wlaidlaw Posted May 21, 2017 Share #21 Posted May 21, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought a SBLOO about three weeks ago for £50 to use with my Summaron 35/2.8. Its exterior is a bit "pre-loved" but the optics are clear and sharp. It is a revelation using these external Leitz bright line finders on LTM cameras, compared with the standard "looking down a drainpipe" reverse Galilean finders. I also use a SBOOI 50mm finder on my 0 series, where I found the original wire frame finder totally unusable. The only problem I have come across with the SBLOO, is because I am a left-eye shooter (even though right handed). This means you get forehead grease on the back lens of the SBLOO, from when you are using the rangefinder, so I have to carry a small micro-fibre cloth around with me. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 21, 2017 Posted May 21, 2017 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here 35 mm viewfinder, I didn't think that through too well.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mikemgb Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share #22 Posted May 21, 2017 I bought a SBLOO about three weeks ago for £50 to use with my Summaron 35/2.8. Its exterior is a bit "pre-loved" but the optics are clear and sharp. It is a revelation using these external Leitz bright line finders on LTM cameras, compared with the standard "looking down a drainpipe" reverse Galilean finders. I also use a SBOOI 50mm finder on my 0 series, where I found the original wire frame finder totally unusable. The only problem I have come across with the SBLOO, is because I am a left-eye shooter (even though right handed). This means you get forehead grease on the back lens of the SBLOO, from when you are using the rangefinder, so I have to carry a small micro-fibre cloth around with me. Wilson Over here they are running $220 and upwards on eBay, I'm going to try a anted ad on here to see if anyone has anything spare. If I'm going to have to spend that much I'd rather it went to a forum member. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 21, 2017 Share #23 Posted May 21, 2017 Don't left-eye film shooters usually go for Leicavit? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 21, 2017 Share #24 Posted May 21, 2017 Don't left-eye film shooters usually go for Leicavit? I don't see how that would help. It is not winding on I have a problem with it is just that I have a left master eye. My master eye changed from right to left after I had a very bad accident in a racing car 45 years ago and amongst my many injuries were multiple skull and facial fractures, which changed the shape of my eye sockets. I thought after I had bilateral cataract surgery a couple of years ago, that it might change back but it does not seem to have, although it may just be habit nowadays. For Leicavit, are you thinking of left handed people? Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted May 21, 2017 Share #25 Posted May 21, 2017 Over here they are running $220 and upwards on eBay, I'm going to try a anted ad on here to see if anyone has anything spare. If I'm going to have to spend that much I'd rather it went to a forum member. Mike, Have a look on eBay worldwide. There seems to be quite a lot of Leica accessories coming out of the former east bloc countries at the moment. I don't know why this should be happening now but it seems as if it is. A couple of weeks ago I bought a 12585 hood for my 35mm LTM Summaron from a Polish trade seller. When it arrived the back ring of the hood was obviously original but the front part of the hood had either been painted dark metallic greeny-grey or replaced with a third party ventilated part and the back cap was very well worn. I contacted the seller, who apologised profusely and said that it had been sent off in a rush by someone else and he had not checked it. I expected him to offer me €10 or at the most €15 off the purchase price, which was modest to begin with. Not a bit of it. He found another beautiful condition and totally original hood, with everything perfect on it and sent me it with his compliments. I suspect life is still fairly hard there but I have had nothing but good experience with sellers from this region. It is nothing like as bad as in communist days, when I used to visit Sofia on business. We used to bring in nitroglyerine sprays and tablets to give to the chairman of the State Bulstrad insurance company, who had angina and even in his position, could not access these simple drugs in Bulgaria of the 1980's. My SBLOO came from Bulgaria. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 21, 2017 Share #26 Posted May 21, 2017 (edited) I don't see how that would help. It is not winding on I have a problem with it is just that I have a left master eye. My master eye changed from right to left after I had a very bad accident in a racing car 45 years ago and amongst my many injuries were multiple skull and facial fractures, which changed the shape of my eye sockets. I thought after I had bilateral cataract surgery a couple of years ago, that it might change back but it does not seem to have, although it may just be habit nowadays. For Leicavit, are you thinking of left handed people? Wilson I use the right eye for photography. But holding my left eye to the M-window, the film transport movement and my right eye ( 's spectacle frame) compete for space.As mentioned, this is my first and only test, during a train ride just now, because I happily give my nose and my left eye room enough when behind a red dot. If I was left-eyed I might have gotten a M240+Visoflex on day one, not considering a SL. For analog most roll-film SLRs (4.5x6 mags might offer ca. 30% cost savings) preferably a EL/M Hasselblad would have been my choice. Pure speculation, since (luckily) I'm not in the situation. Edited May 21, 2017 by tri Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share #27 Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) With grateful thanks to Gary from New Zealand I am now the owner of a SBLOO for a very reasonable cost. I love the finder, I may have to buy a 50mm one as well now. As seems common with many of these it is loose in the shoe so I'm researching various fixes for that. Excuse the ratty looking covering on this camera, I believe it's original and since it's all there I see no need to replace it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 5, 2017 by mikemgb 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 5, 2017 Share #28 Posted June 5, 2017 I love the finder, I may have to buy a 50mm one as well now. I am looking for a 50mm finder as well. There are plenty used, but quite expensive. cameraquest.com has none! