Frameline on teh Leica M8

[arie2]

Good evening,

 

I am testing my new m8 and lenses....I have noticed that even at short

distances, the framelines of my 35 mm and 50 mm summicron lenses are showing

less than what appears on teh actual picture.

 

Have you noticed this, and if yes, how do you compensate for this? I am asking

because I like to include parts of my subjects at the limit of the frame and it

is kind of difficult if the framelines are very imprecise.

 

Thank you for your answers,

 

Arie

[michael_a._shapiro]

The framelines are indeed less than precise. You have to get used to where the framelines are relative to the scene. Just keep shooting and pay attention.

 

You're not alone. All M8 owners experience this.

 

Michael

[Troll]

It's not just the M8, but all M cameras are this way, especially worse after the M5. (The Nikon SP and Canon 7S are just as bad.)

[ray .]

Either get an SLR, crop, or get in tune with the essential design of an RF camera and accept

the slight amount of chance entering into the equation as a positive.

 

It's much better to have a little more in the frame than less than you might have thought.

[Rob F.]

The worst offender is the 50mm frameline in the M6, M7, and MP; and even in the later M4-P. It shows the same area, at a 20-foot distance, as my 60mm Macro-Elmarit. That's a 20% error. I hope none of the framelines on the M8 are quite that bad.

[john_wolf2]

Arie, My understanding is that the M8 framelines are calibrated for the closest focusing distance. The longer your view the less accurate they are. The 75 is particularly inaccurate. You just have to adjust to it as best you can and then crop as needed.

 

John

[michael_matsil]

It should also be pointed out that the ability to immediately view your image on the camera's

LCD is bringing to your attention what was already happening with pre digital M's. The time

from framing/viewing to film processing allowed us all to forget about any inaccuracies. This

is true with a lot of aspects of digital photography. Suddenly we're all hypercritical of our

equipment.

[arie2]

I asked about the frame lines because I saw many pictures of henri cartier bresson where framing was just perfect...hard to believe that he could achieve such results with so inaccurate frame lines.

 

arie

[noah]

<<I asked about the frame lines because I saw many pictures of henri cartier bresson

where framing was just perfect...hard to believe that he could achieve such results with so

inaccurate frame lines.>>

 

Not too hard to believe. If you use one camera and one or two lenses for your career, it's

not too much of a stretch to think that you could get used to any inherent inaccuracies in

the camera.

 

I haven't used the M8, but I know my m6ttl and mp's don't have perfectly accurate

framing, but this is hardly a problem in practice. If it is problematic for the work you do,

an SLR might be better for your work.