Steffen.K.Larsen Posted March 29, 2011 Share #1 Posted March 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Does anyone else have problems with their Voigtländer 35mm viewfinder? After a long time, I finally ordered a brand new viewfinder. It feels great to have the camera in front of my face again! However... I now get tilted images. It's maybe 10 - 15 degrees off. It doesn't seem like much when you see the viewfinder, but horizons, floors etc. tilts a lot. Is this common in any way? I suppose it has to go back to Austria. (I realise this isn't necesarilly an X1 subject, however, I figure it might be because of some rare X1 defect, like a crooked shoe or something - I don't see it on mine, though) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 29, 2011 Posted March 29, 2011 Hi Steffen.K.Larsen, Take a look here Faulty Voigtländer 35mm viewfinder?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
gjames9142 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #2 Posted March 29, 2011 I find it a lost cause to establish straight verticals with the edges of a viewfinder. There is a trick -- aim the centre of the viewfinder at something that is at your eye level. Works for me. BTW the CV viewfinder used vertically will give you a much clearer idea of parallax problem inherent to these things. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/147587-faulty-voigtl%C3%A4nder-35mm-viewfinder/?do=findComment&comment=1629566'>More sharing options...
ChiILX1 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #3 Posted March 29, 2011 There is wiggle room sometimes in the hot shoe and one side of the VF could be further forward than the other, in which case, it would produce an affect similar to what you describe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted March 29, 2011 Share #4 Posted March 29, 2011 There is wiggle room sometimes in the hot shoe and one side of the VF could be further forward than the other, in which case, it would produce an affect similar to what you describe. Not with my Leica OVF! It is a very snug fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjames9142 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #5 Posted March 29, 2011 Mine fits perfectly. It's hard to imagine an item like that loose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiILX1 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #6 Posted March 29, 2011 I should clarify- My Thumbs UP is in my Leica hot shoe and my VLVF is in the Thumbs UP hot shoe, which is wider and has slight wiggle-room. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffen.K.Larsen Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted March 29, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for the idea, but it's a very tight fit. This doesn't seem like the issue. It seems like the viewfinder lines themselves are tilted. I'll try to get a photo of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjames9142 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #8 Posted March 29, 2011 If you could get your hands on another viewfinder for a few minutes, you could establish whether yours is simply defective. Using a thumbs-up with a cold shoe is going to compound the parallax problem, esp in vertical mode. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffen.K.Larsen Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted March 29, 2011 I don't use a thumbs up, so that can't be it. I'm afraid I don't know anyone else with viewfinders. I'll have to widen the net I've tried to show the problem in this image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/906/voigtl%C3%A4nder.jpg I hope it's not me who's going crazy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelb Posted March 29, 2011 Share #10 Posted March 29, 2011 Its obviously misaligned - send it back to supplier. Maybe round viewfinders are more prone to this type of misalignment. I have had absolutely no problem with the Voigtlander rectangular finders, of which I have several. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firesuite Posted March 29, 2011 Share #11 Posted March 29, 2011 Does anyone else have problems with their Voigtländer 35mm viewfinder? After a long time, I finally ordered a brand new viewfinder. It feels great to have the camera in front of my face again! However... I now get tilted images. It's maybe 10 - 15 degrees off. It doesn't seem like much when you see the viewfinder, but horizons, floors etc. tilts a lot. Is this common in any way? I suppose it has to go back to Austria. (I realise this isn't necesarilly an X1 subject, however, I figure it might be because of some rare X1 defect, like a crooked shoe or something - I don't see it on mine, though) Had exactly the same issue, the little frame that you see through the viewfinder on mine was tilting about 10-15 degrees anti-clockwise, was like that day one from the supplier, sent it back for a replacement, if yours is new I would do the same Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiILX1 Posted March 29, 2011 Share #12 Posted March 29, 2011 Yeah it's misaligned- exchange it for sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffen.K.Larsen Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted March 30, 2011 Good to hear I'm not going nuts. I was in doubt, as I've never used optical viewfinders like these before. Thanks all! Great responses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steffen.K.Larsen Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted March 30, 2011 Update: I sent the photo to the shop, and it's going back for an exchange. They've never seen it happen before. So if anyone else stumbles across this, just get it exchanged. