Converting MP from 0.72 to 0.58 viewfinder

[joseph_barbano]

Any experience with this? How much? How hard? Is it worth the hassle

(relative question)? I wear glssses and can't really see the 28mm frames on

my 0.72 MP. Maybe a Voightlander auxilary finder makes more sense? Thanks in

advance.

[peter_white2]

I'd get a diopter adjustment lens before swapping out finders. And I'd sell the body I had and buy the other body before spending the money on the conversion.

 

You can probably find someone with the finder you want who wants to swap.

[peter_white2]

And, the Voiglander 28mm finder is exceptionally nice. And cheap. It has much better eye relief than the .72 finder. That may be all you need.

 

Be sure to get the metal one.

[Bill Blackwell Images]

You will not be able to easily obtain a new .58 finder to replace your .72 with. You can "upgrade" through Leica's a-la-carte program for $900 (in the USA). But I would suggest you find another camera with a .58 finder and either use your .72 as a back-up or sell it - it would be less expensive that way.

[fad gadget]

Joseph,

 

I also have a .72 MP and use the Voigtlander finders, they are excellent!

I have a metal chrome 28mm finder, used twice, still in the box, that I would be willing to

sell or trade. I just sold my Zeiss 28mm lens to another member, and purchased a 21, but

still have the finder.

 

Cheers,

KF

[joseph_barbano]

I'm interested in the V. finder. Which one is it? The "box-y" one or the cylindrical one, and is it black or chrome? Also, how much? Please e-mail at barabno@verizon.net. Thanks.

[joseph_barbano]

Correction: email me at barbano@verizon.net

[fad gadget]

Hi Joseph,

 

E-mail with photos, sent.

 

Regards,

KF

[lee hamiel]

Go with the Zeiss finder for 349.

 

See:

http://www.cameraquest.com/inventor.htm

 

I'm certain you can resell very easily here if you're unhappy.

 

Good Luck

[paul a. roid]

I use a 28 mm Voigt on a M6 TTL and find the build-in 28mm<br>

framelines to be *very* tight in the viewfinder, even though I don't <br>

wear glasses. a 35mm 'cron is my normal lens.<p>

 

the 28 Voigtlander (mine is metal) finder is a lot brighter and easier to frame,<br>

since it provides some room around the framelines.<p>

another plus for the aux finder is the lack of other -distracting- framelines<p>

well, I don't need to give you a speech about focusing, paralaxx and all that...

[majid]

You might want to try this <a href="http://www.unicircuits.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=111&osCsid=607d774677eac143ef77149db1121e76">Japanese "minifier"</a>

[alun]

I was recently considering the possibility of buying a 0.72 finder M and having it converted

to 0.58 (I didn't because I eventually found a 0.58 M7), but when I asked the question of

Leica UK in Milton Keynes their answer suggested that replacing one finder with another

diffrent magnification finder could not be done: "Unfortunately this type of conversion is

not economically possible due to the fact that a few major parts are different between the

two camera variants...".

 

--Alun

[kbg32]

I ask Leica USA and they said it could be done for my M7. Cost would be $900 as stated

above.

[vinay_patel]

The cylindrical Voitlander finder is nice but beware that it does not have a rubber ring to keep from scratching your eyeglasses. I know someone who bought the Japanese demagnifier and was quite unhappy. He said that because it juts out several mm it robs the eye relief and basically cancels out the usefulness for eyeglasses wearers. $900 to swap out the rangefinder seems like quite a hefty price, maybe one of the private guys like DAG would do it for less. IF, that is, Leica will sell them the parts without a like-for-like exchange on old ones. That has been their policy, to only sell parts for the high and low-mag finders as repair items, not for swapouts. For $1300 you could buy a Zeiss Ikon body, which has plenty of eye relief for the 28mm frameline.

[vinay_patel]

Sorry Voigtlander fans...I typoed out the "g" :*(

[Bill Blackwell Images]

"$900 to swap out the rangefinder seems like quite a hefty price, maybe one of the private guys like DAG would do it for less. IF, that is, Leica will sell them the parts without a like-for-like exchange on old ones."

 

Third party repair shops do not have access to these parts in advance. And then Leica will only swap a .72 finder for a .72 finder, a .58 finder for a .58 finder, etc....

[john_graham3]

Nobody in their right mind would ask on a public forum if they should bring their V8-auto SUV back to the dealer and have them put in a 6cyl-stick, but $900 for changing the finder in a camera gets a dozen earnest replies. Oh brother.

[steve_george3]

Joseph. There's a silver one on EBay, new in box but without cards, in Monterey. Item number 7621873916. Going at $3,295.00. That's less than I paid for mine, 'though mine's black paint.

 

Steve

[rafael_macia]

Joseph,

As a lifetime eyeglass wearer, and an M shooter, I can tell you a screw in diopter is

perhaps the

easiest and least expensive way to go. I find it a pain but when I need to focus or see the

28 framelines in a .72 ...OR .. the frame lines for 35 in a .85, one needs to have the eye

right up to the eyepiece. And even then you have to scan around. I don't think Leicas are

for eyeglass people. What I do is carry a very fine metal eyeglass leash on a battery carrier

attached to the camera strap. When I am shooting; I attach the leash, to be able to quickly

remove the glasses to be able to use the diopter. If you want to leave on the glasses pick

up a 28 Leica finder (my choice). It is

bright and easy to use with glasses. Find a dealer who has a selection of diopters. They

now go up to -3 to +3 .... in the past, a greater range was offered. They are around

difficult to find, though.

Dealers who have old stock, are happy to sell them.

I would forget converting. Too expensive.

Rafael