Voigtlander 21/25 metal finder

[Guest Joachim_I]

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Anyone already tried the new Voigtlander 21/25 metal finder? On paper it ticks many boxes: it is small, made of metal, cheap, and usable for 21 and 25mm. Any comments?

Thanks, Joachim

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[cbretteville]

If it on par with the 28 metal finder I had it should be good. Not anywhere near as bright as a Zeiss finder (the best ones available IMHO), but still good value for your money. If you wear glasses you may need to protect them from scratches by the eye opening. I put a protective 'doughnut' on my 28 finder to avoid scratches.

Carl

[LuxBob]

Anyone already tried the new Voigtlander 21/25 metal finder?

Have they gone into the mine detector business now?

[Guest fuzzy logic]

Here is a very brief untechnical set of impressions of this 21/25mm Voigtlander viewfinder (v21/25m), compared to the plastic 21mm Voigtlander viewfinder (v21p) and the Leica 12008 21mm viewfinder (L21p).

 

Voigtlander 21/25mm viewfinder (metal)

 

The first picture attached shows this finder on a M6, along with a Voigtlander 21mm f4 Colour Skopar lens.

 

The v21/25m viewfinder is small and solid and the front element does not protrude beyond the circular housing. The frame lines are very bright and rectangular with rounded corners, and the very bright and clear image shows considerable, but not unbearable, barrel distortion. The slightly smaller 25mm framelines have marks that could be used to provide a measure of parallax correction in extreme close ups. There are no parallax correction marks for the 21mm framelines, which is understandable with the presentation of the 21 and 25 mm framelines in a small view. The framelines have breaks that enable the approximate position of the optical axis to be estimated - a handy feature for getting the horizon straight and minimising the tendency towards converging verticals due to backward tilt of the camera.

 

As this viewfinder has a metal eyepiece, Carl's comment about putting a soft doughnut on the finder so as to minimise the likelihood of scratches to your spectacle lenses is wise advice.

 

Voigtlander 21mm viewfinder (plastic)

 

The second picture attached shows this finder on a M6, with the same lens as in the first picture.

 

The plastic housing for this viewfinder seems much more bulky than the v21/25m. Also, the front element is much more exposed so it is harder to keep it clear of finger marks. I would estimate that more than 90% of the time I have used this finder the front element has been smeared with finger marks. They don't seem to have much impact on the what is seen through the viewfinder, and of course they don't affect the image seen through the lens. Barrel distortion appears to be comparable to that in the v21/25m viewfinder. The frame lines are rectangular with breaks to identify the optical axis, and marks to indicate a correction for parallax in extreme close-ups are included. I have never had any trouble with scratches on spectacle lenses with this finder, but a protective doughnut would be helpful if you use softer plastic lenses in your glasses.

 

It has been said that this finder is actually a Voigtlander 15mm viewfinder with 21mm framelines attached. The extensive field of view outside the 21mm framelines may be indicative of this, but this is no distraction in use.

 

Leica 12008 viewfinder

 

This finder is shown in the third picture, on a M6 with 21mm 2.8 Elmarit ASPH.

 

This is a fine optical combination, but the viewfinder is considerably larger than the Voigtlanders. To me, the viewfinder image appears larger, but shows barrel distortion comparable to both the Voigtlanders. The framelines are rectangular and continuous. IMHO the absence of breaks in the framelines that enable the user to locate the optical axis of the viewfinder is more likely to produce images with converging verticals due to the natural tendency to tilt the camera back to include just a little bit more of the vertical in the image. Parallax correction marks are included for extreme close-ups.

 

If you use this a lot with glasses, you might want to apply a protective doughnut to minimise the likelihood of scratches.

 

So what to use?

 

In my view, where space and weight are at a premium (travel and off the beaten track), a better combination than the 21/25mm Voigtlander viewfinder and Colour Skopar lens would be hard to find if you want to shoot film at this focal length. Attaching an accessory shoe to a rear lens cap as shown in these pictures is a handy way of keeping lens and finder together - in a bag or pocket.

 

If the extra weight is not a problem and an additional stop helps, or you have a M9, the Elmarit ASPH has a huge lot in its favour. As to which finder for this great lens? If I could only take one, it would a toss-up between the Voigtlander 21/25 mm and the Leica 12008. Factor in the cost, then for me, the Voigtlander 21/25mm wins hands down.

 

There are other excellent finders from Zeiss and Leica, and these are discussed in other threads in this forum.

 

I hope this helps!

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Edited November 22, 2010 by fuzzy logic

[Guest Joachim_I]

Thanks a lot for your detailed impressions! I meanwhile ordered the Voigtlander 21/25 finder. Based on your feedback, I expect to be happy with it. I like your idea of fixing a hot shoe to the rear cap.

Best regards, Joachim

[timelessinoaxaca]

Hi Fuzzy Logic,

 

How do I apply a protective doughnut over the external viewfinder?

I wear glasses.

 

Cheers,

George

[Harvard Kiwi]

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I would also like to know the best method of attaching a protective doughnut to the Voigtlander 21/25 viewfinder.

Also, has anyone tried wider angle lenses to get a more accurate idea of the total field of view of the viewfinder (outside framelines). It would be great if it does closely align with a 15mm field of view as I would consider going that wide at some stage.

[NZDavid]

James, a purpose-designed finder for each focal length is well worth while and very compact. I find the Voigtländer plastic 25 finder (with my 2.8/24 Elmarit-ASPH) excellent as is the 35 round metal one. I also have a 21 finder but usually use the Zeiss. If you want to check accuracy you can always use live view on the M10 and compare.

15mm = 110º FOV

21mm = 92º FOV

24mm = 84º FOV

35mm = 64º FOV

[kivis]

I have a Voigt 21/25 external finder for sale. Contact me if interested.