Leica M6

[Huss]

Problem with doing that is there is no parallax correction. Using frame lines, not the entire VF, gives you parallax correction as they move depending on the focus.

Not sure how great an idea it is to use the entire VF as the 35mm frame, because the entire VF is OUTSIDE the 35mm framelines. It is hard enough to see the 35mm frame lines with a .72 finder as it is. I have to jam my eye in to the finder. And if I wore glasses - not gonna happen.

 

[Arthurwg]

I'll be happy with my M6 when I get a new Voigtlander 21mm F4 lens.

 

[Huss]

Yep. This is Leica's strength and weakness at the same time. Each viewfinder only works well for one focal length. The 0.85 is awesome for 50mm, 0.72 is for 35mm and (I suspect but never tried) the 0.58 is great for 28mm. Everything else is a compromise. In a way it helps curb costly M-GAS: it is hard to justify owning more than just two lenses.

If money were growing on trees in my back yard, I would have completely thrown this silly concept of an interchangeable lens rangefinder out the window, and just had three dedicated M-bodies with different viewfinders for 28mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses. Also, since I'm dreaming, I would have two copies of each lens: fast+heavy (Lux), and slow+compact (Summarit/Elmar).

Well I have an M with a .58 finder, one with a .72, and one with a .91 (M3)

The .58 finder is by far the most useful and versatile. It is fantastic with 28 and 35mm lenses, and with the screw in 1.4X viewfinder magnifier, great with 50 and 90mm lenses.
The level of focusing precision is the same between the .58, .72 and .85 finders as the rangefinder base length is the same. The only difference is the image magnification.

 

[Huss]

Insane fact: there're no black 0.58x Leicas on eBay under $5K right now. I contacted Japan Camera Hunter and he said "forget about one". Crazy times we live in...

Well I think I just scored when I bought my black MP .58 from B&H a couple of months ago then!