MP3 Framelines

[jtdnyc]

In a thread a few days ago, the issue of MP3 framelines came up, with some

posters saying that the frames were sized identically to the frames of the last

25 years or so, while others claimed they were larger, like the frames on pre-

M4-P cameras.

 

Surfing through Leica's new website, a found some info, new to me, that might

help resolve this dispute.

 

The site says that the frames are sized for the full 24x36mm negative area. I

believe, but do not know for sure, that current frames are sized for the area

visible on a mounted slide.

 

Thus, it might be that MP3 frames are bigger than current frames, but not so

big as on the M3 and M2 which, I believe, were sized for the full negative area

at 1 meter rather than 0.7m.

 

Comments?

[jason_b.]

Whatever the design decision, they perfectly match my M4's lines and don't match lines in the

M6TTLs that I had. Personally, I'm stoked!!

[emanuel_lowi1]

Only the 50mm frame on the MP3 is a return to the exact proportions of the pre-M4P Leicas.

 

The 35mm & 90mm frames retain the same proportions they've had in recent years.

[jtdnyc]

Emanuel, do you know whether the 50mm frames on all the pre-M4-P cameras were the same size? It seems to me there are two issues: sizing for minimum focus (which changed from 1m to 0.7m at some point); and full negative area vs. mounted slide area.

 

As far as the logic of changing just the 50 frame, my guess is that changing the 35 is less important because the difference is less noticable, while changing the 90 is unnecessary because the minimum focus hasn't changed, except for the MEM, I believe.

 

What I'd really like to see is an a-la-carte option for framelines that show the full negative coverage at 1m, with .58 magnification -- which can always be increased to .72 with the viewfinder magnifier. But maybe that's just me.

[Rob F.]

"Only the 50mm frame on the MP3 is a return to the exact proportions of the pre-M4P Leicas."

 

Well, what took them so long? And why only for the MP3? I find myself avoiding my 50mm lenses when using M6/M6TTL/MP because of the undersized framelines.

 

There is a theory that they had to downsize the 50mm frame to make room for the meter display. Doesn't make much sense to me. The 35mm frame seems more critical for clearing the meter diodes. Besides, if they can make the 50mm frame larger now, that would seem to argue against the idea that they couldn't have done it then.

 

It's the only thing that I really don't like about post-M4/M4-2 Leicas. But that's what my M2 and M3 are for, I guess.

[feli]

About #$%@ time that they fixed that. I avoid using a 50 on my M6ttl or M7, for this exact reason. Leica should make the MP3 frameline mask available as an upgrade for earlier cameras.

 

 

feli

[jtdnyc]

...and, to reiterate, not just for the .72 magnification!

[emanuel_lowi1]

The M2, M4, M5 and early M4-2 cameras show the same proportions

for their respective 35/50/90mm frames. All feature .7 metre minimum

focus.

 

The M3 RF is an entirely different thing, with 1 metre minimum focus

and different frames, etc.

 

The MP3 50mm frame has an abbreviated bottom line, similar to the M7

50mm frame.

[feli]

>The M2, M4, M5 and early M4-2 cameras show the same proportions for >their respective 35/50/90mm frames.

 

Correct.

 

>All feature .7 metre minimum focus.

 

Sorry, but this isn't correct.

 

The M3/M2/M4/M5/M4-2 and early M4-P cameras show coverage of 1 meter at minimum focus distance. The change to .7 came with very late M4-P cameras and was made standard from the M6 on.

[jim_a]

..About #$%@ time that they fixed that. I avoid using a 50 on my M6ttl or M7, for this exact reason. Leica should make the MP3 frameline mask available as an upgrade for earlier cameras.>>

 

I called Dave Elwell at Leica yesterday and he said he would check into this get back to me. He said that the M7 and the MP could be upgraded to a three-mask frame line like in the MP3, but the M6's could not.

 

I asked him about the frame masks in the MP3 showing the coverage like those in the earlier M's. He was not able to tell me if this is the case.

 

A few months ago I called Tony Rose at POPFLASH and he was kind enough to compare an MP3 to an MP and found the 50mm frame coverages were the same.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a MP3 and an LHSA MP3? I wonder if it's possible only the LHSA version has the more accurate frames? Jason, which model do you have?