M9 viewfinder field of view

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

I have recently bought, but not received, an M9. I need a fairly wide angle lens for it.

The question is - do I get a 28 mm which is allowed for in the M9 finder or a 24 mm which presumably needs an external viewfinder - or does it? Is the outside edge of the internal finder frame close enough to a 24 mm FOV?

(I realize the lens will partly block the lower left corner of view in the internal finder but I've lived with that before using a Noctilux on an M6 some years ago.)

Any illumination appreciated!

Bill

 

[thrice]

It's not very practical to shoot 24 and use the whole finder, you still need to estimate a bit. The FOV is accurate WRT perspective distortion etc, but the actual framing will be hard to accurately predict. If framing isn't that important I'm sure it'll be fine. I use the external ZM 25/28 finder with my 25mm ZM.

 

[bradhusick]

I concur. Anything wider than 28 is not practical in the internal viewfinder. You end up moving the camera or your eye or both to see the frame edges.

 

[jonoslack]

I agree too - even the 28 is pushing at the edges a bit.
Good luck with the new camera though!

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

Thanks, guys, it looks like I'll go with a 28.
Bill

 

[Double Negative]

On the M9, the 28mm framelines are pretty close to the edges of the VF, but there is "a little more" beyond. If you wear glasses, you can probably forget both, but otherwise...

I don't dislike, but I'd much rather go without external VFs. I use the entire internal VF to roughly frame my 2,8/25 Biogon ZM on both the M8 and M9.

I must be a glutton for punishment because I don't even use a VF with the 4/18 Distagon ZM. I totally zen that one.

 

[Paratom]

I posted this somewhere else. Dont know if it is of any help:

"Owning both of them and lately having used the 24/1.4 a lot I just re-experiencing the 28cron and I am interested how you think about those 2 lenses (on the M9):

I see it as:

Framing and focusing:
framing with internal finder (in case of the 28mm lens) means focusing and framing with the same finder means more precise focus and framing when shooting wide open (which is one of the reason to own those lenses). When I use the 24mm I have an external finder. When shooting wide open non static subjects I often have to use the internal finder and gues the rest because I need to see the rangefinder. Chnaging forth and back between internal and external finder in case of the 24mm leaves more room for either focus inaccurancy (when looking through external finder) or framing inaccurancy (when using internal finder) shooting wide open. Of course not problem when you sep down and have a little more DOF.
This means 28 has an advantage here IMO.

Subject isolation:
I would see the edge for the one step faster 24mm lens - however with 28mm at f2.0 its possible to. Differnce seems not too big.

Signature:
very subjective...It looks like the 24 draws a boit more "dreamy/creamy" wide open tand the cron a bit more crisp. I am not sure though didnt shoot enough with the 28 on the M9 so far. 28 seems very well balanced - sharp but not clinical

Handling:
28 is lighter and some what smaller than 24

focal length:
I like shooting at small-medium distance with those lenses-and a lot people in my own environment, friends, family, kids etc.
24 seems to give those images a more dynamic interesting look and 28mm seems to give it a more natural look (perspective wise). Of course we cann allways crop 24mm to a 28mm fov. My personal idea when getting the 24lux was this more dynamic look. I wanted to force myself to shoot more spontanious and with more extreme lenses to create "more interesting images" with a certain chracter. (like somemore dynamic wide angle look images and when using a different lens more compressed onces)

Anyways, I am interested how you guys see those 2 lenses and your ideas behind using them."

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

Hmm...very interesting and helpful, thank you.
Bill

 

[sepiareverb]

If you do go for the 24, consider the 18mm VF, which has quite accurate framelines for the FOV of the 18 lens on the M8 which equals 24mm...

Much more 'M' like shooting.

 

[Paratom]

The Digilux4 24mm Leica Viewfinder is excellent.
It has a 24mm and a 35mm Frame, a line for compensating parallax at close distances, and costs less than the M 24mm finder.
I think the optics are the same.

And with the 35mm finder you can also use it on a x1 if you get one