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted June 5, 2017 Share #29 Posted June 5, 2017 My SBOOI 50mm was loose on my 0 series replica but my SBLOO 35mm is not on my LTM's. For the SBOOI, I stuck on a transparent 3M "Bumpon" on the underneath of the shoe on the VF, then pared it down with a scalpel until it was just a firm fit in the camera shoe. As these Bumpons have a tacky texture, there has never been the slightest sign of it sliding off. As I have very stiff and arthritic fingers, for mega button cameras like the M240 and SL, I have Bumpons on a number of the buttons, so keep various sizes in stock to replace ones that have dropped off. Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share #30 Posted June 5, 2017 I am looking for a 50mm finder as well. There are plenty used, but quite expensive. cameraquest.com has none! Tamarkin has a couple, I will say that they are cheaper than 35mm ones! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share #31 Posted June 5, 2017 My SBOOI 50mm was loose on my 0 series replica but my SBLOO 35mm is not on my LTM's. For the SBOOI, I stuck on a transparent 3M "Bumpon" on the underneath of the shoe on the VF, then pared it down with a scalpel until it was just a firm fit in the camera shoe. As these Bumpons have a tacky texture, there has never been the slightest sign of it sliding off. As I have very stiff and arthritic fingers, for mega button cameras like the M240 and SL, I have Bumpons on a number of the buttons, so keep various sizes in stock to replace ones that have dropped off. Wilson Thank you Wilson, I'll look that stuff up. I also need to test fit the finder on my IIIa, I'm sure I'll use it on both cameras. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 5, 2017 Share #32 Posted June 5, 2017 [...] I have Bumpons on a number of the buttons, so keep various sizes in stock to replace ones that have dropped off. I have Bumpons over my vehicle's flush-mounted buttons for similar reasons! They never fall off. I'm thinking of trying a tiny one over the shutter release on a couple cameras. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted June 5, 2017 Share #33 Posted June 5, 2017 I have just bought an 8.5cm/f1.5 Summarex. If you think the prices of the SBOOI and SBLOO are high, have a look at the price of SGOOD 8.5cm viewfinders. I have decided I will just rely on the 90mm arrows on my IIIg. If I need to get an 8.5cm VF, I would probably buy a Canon or Nikon one which are far more common and cheaper Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemgb Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share #34 Posted June 5, 2017 I have just bought an 8.5cm/f1.5 Summarex. If you think the prices of the SBOOI and SBLOO are high, have a look at the price of SGOOD 8.5cm viewfinders. I have decided I will just rely on the 90mm arrows on my IIIg. If I need to get an 8.5cm VF, I would probably buy a Canon or Nikon one which are far more common and cheaper Wilson I just looked them up on eBay, good call on using the 90mm lines. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted June 5, 2017 Share #35 Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) I have just bought an 8.5cm/f1.5 Summarex. If you think the prices of the SBOOI and SBLOO are high, have a look at the price of SGOOD 8.5cm viewfinders. I have decided I will just rely on the 90mm arrows on my IIIg. If I need to get an 8.5cm VF, I would probably buy a Canon or Nikon one which are far more common and cheaper Wilson Give a look to the very common and cheap Russian revolver VF... ...28 35 50 85 135... I have one from my "Zorky times" (1975... ) and isn't a badly made device (though bulky, of course on IIIG the 90 frame is surely better). Btw, I have also a Zeiss with 21 and 85 (and 25 50 135) but is much more rare and costly (there is also the version with 180... practically unuseful but "wow".. ) Edited June 5, 2017 by luigi bertolotti Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 5, 2017 Share #36 Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) Give a look to the very common and cheap Russian revolver VF... ...28 35 50 85 135... I have one from my "Zorky times" (1975... ) and isn't a badly made device (though bulky, of course on IIIG the 90 frame is surely better). Btw, I have also a Zeiss with 21 and 85 (and 25 50 135) but is much more rare and costly (there is also the version with 180... practically unuseful but "wow".. ) I have a Russian one too, and also one of the Zeiss version, which is 'opposite handed'. Mine has 180mm which was useful when I had the 2x converter for leica mount, also on a Nex 6 with 135mm lens! If I remember rightly (its a bit hard to get at at the moment) the 180 version lacks 35mm, a strange ommissiom.I saw a version with 21mm for sale once and would have liked it, but it was about 5 times the price typical for the 'standard' Russian one Gerry Edited June 5, 2017 by gyoung Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted June 5, 2017 Share #37 Posted June 5, 2017 I would agree generally with the Russian turret finder for 85mm. There is also a version of the Leica VIOOH finder with an 85mm setting. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted June 6, 2017 Share #38 Posted June 6, 2017 It always amazed me that a company with the optical abilities and pride in their products, such as Leica, produced such pitiful devices as the VIDOM and VIOOH. The turret type finders are quite a bit better than these but compared with the excellent Leitz individual focal length, bright line finders, the multi length finders are all pretty poor. The old Voigtlander Kontur type viewfinders are also pretty good, as you use them with both eyes open but they are rather bulky. I don't think they can be used on LTM's, as they foul the shutter speed dial. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted June 6, 2017 Share #39 Posted June 6, 2017 Since VIOOH is a zoom finder its easy enough to set intermediate focal lengths, mine has a mark for 75mm since I have a Voigtlander 75/2.5 to use on the III. Made with a permanent marker but easily removable from the chrome surface. Gerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted June 6, 2017 Share #40 Posted June 6, 2017 I have a few VIOOHs but, frankly, I rarely use them. They are just collectors' pieces to me. They don't sit that well in camera shoes and are often cloudy. The TUVOO 28mm attachment just adds to the woes. There is a list on page 336 of Laney's book which gives the various settings available in VIOOH finders. The straight sided version with a 8.5cm setting is the last and most common version of the VIOOH. If one were purchasing a Summarex as a user piece rather than as a collector piece (I suspect given the prices that most Summarex lenses are just collectors' items) then a Soviet 85mm or turret with 85mm finder would be best. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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