gwelland Posted November 10, 2009 Share #1 Posted November 10, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Apologies in advance for yet another external viewfinder thread ... With the 24mm lenses on the M9 there are a number of choices for viewfinders and I looking for some feedback on some of them from people using them on film/M9: Leica 24mm Viewfinder-M - looks to be the obvious choice but $$$$. Is it worth it? Leica 21-24-28 Viewfinder - seems to have a bad wrap concerning distortion. True? Leica Frankenfinder - big, bulky, expensive but maybe valid if I bought a WATE again or maybe 18 Super Elmar. Leica 18mm Viewfinder-M - $$$$ - use the M8 framelines with the option of 18mm FoV if I pick up the 18 Super Elmar in the future? D-Lux 4 VF 24mm - cheaper than VF-M - how does it compare though? I don't need the M8 VF lines so if everything else is equal, this might be a winner. Presumably plastic vs metal. Zeiss 25mm VF - supposed to be superb VF. Comparable or better than 24m Viewfinder-M? Is 25mm vs 24mm noticeable? Voigtlander 15-35 Vari-finder - CV Frankenfinder. Could be interesting for same reasons though. Seems to be a lot smaller & cheaper than FFinder. Voigtlander 25mm VF - more distortion compared to Leica/Zeiss? Could be a decent compromise for occasional use, especially when combined with the 'do nothing' option below. Do nothing option - scope out the full M9 viewfinder to approximate to 24mm framing. I find this hit & miss already although no external VF is nice. I don't mind paying for the best option if it's worth it. However, there are so many options that I'm torn between the competing expensive solutions and the do nothing/CV finder option, given that I don't use the 24 full time. The vari-finders (FFinder & CV) could be interesting and cost effective longer term. I'd rather buy something now that will have legs if I buy other wider glass - that's also why perhaps the Leica 18mm VF-M might be a decent choice, although I hate the price. Any thoughts or experiences with the above list? Are there other better options too? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 10, 2009 Posted November 10, 2009 Hi gwelland, Take a look here External Viewfinder for 24 Elmarit on M9 - best choice?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted November 10, 2009 Share #2 Posted November 10, 2009 I am happy with the D-lux4 one, which has additional 35 mm lines btw, so it could be used on the M8 by wearers of strong spectacles. Quite compact and light and very reasonable quality. I have the Leica vario-finder as well, but the framing is uncertain because it has no framelines. And it distorts - but so do a number of others on your list, for instance the CV 25 , which I have too and never use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrice Posted November 10, 2009 Share #3 Posted November 10, 2009 I had a 21mm Voigtlander finder briefly, and now have a 25/28mm Zeiss ZI finder. The Zeiss is amazing, HUGE image, might be a bit tricky to see outside the framelines if you wear glasses, very low distortion and appears brighter than real life if that makes sense. The Voigtlander certainly wasnt bad for the price, but quite distorted and a much smaller view. I have no experience with the 25mm Voigtlander finder unfortunately. One less mentioned aspect of the ZI (And also the leica) finders, is the flat front design, so there is less risk of impact damage or scratches. The voigtlanders front elements bulge out a bit which can be worrying, and more prone to flare. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted November 10, 2009 Share #4 Posted November 10, 2009 I use the Voigtlander 25mm VF on my film cameras. Cost £35 on ebay and I'd get that back tomo if I didn't want it. Obviously not the best VF, but gives a good approximation and with the immediate feedback from the M9 screen how good do you need it to be ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 10, 2009 Share #5 Posted November 10, 2009 Rolo, is that the one with or without framelines? The early version of the viewfinder didn't have framelines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted November 10, 2009 Share #6 Posted November 10, 2009 The CV 15-35 has been on my radar for a while, but (in random order of importance): It is not 24mm. It is not Leica. It may be overkill if 24mm is all you need. It is not available yet. With 18mm and 24mm my only lenses that require a VF, the Leica 18mm has become a strong contender. Need to convince myself that I want a VF in the first place though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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