ishkra Posted November 11, 2010 Share #1 Posted November 11, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hy everybody i have recently joined this forum and i would like to have an advice from you. I'm going to buy a CV 15mm lens to fit on my M8 so i was wondering if i really need an external viewfinder and if so which is the best one...or the cheap one. thanx a lot Fabio Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 11, 2010 Posted November 11, 2010 Hi ishkra, Take a look here viewfinder for VC 15mm. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted November 11, 2010 Share #2 Posted November 11, 2010 Yes you do; get the CV 21 mm one. Do'nt forget to code the lens (probably as a WATE). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang Esslinger Posted November 11, 2010 Share #3 Posted November 11, 2010 Yes, get the 21. I have the 15mm viewfinder because I bought the lens for an M7 but now use an M8. I stopped using the 15mm viewfinder and work in the "aim and shoot" mode. But esp. with buildings this approach is hopeless, takes a lot of time. I am not yet prepared to spend the money for a 21mm viewfinder but maybe I will try to adapt the 15mm (apparently they are the same but the 21mm has lines in it). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 11, 2010 Share #4 Posted November 11, 2010 No, they are not the same. The 21 is much easier on the eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted November 11, 2010 Share #5 Posted November 11, 2010 Best 21 mm external VF? Zeiss imho Cheapest 21 mm external VF? Voigtlander (CV) Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaMSeattle Posted November 12, 2010 Share #6 Posted November 12, 2010 I use the viewfinder for my Leica 21mm Elmarit with my CV15. However you can sometimes find reasonably priced used viewfinders on EBay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishkra Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted November 12, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks everybody, at the moment the best price i can get for CV 21mm is 110 euro. I think i'll buy that!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 12, 2010 Share #8 Posted November 12, 2010 No, they are not the same. The 21 is much easier on the eye. When I had the two viewfinders the angle of view looked identical if you overlooked the framelines in the 21mm. In fact I used to just carry the 21mm regardless of which of the lenses I was using. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted November 12, 2010 Share #9 Posted November 12, 2010 Thanks everybody, at the moment the best price i can get for CV 21mm is 110 euro. I think i'll buy that!! I use it with my CV 15 ant it is perfect. I don't think you need to spend a lot money to get a Leica or a Zeiss viewfinder, in my experience, with the CV what you see is what you get. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted November 12, 2010 Share #10 Posted November 12, 2010 Hy everybodyi have recently joined this forum and i would like to have an advice from you. I'm going to buy a CV 15mm lens to fit on my M8 so i was wondering if i really need an external viewfinder and if so which is the best one...or the cheap one. thanx a lot Fabio If at some future point you might consider getting the 18mm Elmarit or any 21mm lens, or even getting an M9 in the future, consider looking for a used Leica 21-24-28 finder. They're usually around $300 and change. They also accept the standard Leica M corrective diopters. As for the single 21mm finders, the plastic Leica finders aren't hard to find used, and typically around $200. There's also the Contax G1/G2 21mm finder which is nicely made including a rubber eyepiece to protect glasses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailronin Posted November 13, 2010 Share #11 Posted November 13, 2010 I have a CV 15mm and don't use a finder. The whole M8 viewfinder (look outside the lines) just about covers the 15mm field of view. I've tried this with the camera on a tripod and the field of view is pretty close to what shows up on the LCD. I just approximate the view and then check on the LCD, it's close enough for me and easier then using an external viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestMichigan Posted November 14, 2010 Share #12 Posted November 14, 2010 Query To Original Poster: Have you shared some of your images in the "M8 Photography" Thread here on the site? A link is located at the top of the main M8 page. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishkra Posted November 15, 2010 Author Share #13 Posted November 15, 2010 If you're asking me about posting pictures on this website...the answer is "i haven't images taken with leica" i've got my Leica M8 since two weeks ago and i've never tried to take pictures with a RF camera before, so i'm getting into this new world just now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted November 15, 2010 Share #14 Posted November 15, 2010 ishkra, I also have the CV15 lens. I'm going to disagree with my friends on this. I would buy the CV 15 finder, not the 21. Two reasons; since there is a crop with the M8, the CV 15 finder is a much more accurate representation of how the "middle portion" of the image actually is rendered. Secondly, you will probably end up buying a film M at some point, a M2 or M3 and then the CV 15 finder is much more accurate. It's also cheaper, but does a very good job. Welcome aboard & congrats on your new camera. Have fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 16, 2010 Share #15 Posted November 16, 2010 ishkra, I also have the CV15 lens. I'm going to disagree with my friends on this. I would buy the CV 15 finder, not the 21. Two