Can anyone please recommend a brand of diopter correction lenses (not magnifiers) for Leica M10/M11? I see some off brand ones on ebay (example), but can't find a straight +0.5 one other than the official leica one ($180!) for the newer type II thread.
robbrown99 wrote:
Can anyone please recommend a brand of diopter correction lenses (not magnifiers) for Leica M10/M11? I see some off brand ones on ebay (example), but can't find a straight +0.5 one other than the official leica one ($180!) for the newer type II thread.
I don't think they exist. I've seen negative diopter options on Ebay, but nothing in the positive range unless you use a multi-range correction type, and those usually don't offer the same image quality.
It is interesting that there are several negative diopter options available from third parties, but no positive ones. My guess is that most demand comes from photographers who are slightly nearsighted, so manufacturers prioritize the minus values. Positive diopters probably sell in much smaller numbers, which may be why they are harder to find.
Still, the fact that the negative ones exist gives me hope that someone will eventually produce the positive versions too.
Perhaps time will add more competitive options. The M10 and M11 series are only 10 years only now vs the decades old M series sporting the 12mm threads.
OK more digging. I am getting my eyes tested next week, but given that I actually have a +0.5 correction in my reading glasse, and the camera itself has a -0.5 correction built in, I may need either a +0.5 or a +1 (or none at all)
I will take the camera to my optician and ask to try their correction lenses to see what makes it work best.
Some AI help:
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Since you use your glasses strictly for reading and have a +0.5 prescription, you may actually find that the standard viewfinder (-0.5) is comfortable enough for you without an extra lens. This is because Leica viewfinders are designed to simulate a distance of about 2 meters, which is far beyond the typical "reading" range where your +0.5 correction is needed.
However, if you find the rangefinder patch or frame lines are slightly soft, here is the clear recommendation for your setup:
For your Leica M10
The "Leica Math" dictates that you add your prescription to the camera's native -0.5 offset to find the right lens.
The Goal: To get a final "0" (neutral) or slightly positive view.
The Lens: You should get the Leica Correction Lens II (+1.0). This will result in a net correction of +0.5, perfectly matching your reading prescription for the 2-meter virtual image.
When you test the correction lenses, make sure you test focusing at various distances. For me I tried +0.5 and -0.5 and ultimately settled on none of them as my eyes need different correction for different distances. E.g. the +0.5 would make things better under 1.5 meters but worse beyond 1.5 meters. This is in contrast to typical SLR where the focusing screen is always set at a specific viewing distance and single optical correction is sufficient.
I really wish there was an adjustable correction lens without magnification. I have the LLL 1.4x magnifier which is great for its adjustable diopter, but can't be used with anything wider than 50mm as it also magnifies the view.
