M3 for glasses wearer?

[ywenz]

Would the 50mm lines in an M3's .9x viewfinder not be compatible for glasses wearers?

[back alley]

they work for me.

but then, ya don't hear me complainin' about the 35mm fl in the p either.

[harry01562]

They work fine for me, as well. Best advice is probably to go to a shop and try one. That way, you at least see if the camera seems to be a good fit for you. With the market the way it is right now, you may even get a deal worth considering. With a nice Summicron, and a hood........ you get the idea.

Harry

[Ronald M]

You will have to move your head to see the left and right edges. I have to take my glasses off to see it all at one time.

The M3 just never got along with me for this reason.

90mm lines are the best of any RF.

If you want a full size finder, use the bright line 50mm. It is full size, not .91. The outline
matches the negative closer than any other BL finder or frames in iny Leica Camera. You will still have the problem seeing the edges.

[ywenz]

Would you say the 50mm lines on the M3 is kind of like the 35mm on a .72 M6?

[furcafe]

Harry is correct. Faces & glasses are different from individual to individual. YM will definitely V. E.g., I wear (fairly thick, but not coke bottle thick) glasses & have absolutely no problem seeing the 50mm frames in an M3 (w/space around them, etc.), but barely see all of the 35mm frames in an M6 0.85 (no space around them).

[FrankS]

With the glasses I wear, I can see the entire 50mm frame at once on my M3.

[merciful]

Fine for me, with a bit of peering around. No issue; same as the 35 lines on the M2.

[neil gowlland]

One of Stephen Gandy's eyeglass protectors (cameraquest.com) for the eyepiece is essential. That way there is no risks of scratching your glasses, even if pressed to the eyepiece.

[KoNickon]

Yes, they work for me as well. I don't know if he still sells them but Don Goldberg (DAG) has some very nifty plastic rings that snap onto the eyepiece of the M3 and I guess all the other Ms. No adhesive involved.

[hth]

It did not work for me, so I got an M2 instead.

[barry]

I can see the frames for 50mm on an M3 but I have to press close to the window. In my opinion, the 50mm frames of a .72 finder are much more user friendly. I don't have to press the lens of my glasses to the finder thread. More like a "high eyepoint" SLR viewfinder.

[Ben Z]

I found a cheap correction diopter (not right for me) and knocked out the glass, the rim is rubber-armored so screwed into my M3 eyepiece it protects my glasses and it's thinner (and nicer) than the stick-on ones (I had one of the DAG plastic ones, it would've needed pliobond to stay on). I can see the entire 50mm frame as long as I gaze straight at the rangefinder patch. Once I let my eye wander a little off-center one side or another of the frames completely disappears. The biggest problem is that for framing at longer distances I need to see another frameline-thickness outside the frames, and that is more of a problem. For me my M3 and its chrome Cron is an occasional-use outfit, which I bought and keep mostly for its historical significance. For general shooting I use M4 and M6, because I shoot a lot with the 35mm lens.

[captainslack]

Originally Posted by hth

It did not work for me, so I got an M2 instead.

Ditto. But I haven't gotten the M2. Yet.

[Brian Sweeney]

The eyepiece of the M3 SS offers a little more eye relief than the DS. I have both, and an M2. The M3SS works out fine for me. The DS is good; a little squeezed. The 50 lines of the M2 are easy to see.

[Ronald M]

Don`s are made in several sizes with very small differences. You need to match them to the individual camera and this requires hand fitting. I have three, all are tight, but none are interchangeable.

[jim0266]

Also try each eye when shooting. With an M I have to use my left eye for viewing because I cannot get my right eye nearly as close to the eyepiece. Must be the structure of my face. YMMV. I also wear glasses but that are very flexible.