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availability of Brightline viewfinder


hmisbell

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See, this is why I want the Leica. I want as precise framing as I can get. :(

 

Of course the most precise framing that you can get will be the LCD. Both the Leica and the Voigtlander VFs will have some parallax errors but the Voigtlander being just a bit wider will loose less of the framing you want. You can always crop but can't get back what you lost due to parallax error.

Peter

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...I want as precise framing as I can get. :(

Even a $7K M9 won't be precise as you know. Any add-on VF will be worst anyway as it won't compensate parallax error. The only way to get precise framing is to use the LCD of your chimping machine ;) or to use an EVIL or a reflex camera.

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...Both the Leica and the Voigtlander VFs will have some parallax errors but the Voigtlander being just a bit wider will loose less of the framing you want. You can always crop but can't get back what you lost due to parallax error...

+1

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Even a $7K M9 won't be precise as you know. Any add-on VF will be worst anyway as it won't compensate parallax error. The only way to get precise framing is to use the LCD of your chimping machine ;) or to use an EVIL or a reflex camera.

 

I hear ya ... I love my Ms, but these days I do not find them precise enough framing wise...especially my M8. This is why I may consider my X1 my main camera these days. I'm a big fan of chimping and the VF would only be used for bright conditions. I would use an EVIL camera without hesitation... if there was a APS or full frame model. You know I hate cropping! ;)

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For anyone out there who wants to try making their own finder for less than $10 while waiting for the Leica 36mm finder to arrive in stock, this looks like fun...

 

Do It Yourself Wide Angle Finder

DIY 35mm viewfinder

 

Also for around $50, it looks like you can get yourself a Kiev 35mm finder though there are no pictures or catalog numbers

 

The Complete KIEV/USA Price List

 

That Leica finder is not cheap - try before you buy is certainly an idea to consider if the DIY version works :-)

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Oops, sorry... I forgot, it can't look like an SLR either... so no Samsung or Panasonic G1 style cameras. Rangefinder style bodies only.

 

Sounds like the patent referred to above is made for you.

[009] If an electronic viewfinder is disposed where a conventional optical viewfinder function component used to be disposed, there needs to be the same amount of space above the body mount as when a pentaprism or the like is disposed, and the various parts cannot be disposed efficiently, which hampers efforts at making the camera body smaller.

 

[0013] With this camera body, the electronic viewfinder is disposed beside the body mount. That is, the electronic viewfinder is disposed so that it is not above the body mount, which is relatively large in the up and down direction. Also, the electronic viewfinder is disposed above the shutter drive device, which is relatively small in the up and down direction. This allows the various parts to be disposed more efficiently, so the camera body can be more compact.

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Great thread! I was also considering the finder options for the X1 as the Leica finder which I don't doubt is high quality is not the only choice and well... it seems to cost a lot more than some other good quality alternatives.

 

There are two from Voigtlander I was wondering if anyone had any comments on specifically size. Are they noticably bigger, smaller or about the same and can you see the led focus light?

 

These are the 28/35 (smaller?) and the 35mm round (bigger?). I'd imagine the 35mm round finder would look really nice mounted on the X1 so song as its not that huge!

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/jpg/vcMF1.3g..jpg

http://www.cameraquest.com/jpg/vcMF3.3g..jpg

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/jpg6/VF%2035%20M%20B%201.jpg

http://www.cameraquest.com/jpg6/VF%2035%20M%20S%202.jpg

 

I'm using the voightlander 28/35 finder J-T and I'm not particularly happy with it. Due to some unknown and rare meteorological anomaly its been sunny in London for the past several days and shooting into or nearly into the sun I totally lose the framelines on one side or the other. The 28/35 finder is nice to look at, well built and compact but I'm unhappy enough with it to be looking for something to replace it with.

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I'm using the voightlander 28/35 finder J-T and I'm not particularly happy with it. Due to some unknown and rare meteorological anomaly its been sunny in London for the past several days and shooting into or nearly into the sun I totally lose the framelines on one side or the other. The 28/35 finder is nice to look at, well built and compact but I'm unhappy enough with it to be looking for something to replace it with.

A while back I read a similar comment in the German forum - someone complaining that the one set of framelines (the 35mm ones, I think) were largely unusable.

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So it sounds like the round metal Voigtlander is the one to go with out of the two.

 

Before I ditched my M6 I had a Voigtlander 21mm Skopar as part of my lens arsenal and the finder that came with it was very good and bright. This style finder has since been replaced with the metal round version so I am expecting these to be more than acceptable. The multi 28/35 however sounds like it should be avoided - this one looks like its been withdrawn.

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I'm using the voightlander 28/35 finder J-T and I'm not particularly happy with it. Due to some unknown and rare meteorological anomaly its been sunny in London for the past several days and shooting into or nearly into the sun I totally lose the framelines on one side or the other. The 28/35 finder is nice to look at, well built and compact but I'm unhappy enough with it to be looking for something to replace it with.

Eric, I know it is expensive, but the Leica X1 finder is excellent in all conditions.

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So the big question is do the Leica 36mm and the round metal Voigtlander metal 35mm viewfinder compare.

 

Is the Leica metal or plastic - I'm sure this has already been asked and answered; the Voigtlander certainly looks well constructed and designed... and as a bonus, is significantly cheaper

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The official Leica viewfinder seems to be of a hard plastic ( might be alloy though difficult to tell by tapping it ) , is not German made but Japanese , has a silvered interior lens ( like that of cheap sunglasses ) , a nice large exit lens and works as advertised with the 36mm lines around the edge of the frame.

Personally I would have liked more space outside the frame.

 

I just wish someone could explain how the price can be justified as it does no more than the viewfinder of my 1962 Kodak Brownie 127

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