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjames9142 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #15 Posted March 30, 2011 In general, it's a good viewfinder -- I like the thick legible frame lines and the fact that it is designed for easy viewing with glasses. Also compact and seemingly scaled to the XI. Cosina are known for good product but poor quality control. The only lens I bought from them was misaligned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dehenderson Posted March 30, 2011 Share #16 Posted March 30, 2011 As a new Leica X1 user, please excuse what may seem like a naive question ... but why do you really need a viewfinder? What are the practical uses other than it possibly appearing to be cool-looking? And, for those of us who believe the Leica viewfinder is outrageously expensive, what is the best and most affordable alternative? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #17 Posted March 30, 2011 As a new Leica X1 user, please excuse what may seem like a naive question ... but why do you really need a viewfinder? What are the practical uses other than it possibly appearing to be cool-looking? And, for those of us who believe the Leica viewfinder is outrageously expensive, what is the best and most affordable alternative? Thanks. now i dislike the viewfinder- so take my answer for what it is worth.... the proponents of the OVF find it "more natural" to hold the camera to the eye to take a picture- some have suggested that they dislike the "zombie-like" position they need hold the camera so that they can see the lcd the best argument i have seen on the OVF is that they can see "around" the frame so that they can anticipate the shot and take the "decisive moment" (this is very controversial so tread lightly) i find using the wrist strap and the thumbsup allows me to handle the camera "naturally" and keep the camera not more than a few inches from my eye thereby allowing me to see around the frame and I can anticipate the shot that way....additionally i actually use the histogram as a light meter i shoot in manual mode - if i have the OVF i cannot at the same time see the histogram on the lcd below... however, with the new and improved MF abilities of the x1- i may have to rethink this system- it is difficult (for me) to use the thumbs up and the MF wheel. (i have small fingers and absolutely no "reach") ymmv Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjames9142 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #18 Posted March 30, 2011 Dehenderson, I always use the Viewfinder, except when manual focusing on something close. I can't see the screen on a bright day. I don't do photography at arm's length. Today's photograph: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/147587-faulty-voigtl%C3%A4nder-35mm-viewfinder/?do=findComment&comment=1630814'>More sharing options...
ChiILX1 Posted March 30, 2011 Share #19 Posted March 30, 2011 As a new Leica X1 user, please excuse what may seem like a naive question ... but why do you really need a viewfinder? What are the practical uses other than it possibly appearing to be cool-looking? And, for those of us who believe the Leica viewfinder is outrageously expensive, what is the best and most affordable alternative? Thanks. Good question. The LCD is a viewfinder. My question would be- why do you need an LCD? Of course it's mute since the LCD comes standard. Functionalist reasons: #1- I can't see the LCD most of the time when I am shooting in the day. The viewfinder has brightlines specifically designed to be bright from sunlight so they shine when the LCD is most useless. #2- I hate composing in an LCD because it feels laggy to me. #3- I hate composing on an LCD because my subject is right there in front of me! Why should I look at them on a screen!?! I just want to know the frame putting electronics between me and my subject is unnecessary mediation (and may be connected to reason #2) #4- Composing in a viewfinder involves me more in the picture, it has me think more and be with my subject. It also allows me to focus on details I can't see on an LCD screen #5- Its quicker to compose in a viewfinder. Way faster. Frame shoot done. The LCD is cumbersome to me. I hate using it because it takes me longer to compose. This also may be related to reasons #2 and #3. Social Reasons: #6- I think the zombie stance is obnoxious. To me it screams "I'm un-savvy because I'm a tourist and show no shame about it by striking such an obvious pose so I'm easy to steal from." Just my opinion on that one. #7- it looks cool #8- You say "besides it looking cool" but why do people think it looks "cool" in the first place? You are alluding to someone looking like a real photographer rather than some casual, point-and-shoot layman, at least stereotypically. On the one hand, that alone is worth something socially (albeit different to everyone). On the other hand, I believe it indexes something else, namely that there may be reasons similar to the ones above pro and DSLR photographers compose in the porthole rather than the LCD. Question to you sir: Why does the Leica M9 not have live view like the X1? Follow-up question: More importantly- what is the reasoning behind M9 users not complaining about the lack of that feature? I think the answer to those gets into the recent 30 years of marketing by Leica- the "rangefinder experience" which "involves you in your own scene" rather than being a spectator to it. There are valued elements of this that an optical viewfinder experience shares in contrast to the LCD live view experience (please notice, stalwarts of the old-guard, that I didn't say they were identical). Professional Photographers would call that distinction (or set of distinctions) practical and functional, as well as experiential. Professional consumers may call that philosophical reasoning, but that's simply because they see their purchasing decisions caught up in their own ontological performance. Whatever it is, it is, and the viewfinder experience on the X1 has some elements of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dehenderson Posted March 31, 2011 Share #20 Posted March 31, 2011 Wow! Valuable perspective from everyone. Many, many thanks. Now to find a suitable and more affordable alternative to Leica's VF. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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