Viewfinder to Show 18mm Perspective???

[Big_g]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

At the moment I use the EVF2 when using my 18mm SE but it kills the battery. 

 

I have been considering buying a Leica 18mm finder but I really enjoy being able to visualise the distortion and perspective created by the wonderful lens when I view it through the EVF. 

 

Does the external finder provide a reasonable approximation of the distortion/perspective or does it just show the FOV for the lens??

 

Most of my creativity with the lens is from the extreme perspective it gives so I want to avoid spending a lot of money on an external finder that doesn't show me even a close approximation of the image I will capture. 

 

Hope to hear back from my learned friends here soon

 

 

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Peter Kilmister]

Live View works well especially with wide angle lenses. If EVF2 kills your battery then I suggest  a short circuit may be the cause. Have you cleaned up the hot shoe contacts?

[tobey bilek]

Distortion, curvature of straight lines not going through center of picture, may or may not be the same in a viewfinder.

 

Perspective, i.e. size relationship between near and far objects,  is governed by where you stand,  nothing else.

[jaapv]

The Super-Elmar 18 is a rectilinear lens, so curvature is not an issue. You are right about the perspective, though.  Any viewfinder showing the correct angle of view will render the perspective correctly. For 18 mm the Zeiss viewfinder is superior to the Leica one.

Framing will never be as precise with an optical viewfinder as it is with the EVF, which may be a problem for the OP if I read his usage properly.

[luigi bertolotti]

_{Apart finding a good OVF.. are you sure that the LCD/LV isn't a better solution for your needs ? In terms of control of perspective a wider area is a definitive plus, I think (I do remember well how FINE was looking at the ground glass of my Rollei TLR...  )  : it can be hard to look at it for the ambient light... but I am almost sure to have seen accessories to adress this issue... (foldable protections... once again not to dissimilar from Rolleiflex...} )

[Gregm61]

The best optical finder I've used with my 18 Super Elmar and M262 in terms of framing accuracy is the Frankenfinder. If I had an M240 I'd pass on the EVF even though I already own the Olympus EVF-2. I also have the Leica 18 finder but may just need to run down the Zeiss model and give it a try. The finders show more distortion than the lens ever will.

[Richardgb]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I, too, use the Zeiss viewfinder with the 18mm Super Elmar, at least when hand-held; the Zeiss is also cheaper than Leica's.

 

The biggest adjustment is learning to focus using the rangefinder through the camera v/f then frame through the accessory v/f. For more considered shots, on a tripod and in darker surroundings, I use live view.

 

As you'll know from using the EVF, it's a bit of a faff with flash, since the only way to fire the flash is by taking off the EVF / accessory v/f. For not-too-critical hand-held framing, especially where it's crowded or I work quickly, I use the normal camera v/f (M240), knowing its 28mm view shows about 2/3 of what the 18mm will give (i.e. there is room for generous cropping / correction!). This leaves the hot shoe free for flash.

[happymac]

The brilliant 18mm Leica Viewfinder shows a 24mm frame, too.

 

Big_g, I sent you a PM.

[Big_g]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Apologies for my delayed response but I have been away for a couple of days. 

 

So, it seems that I may not be able to get the approximation of the "distortion" of the lens with an OVF. that I am looking for Not sure what the correct term is for what I mean really so I have inserted an example below. I wanted to use the way the lens exaggerates the perspective/distorts the image to give the large proportions at the bottom of the image disappearing towards the top, sort of vanishing point. With the EVF I can get it perfect obviously but it consumes the battery pretty quickly (when I said "kills" in my opening post I wasn't being literal). I have spare batteries but it would be nice to not have the all day capability that the large m240 battery gives without carrying spares. I can consume a battery in a busy hour or so. I try to remember to turn off the EVF after each shot but when you are taking a lot of pictures it is a it of a pain to try and turn the EVF on and off all the time. 

 

Using LV is not an option I am interested in as I really don't like it. 

 

From the comments above I think I may take the cheapest option and try to get hold of a secondhand Zeiss. At least that way if I don't like it I can move it on again and not lose much money in the process. At least the OVF would be good when I am using the lens level so there is none of this keystone type distortion. As Jaap rightly pointed out the lens is rectilinear o no issues at all when it is set level. 

 

Thanks for the offer of yours happymac but shipping it from Germany to either Ukraine or the UK will add complication that I would rather avoid. 

 

MM001810.jpg by Big_g2, on Flickr

[01af]

Does the external finder provide a reasonable approximation of the distortion/perspective or does it just show the FOV for the lens?

There is no answer to this question as the question doesn't make any sense in the first place. Lenses don't have "perspectives"; viewfinders don't either.

 

All a viewfinder possibly can do is showing the proper field-of-view. If it does then it suits the lens. As simple as that. In this regard, there is no difference between electronic and optical viewfinders.

 

However, optical viewfinders may add their own distortion (usually barrel-shaped) to the equation while electronic viewfinders don't; the latter will accurately show what the sensor is seeing. In any case, this has nothing to do with perspective (or lack thereof).

 

So, if you want to replace the electronic viewfinder with an optical finder for your 18 mm lens then just go ahead! The EVF has the advantage of better accuracy; it can precisely show sharpness, depth-of-field, and flare, but at the expense of significantly increased power consumption. To save battery power, an optical viewfinder is a viable alternative.