Hello: I plan to purchase the Viewfinder Magnifier M 1.25x for the M9, which will benefit focusing with the 90mm. Can I leave the magnifier attached when using a wide lens, specifically the 35mm?
Sorry for being late to answer your question. Yes, you can leave the 1.25× magnifier on the eyepiece when using a 35 mm lens—but it’s not recommended. The 35 mm framelines with the magnifier attached will be as hard to see as the 28 mm framelines without. So it’s doable but not comfortably so. For extended periods of using the 35 mm lens, you’ll want to remove the magnifier. When using the 90 mm lens and switching to the 35 mm lens for just a few shots and then back to 90 mm (or any lens longer than 35 mm, for that matter), you can leave the magnifier on.
For the 90 mm specifically, I’d recommend the 1.4× magnifier even more. However then you’ll definitely have to remove it as soon as you switch to a 35 mm lens. For the M9’s 0.68× viewfinder, the rule of thumb is—no magnifier for 28 mm and 35 mm lenses; 1.25× magnifier for 50 mm and 75 mm lenses; 1.4× magnifier for 90 mm and 135 mm lenses.
When using magnifiers then always keep the glass surfaces of the camera’s eyepiece and the magnifier meticulously clean, or you’ll lose contrast which may outweigh the advantage you get from the higher magnification. When using eyepiece diopter correction lenses then you’ll have to remove the diopter lens from the camera’s eyepiece, attach the magnifier, and then attach the diopter lens to the magnifier’s eyepiece. The diopter lens must not go between camera and magnifier, and consequently, cannot.
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