Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 16, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Okay your turn to help me old wise M shooters. Well i had my eye on the WATE since i played with it at PMA. And if i like something it usually gets under my skin till i get one. Yes spoiled i am, agree no question. Gotta have my toys but the Wate finder is nice and does the job very well but honestly I don't need that but i do want at least a fixed 21mm external finder for 16mm , 18mm i can guess and 21 i can guess through the RF window. But what I really need more than anything is straight lines need to be seen. i don't like distortion looking through these external finders. First i thought the variable one that leica sells, or the leica 21mm brightline or Voightlander 21mm. I guess I should mention I bought the WATE from a forum member that got it from Germany yesterday and was not so fond of it and i bought it today and get it tommorow. So I need some opinions on what external maybe best. not that money is not a object i just want the best one that works the way i would like. Â Thanks in advance Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Hi Guest guy_mancuso, Take a look here My turn : Need help with Viewfinders. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
colorflow Posted March 16, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy, you probably already know this, the Leica 21mm viewer that I have for the Elmarit (pre-ASPH) has severe distortions. Straight line are very much curved unless they are dead center. Â Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankg Posted March 16, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Among the Leica, Voigtlander and Zeiss options -my vote is for Zeiss. Calumet had some new on ebay for cheap. Picked up the 25/28. Not as good as what I regard as the benchmark for all viewfinders, the Linhof Multifinder for the Technika 4x5 and 2x3 but pretty damn good. Bright with little or no distortion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 16, 2007 Share #4 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy, have you seen the old 3-focal-length viewfinder from Leica: Â Leica Camera AG - Photography - LEICA VIEWFINDER FOR 21/24/28 mm LENSES Â Covers all three focal lengths. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe D. Posted March 16, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy, have you seen the old 3-focal-length viewfinder from Leica:This one is nice, but give a barrel image.I use it, very practical if you use a lot of WA lens often. The old metallic 21mm Leitz (12002) also gives a barrel image. I too, would vote for Zeiss Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
george + Posted March 16, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Just for another $0.02; I am quite happy with the 21 mm plastic Voigtlander. Light, bright and rather straight view. The Frankenviewer looks a bit intimidating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eronald Posted March 16, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Guy, Â Congrats on the Wate. Â Alpa resells some very good WA finders. Look what they have then buy it direct. Â Edmund Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammam Posted March 16, 2007 Share #8 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy, I never actually used one, but I have looked once through a Zeiss VF for the Zeiss Ikon RF. Incredibly clear and straight. I guess the 21 would be good for 16 mm and the 25 for 18 mm. But they are fabulously expensive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenerrolrd Posted March 16, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Zeiss without question. I have the Zeiss 25/28 and both the metal(older) and plastic Leica 28mm. Zeiss is much brighter and no distortion. You will of course need the 21mm version for the WATE. Got mine at Popflash . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantray Posted March 16, 2007 Share #10 Â Posted March 16, 2007 The Zeiss is without peer for 35mm viewfinders. I used the 25/28 with my 21 elmarit on an editorial down in Florida. Yes, they are expensive. They are also worth every penny when doing reportage-style shooting that demands precise, quick framing. Almost no distortion, clearly defined frames, and brighter than anything Leica has EVER made. Â You're also a professional and can add them to the list of things to write off like I did. You won't regret it. Â -grant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 16, 2007 Share #11 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Thanks guys sounds like the Zeiss 21mm is the one but it is expensive 460 new and one on e-bay at 431. Geez that is a CV 15mm lens. i will look around for one used and look at the others . The leica's and Voightlanders sound like there is barrel distortation. Although for 28mm finders that Voightlander is really nice , just sold mine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertwright Posted March 16, 2007 Share #12 Â Posted March 16, 2007 As George Tennant would say, "its a slam dunk" for the Zeiss 25/28... Â I looked through all of them excluding the frankenfinder, and thought I was 'trippin looking through the zeiss. You can't not have this finder. If the point is to get the lines straight and horizons horizontal it would be murder with the barrel distortion of the other finders, not to mention the blurred corners on the leica 21/24/28. Zooming is nice but the lack of framelines is a big disadvantage. Â Only downside is that it is large, say compared to the voightlander minifinder, which could comfortably ride on the camera all day if you like, like a barnacle on a ship, which has some value for stealth. Â Mounting the zeiss and my 21 elmarit, it is pretty in-your-face for street work, esp. w/the 486 red eye of doom out front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 16, 2007 Share #13 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Yes visually I can't handle the distortation . I like to line up a straigt line in the finder and the image follow that , the distortation throws me off. Looks i will be scouring around trying to find one good used if not i will just take my lumps on a new one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_l Posted March 16, 2007 Share #14  Posted March 16, 2007 Only problem I see is that it is hard enough to remember to switch focal lengths in the menu (when 1.10 comes out), and to also have to switch finders after your switch focal length.....what a drag! Bound to get out of sync at some point and have a batch of pictures with one of the settings incorrect. (and don't forget to switch the parallax setting on the Universal, or just to remember to compensate on the others)....a bit easier with just a knob to turn on a multifinder  Also, having a 3-focal finder will allow you to check the image and then decide which to use....anything else negates a lot of the wonderfulness of having the three choices with the WATE.  I'm going to put up with the the distortion (old Leica 3 focal finder) or the clunkiness (new universal) when using the WATE.....(due here "soon" from Leica!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 16, 2007 Share #15 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Steve i was actually thinking about with a sharpie to draw in the other 28mm frame line . Figured i would go widest than go in from there with the finder , have to see how that works out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantray Posted March 16, 2007 Share #16 Â Posted March 16, 2007 I can't imagine finding a used Zeiss finder will be easy or quick. And if the price bothers you, just use the Alpa finder as a standard, (Zeiss X 3). Â -grant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlm Posted March 16, 2007 Share #17 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy: doesn't popflash offer the zeiss ikon 21mm finder for around $350? or are you talking about another finder? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Mitchell Posted March 16, 2007 Share #18 Â Posted March 16, 2007 The Kobalux 21mm finder is very bright and well-built. I don't recall the level of distortion, as I misplaced mine a few months ago. But I never found it to be distracting. Its downside is its size. It complements the size of the Kobalux 21/2.8 lens, but would dwarf the CV 21/4, for instance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted March 16, 2007 Share #19 Â Posted March 16, 2007 Guy: doesn't popflash offer the zeiss ikon 21mm finder for around $350? or are you talking about another finder? Â Â I was looking at the 15mm for 459. The 21 is 349 just ordered it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted March 16, 2007 Share #20  Posted March 16, 2007 I was looking at the 15mm for 459. The 21 is 349 just ordered it  That's the best choice if you want minimal barrel distortion. The CV 21 finder is good but shows some barrel.  Cheers,  Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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