external finder for 35 cron on m8

[misha]

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i saw someone using an external finder with M6 & 35mm. with the crop and all, are there good 50mm (or so) finders or is the whole notion somewhat oxymoronic?

 

cheers

misha

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[Shootist]

Somewhat ?Oxymoronic? (is that a word?) since to my knowledge ALL M cameras have 50mm framelines built in. I doubt there was ever a 50mm external veiwfinder made.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Michael, I was using a 35 over the weekend to shoot some dance rehearsals.

 

After focusing via the rf, I watched over the top of the camera and shot. The M8 was on a monopod and I just oriented the lens in the direction I was shooting. This worked very well.

 

If you look for a finder on eBay, you can get one of the Russion ones that have a selection of finders in a turret. I have one of these and find it dark and not friendly to use. But what collection should be without these oddities?

 

As indicated above, the rf works ok, and the method in the second paragraph also works weil.

[misha]

Somewhat ?Oxymoronic? (is that a word?) since to my knowledge ALL M cameras have 50mm framelines built in. I doubt there was ever a 50mm external veiwfinder made.

 

you right, it probably doesnt, but i like the sound of it

as for the framelines, its more about getting something brighter than a built-in finder.

i saw someone with an m6 & 35mm and he used a 35mm finder.

[rclewis]

I have a Leica bright line 50mm finder, circa 1959, which I purchased new for use on a Leica screw mount IIf, which had a dim built in 50 mm finder. Of course the frame lines would not be correct for a 35mm on an M8.

[lars_bergquist]

I have a Leica bright line 50mm finder, circa 1959, which I purchased new for use on a Leica screw mount IIf, which had a dim built in 50 mm finder. Of course the frame lines would not be correct for a 35mm on an M8.

 

Right – and partly right. Leica offered a 50 mm accessory finder at least since the advent of the post-war Leica Standard in 1949. Code was SOODL. This now rare 'cradle' type was succeeded in 1951 by the enclosed, barrel-shaped bright-line SBOOI, later 12015. It is not too difficult to find. Cosina-Voigtländer probably also has a 50 mm finder.

 

And then there was of course the VIOOH universal finder ...

 

The field of view of a 35 mm lens on the M8 is about equivalent to a 47 mm lens on a full frame camera. So a 50 mm finder may be useable, but it will show distinctly less that the entire picture. More or less like the 50 mm frame with a 50 mm lens!

 

The old man from the Age of the Frame Finder