use a diopter correction lens on a Leica M7 and my M4. Holding the end of the glasses in my mouth or putting them in my shirt pocket when about to shoot has become 2nd nature. My M7 has a .58 viewfinder which gives more room outside the frame in the finder for my 28, 35, or 50mm lenses. There's really no significant adaptation needed when using the finder on the M4 or back to the M7, it just comes natural.

 

As for framing accuracy, depends what you're shooting or from what distance. And in the end, rangefinders aren't the ideal for framing accuracy. You get a feel for it though and besides that I usually like a little chance thrown in the equation anyway. If you want ideal framing accuracy use an SLR or digital camera.

Brian +1

IMHO comparing the two: If you are using a 50mm lens the .85 is preferable. If using a 35mm lens the .72 is preferable. Either will work with you wearing glasses.