Bill W Posted February 3, 2012 Share #1 Posted February 3, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am going to get a 21 for my M9 and will also get an external finder. Looking at the offerings on ebay, there are some that are $275 and others that are $700+. Are there any appreciable differences between them. Is it plastic versus metal or is there some other optical thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 3, 2012 Posted February 3, 2012 Hi Bill W, Take a look here 21 for My M9. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wda Posted February 3, 2012 Share #2 Posted February 3, 2012 Bill, it is not clear to what your prices and materials description apply. With such seeming scant knowledge or the product options, why not visit or talk to a good Leica dealer. Unless experienced in the product options, I would avoid bidding blind on ebay. You risk making a big mistake. I cannot think of a Leica 21mm lens made of plastic. Or indeed any Leica M lens for that matter. Some may have plastic components such as barrel gripping surfaces, but most quality lenses do not. Your M9 deserves a good lens and, generally speaking, they do not often appear for the prices you cite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted February 3, 2012 Sorry I did not make myself clearer, I am asking about the external finder and not the actual lens. There are various prices for them and I was curious about differences. I had one many years ago but sold it. Are the new ones at $750 really worth the difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
macusque Posted February 3, 2012 Share #4 Posted February 3, 2012 I guess Bill was referring only to the external viewfinder... I'm curious too because I need one too for my SE 21. From what I read Zeiss make the best optical viewfinders but only Leica ones have shifted mounts to be on-axis respect to the lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hhanebeck Posted February 3, 2012 Share #5 Posted February 3, 2012 Here is a good overview of the existing viewfinders: Leica 21mm Finders I use the 21-24-28 zoom finder (Japan) and like it a lot due to its agreeable cost, small form factor and flexibility. However, your trade-off is accuracy. I have also used the Universal (Franken-) Finder in the past and liked it. The advantage of the Frankenfinder is that you can set the distance. However, it is very bulky. Cheers, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 3, 2012 Share #6 Posted February 3, 2012 Bill, May I make a suggestion? Steve Gandy at Cameraquest has a metal combination 21/25 Viewfinder that may be just what youy are looking for. He also has a plastic 21mm version. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanhulsenbeek Posted February 3, 2012 Share #7 Posted February 3, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Here is a good overview of the existing viewfinders: Leica 21mm Finders I use the 21-24-28 zoom finder (Japan) and like it a lot due to its agreeable cost, small form factor and flexibility. However, your trade-off is accuracy. I have also used the Universal (Franken-) Finder in the past and liked it. The advantage of the Frankenfinder is that you can set the distance. However, it is very bulky. Cheers, Chris I never liked the zoom-finder: bulky, gets in the way in the bag and has lots of distortion. I had a look at a lot of other finders, including the Zeiss, and then - sigh...- fell for the Leica finders. Now use the 18mm as an intermediate/covering everything finder for the 16-18-21 WATE, and I am not looking back :-) Most important: see which finder is most comfortable to your eyes, or find out with your friend! (the Zeiss weren't to mine. the Leica were) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted February 3, 2012 Share #8 Posted February 3, 2012 Sorry I did not make myself clearer, I am asking about the external finder and not the actual lens. There are various prices for them and I was curious about differences. I had one many years ago but sold it. Are the new ones at $750 really worth the difference. Thank you Bill. You already have good alternative advice. I have the original Leica 21mm finder and the Leica 21-24-28 version. The latter is good when using the 21 and 28 lenses. The former is super for 21mm work alone. I have no experience of non-Leica versions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrogers Posted February 3, 2012 Share #9 Posted February 3, 2012 I shoot 21 a lot, and have used the Voigtlander plastic, Leica plastic and Zeiss finders, and they are all functional (I've also used the metal Voigtlander 28mm finder, when shooting 21 on an M8). No contest, the big bright Zeiss is easily my favorite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted February 3, 2012 Share #10 Posted February 3, 2012 Hi Bill, Search the forum for a test by MarkP - he tried a number of viewfinders, and the only ones which were accurate at all with an M9 were the Leica/Leitz ones. As the external viewfinder is set on top of the camera, away from the centre line of the lens, an offset is required. This offset is different on the Zeiss and Voigtlander viewfinders. To my mind, there's little point in using an external viewfinder if the frame lines are not accurate. There's little point otherwise. A better alternative to using a Leica viewfinder would be to guess the field of view, and then check it using the LCD. Cheers John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted February 3, 2012 Share #11 Posted February 3, 2012 I had the basic plastic Leitz/Leica finder for 8 years - finally a camera fell on its head and the finder snapped off at the "shoe." My c/v 15mm finder is also plastic and has had some cracking in the base (the springy bits that provide friction to hold it in the hot shoe). I found a Leitz all-metal version (black) with faint separation in the glass (sort of oil-slick rainbow