reasons; since there is a crop with the M8, the CV 15 finder is a much more accurate representation of how the "middle portion" of the image actually is rendered. Secondly, you will probably end up buying a film M at some point, a M2 or M3 and then the CV 15 finder is much more accurate. This is the opposite of reality. Used on an M8 the lens has an angle of view that is very close to 21mm. Use the 15mm finder and you'll see a lot more than the sensor captures. If the op then buys a film m he cam use the Voightlander 21mm finder by ignoring the frame lines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted November 16, 2010 Share #16 Posted November 16, 2010 This is the opposite of reality. Used on an M8 the lens has an angle of view that is very close to 21mm. Use the 15mm finder and you'll see a lot more than the sensor captures. If the op then buys a film m he cam use the Voightlander 21mm finder by ignoring the frame lines. Steve. I respectfully disagree on both counts. The 21 does not give an accurate representation of how the image is rendered. It gives you a 21MM focal length as if there's a full frame, both in the use for film and with a cropped sensor, with the M8. If you take an image with film using the 15 & apply the crop that would occur using an M8, it will NEVER look like what you are seeing in the 21 Viewfinder. NEVER. Do the test & look at the content. The 21 viewfinder is not just the framelines, but the way the image content is seen inside those framelines bears no resemblance to what the CV 15 will render. Maybe it's more important to see what will be rendered than just the accurate framelines. A 21mm lens is not a 15mm. Period. Crop or no crop, the content is different. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 17, 2010 Share #17 Posted November 17, 2010 Ben, I'm not sure if we're talking at crossed purposes, but I'll make the point again. If you use a 15mm lens on an M8, because of the camera's crop factor it will have an angle of view equivalant to a lens with a focal length of 15 x 1.33 - i.e. 20mm - note I'm talking about the angle of view, not whether a 15mm lens will 'become' a 20mm lens. If you use a 15mm finder on an M8 with a 15mm lens you will see a lot more through the viewfinder than is captured by the sensor. If you use a 21mm finder what you see will approximate far more closely to what is captured. I have used both 15mm and 21mm lenses on film Ms and an M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted November 17, 2010 Share #18 Posted November 17, 2010 Ben, I'm not sure if we're talking at crossed purposes, but I'll make the point again. If you use a 15mm lens on an M8, because of the camera's crop factor it will have an angle of view equivalant to a lens with a focal length of 15 x 1.33 - i.e. 20mm - note I'm talking about the angle of view, not whether a 15mm lens will 'become' a 20mm lens. If you use a 15mm finder on an M8 with a 15mm lens you will see a lot more through the viewfinder than is captured by the sensor. If you use a 21mm finder what you see will approximate far more closely to what is captured. I have used both 15mm and 21mm lenses on film Ms and an M8. I fully understand what you are saying. I disagree that one should recommend the 21mm finder because you weight the frame lines as being more important than being able to accurately see the content of what is inside those framelines. It is very easy to see what the framelines should be using the 15mm with the M8. I would hope that content would be more important than just the framing. By using the 21, which I have done before, you don't even come close to how the content is rendered. As you noted, there is no magic transformation of the 15 to a 21 focal length & to tell people that they shouldn't be able to get a reasonable assestment of that is not, IMHO, the best formula for success. You are a very seasoned & savvy image maker. I know that you know what you are doing, but when there's someone new to RF & Leica, people often gloss over these kinds of issues and don't address the fact that it takes time & fundamentals to reach your level of artistry & mastery. I just think that this short circuits the real real learning curve. Content is king, at least for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted November 17, 2010 Share #19 Posted November 17, 2010 The 21mm is the same as the 15mm one with framelines added. I'm sorry, but I genuinely can't see the point you are trying to make. Neither will give you an accurate view of what is being captured on the sensor, because neither will allow you to see how the depth of field will be captured - neither will the standard viewfinder for that matter. You have to learn how to anticipate the depth of field based on past experience. If seeing something as it's going to be captured is important then the only way of doing that is by using a stopped down SLR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishkra Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share #20 Posted November 19, 2010 I have a CV 15mm and don't use a finder. The whole M8 viewfinder (look outside the lines) just about covers the 15mm field of view. I've tried this with the camera on a tripod and the field of view is pretty close to what shows up on the LCD.I just approximate the view and then check on the LCD, it's close enough for me and easier then using an external viewfinder. That's really interesting. Seems more convenient because it would also have the opportunity to focus. But if the whole viewfinder is about 15mm field of view, why everebody prefer to use an external viewfinder? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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