75mm lenses and M4-2

[natures-pencil]

My M4-2 has frames for only 35mm, 50mm. 90mm and 135mm lenses. Can anyone tell me which of

these is displayed if I mount a 75mm lens.

 

(Background - I sold my M6 and lenses, including a 75mm f/1.4, a couple of years ago. This turned

out to be a mistake. I get better results with a Leica M and film than with any digital camera or any

other type of film camera. So I recently bought a used M4-2. I would now like to add a modest

telephoto to the kit. I prefer the 75mm f/1.4 to any of the 90mm lenses, and the new 75mm f/2 might

also be suitable. Also, if I ever get myself an M8 then the 75mm becomes the equivalent of a 100mm

in 35mm format - still an OK length for portraits and landscapes. The 90mm becomes the equivalent of

120mm ... just a bit too long for me)

[fjords]

M4-2 / 75mm brings up 50mm frame line. Using the cornerless frame lines you can

approximate the 75 field of view.

[35mmdelux]

I enjoyed shooting w/ my Hasselblad as well as my F5 Nikon. For some reason I got too many blurred shots anything below f/5.6, possibly poor focusing on my part. The Leica changed this for me with its rangefinder focusing. I still get blurred shots, dang it, but my ratio improved alot.

[carl_bretteville]

I beleive you can have the M4-2 modified to add the 75mm lines.

[ronald_moravec1]

My M4-2 was modified or use a CV 75 finder.

 

Leica 75 frames are just little corner marks and I dislike using them, so I use my CV finder anyway.

[Rob F.]

"Leica 75 frames are just little corner marks and I dislike using them, so I use my CV finder anyway."

 

--I think that is a good point, and also there have been times when I accidently composed with the 50mm framelines. They and the 75mm ones are so close together, it's easy to forget to use the little corner marks for 75mm.

 

I second the recommendation for the CV finder. It makes more sense than bothering to have the 75mm frame added. By the time you pay for that, you may as well have bought an M6 Classic.

[frederick_muller]

The VC 50mm and 75mm finders are very nicely built and wonderful to use. I use them on a Bessa T and they are very nice.

[john_newell2]

"there have been times when I accidently composed with the 50mm framelines"

 

You're a better man than I am. It happened to me so often I gave up (very reluctantly) using the 75mm lens. I really loved the focal length, but it just didn't work for me. :-(((

[natures-pencil]

Thanks for all your helpful answers, suggestions and comments. The key one is that it is

the 50mm frames that come up with a 75mm len - good news as it means that I can just

go ahead and use a 75mm lens with my M4-2, and use the cornerless line segments of the

50mm frame to guesstimate 75mm coverage.

 

Options for the future would be to get the M4-2 modified (unlikely - too expensive for

what it gains), get an external finder (also unlikely, as I find it a pain using one viewfinder

for focussing and another for framing - at least I did with wide angles on a Mamiya 7), or

replace or add to my kit with a later body (M6, MP) that already has the 75mm frame.

 

Thanks again