With -15 dioptres, I have very poor eyesight and have to use glasses or contact lenses, but I am never perfectly corrected. With a rangefinder, I can focus more easily and accurately than with an SLR or a camera with an EVF (in manual mode). Even if I can’t see the image in the viewfinder 100% in focus, I can get the image in focus with a rangefinder. What I can actually see are the ‘differences in patterns’ compared to the area outside the viewfinder frame. If the viewfinder frame is not aligned correctly, there are no ‘wrong patterns’; this also works with poor eyesight.

Yes, I remember Stefan Daniel talking about this. I hope Leica stays true to the optomechanical rangefinder heritage.

I have no interest in digital cameras, but it seems to me that Leica has the EVF pretty well covered with the SL and Q series. And the M-Adapter L for M-lenses on the SL cameras.

I am 61 and also hope that my eyesight will remain good for many years to come, just like yours.
But there are sad cases where this is not the case for various reasons.

So stay healthy and enjoy your M,
best, Claus

Many thanks for the input!
This is exactly the technology I had in mind for an M with EVF! Kodos to Nikon for inventing it already (I didn’t know that).

Best, Claus

Just a few years ago, Stefan Daniel assured us that there would be no such device.
I’m not so sure what his answer would be today. If there is sufficient demand, they will give the child a name…

I shot old film rangefinders, view cameras, SLRs and DSLRs for decades. Today’s EVF’s are truely an incredible advwncement. I can see the milky way and horizon in my Z9 and Zf EVFs on moonless nights, zoom in and focus on bright stars in the diopter adjusted EVF.

I shoot a lot with my nikon ZF and the newer MF Voigtländer 50 1.0 for Z. I personally detest peaking with manual focus. I prefer a clean view. Nikon has added subject detection manual focus assist in it’s latest bodies (ZF, Z6iii, and Z50ii). It draws a box on the closest detected eye. You can cycle through eyes, then focus the box to green, but here’s the kicker… You tap a programmed button and the diopter adjusted, bright EVF zooms to 100% while tracking that eye to let you absolutely perfect focus. Hitting the shutter fires and takes you back to full frame view. Nailing manual focus at f1.0 is now child’s play. In fact, I’ve taight my 8 year old to do it.

If Lieca would bring that tech to an M body… I’d be in. I’d sell everything but my Q3, Z9 105 1.4 & 400 2.8 TC.

Ditto: even at 75 y/o, I find my M240 much more accurate than cameras with an EVF. In particular, focus peaking often is spread over a wide area; with a rangefinder, I can isolate exactly the center of the region where I want to focus.

Not to say EVF’s don’t have uses; as Claus noted, you do get a good sense of depth of field.

Very nicely summarised, I completely agree with you!

Best, Claus

Hi Jon,

indeed, practice makes perfect. But after a while, it’s like riding a bike. You’ll never forget.

Best, Claus