tints visible outside the image area) for $275 and haven't looked back. The current Leica metal finders - I think - have lines for both M8 and M9 cropping. If you use both 28 and 21 lenses, that can be a plus on the M9 (the M8 crop marks = 28mm). I don't use a 28, so the plain vanilla Leitz version works better. Some have reported that the older Leitz metal finders tend to slip off, since they have no locking lever. Bill Pierce had a column in the 70's describing drilling holes in his finder and accesory shoe and adding a locking wire to keep the finder in place. However, I've had not trouble with mine trying to slip loose - it is a nice, tight fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 3, 2012 Share #12 Posted February 3, 2012 Lots of previous threads on this topic can be found by searching the forum. I use the Leica metal bright line finders (12023 & 12025) which are excellent optically and mechanically. Their small size is perfect and the FOV is extremely accurate with my 18/3.8 and 21/3.4 Super Elmar M. Recently I've begun using a Leica Universal Finder (12011), and feel that it's the best of the bunch. The bubble level is extremely useful for landscapes. I've had CV and Zeiss, and was not satisfied with either. The construction of the CV was inferior. I know many people are fans of the Zeiss, and feel it's brighter than the Leica, but that was not my experience. Also I think the frame lines in the Leica finder (much like looking through an M3 viewfinder) are excellent and a benefit in composition. The Leica external viewfinders are expensive, but they will last a lifetime and deliver excellent results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #13 Posted February 3, 2012 Here is a good overview of the existing viewfinders: Leica 21mm Finders I use the 21-24-28 zoom finder (Japan) and like it a lot due to its agreeable cost, small form factor and flexibility. However, your trade-off is accuracy. I have also used the Universal (Franken-) Finder in the past and liked it. The advantage of the Frankenfinder is that you can set the distance. However, it is very bulky. Cheers, Chris Just got home and had time to read everyone's responses and read through the article on finders. Thanks everyone for your input. This is a subject that needs revisiting ever once and a while. The finder I had years ago was the plastic Leica 21 12008 finder which can be found used. What I really would like is one of the new metal Leica finders but they are certainly pricy. One more question is if I have the 21 finder does it work for a 24mm lens as well. Are there lines for it or is it a guessing game? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted February 3, 2012 Bill, May I make a suggestion? Steve Gandy at Cameraquest has a metal combination 21/25 Viewfinder that may be just what youy are looking for. He also has a plastic 21mm version. He does have a stock of finders. I wish I could see one before buying though. My local dealer does not stock much in the way of finders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 3, 2012 Share #15 Posted February 3, 2012 He does have a stock of finders. I wish I could see one before buying though. My local dealer does not stock much in the way of finders. I'd be happy to show you one. Precision doesn't stock many accessories for Rangefinders.........not surprising. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share #16 Posted February 3, 2012 I'd be happy to show you one.Precision doesn't stock many accessories for Rangefinders.........not surprising. Do you live in the Capital City? PM me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 4, 2012 Share #17 Posted February 4, 2012 Do you live in the Capital City? PM me. You gots mail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 4, 2012 Share #18 Posted February 4, 2012 One more question is if I have the 21 finder does it work for a 24mm lens as well. Are there lines for it or is it a guessing game? This is one reason why I am such a fan of the Leica finder. With the 12025 finder you have the frame for the 21mm lens, but also the corner hash marks for 28mm (the equivalent FOV on the M8). If you split the difference you have the frame for 24mm. It's like having 3 finders in one. This certainly helps when you have to write the check for this most excellent Leica accessory. Or you could just by the "Frankenfinder" as we owners fondly refer to the Leica Universal Viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted February 4, 2012 Share #19 Posted February 4, 2012 Hi, this is a recurrent topic. Please see the threads below which discuss the problmes with various finders (especially non-Leicas). Although there is a diversity of opinion the Leica viewfinders (it probably doesn't matter which model so decide on price, size, etc) are probably best corrected for the hotshoe mount offset from the centre of the lens axis. The first thread referenced below discusses this in some detail. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/212291-21mm-finder-comparison.html (esp. posts #1, 2, 9) http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/219283-viewfinder-21mm-lens.html (esp. posts #31 & 33) Good luck, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted February 4, 2012 Share #20 Posted February 4, 2012 The concerns about the finder's sideways offset are really a bit overblown. You will never be able to compose your picture offhand, or even on a tripod, with enough precision to make this matter, even at close range. And the fact is that you can't do it even with a SLR camera finder, unless it shows 100% of the actual exposed image – and damn few ever did, my Olympus OM cameras being one of the few exceptions. So stop worrying and go out and take pictures. The old man from the Age of the Brilliant Finder Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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