Martin Horne Posted July 26, 2022 Share #1 Posted July 26, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) Evening All. Just bought a lovely SBOOI and case and looking for some information. Ideally I would have preferred the one with the silver cover on the eye side but finding an affordable one in decent condition has been difficult. The one I’ve purchased has what looks like a threaded back ( I don’t have it yet). Is that just the design or is it a thread designed to have something attached to it? Really interesting item and there doesn’t seem to be much information out there on them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 26, 2022 Posted July 26, 2022 Hi Martin Horne, Take a look here SBOOI Information. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
a.noctilux Posted July 26, 2022 Share #2 Posted July 26, 2022 Hello Martin, The best VF for me. I can not let one pass when I can buy one. Having four now, never enough. in Wiki we have some infos. seen here 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! Happily I use SBOOI whenever I can I don't have any in black though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Happily I use SBOOI whenever I can I don't have any in black though. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4477718'>More sharing options...
romualdo Posted July 27, 2022 Share #3 Posted July 27, 2022 10 hours ago, Martin Horne said: The one I’ve purchased has what looks like a threaded back ( I don’t have it yet). Is that just the design or is it a thread designed to have something attached to it? Really interesting item and there doesn’t seem to be much information out there on them. I have a "black backed" SBOOI - actually wasn't aware there were different versions regarding the ocular region. That's not a thread on the rear black ring, just the design (rings) 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! 1 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4477835'>More sharing options...
qqphot Posted July 27, 2022 Share #4 Posted July 27, 2022 I haven't seen a black backed on, but I will agree that (aside from lack of adjustable parallax correction) it's the best. Looking through it is just like not looking through it, except there's a nice rectangular frame! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted July 27, 2022 Share #5 Posted July 27, 2022 1 hour ago, romualdo said: I have a "black backed" SBOOI - actually wasn't aware there were different versions regarding the ocular region. That's not a thread on the rear black ring, just the design (rings) 🙂 Quote from Jim Lager "Variations within an individual viewfinder type seems endless : the author has, for example, encountered six variations of the SBOOI..." (and he depicts also a 5 cm VF styled like SGOOD SGVOO SHOOC - to say, conical eyepiece with parallax adjustement... unknown code, uncertain date) 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_horne Posted July 27, 2022 Share #6 Posted July 27, 2022 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! Here it is. 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Here it is. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478005'>More sharing options...
alan mcfall Posted July 27, 2022 Share #7 Posted July 27, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) My contribution. Black paint rear on front row, all chrome on the back row. The black paint rear ones are in both 5cm and 50mm. Great for the post war Ic, If and Ig. 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! 3 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478093'>More sharing options...
qqphot Posted July 27, 2022 Share #8 Posted July 27, 2022 1 hour ago, alan mcfall said: My contribution. Black paint rear on front row, all chrome on the back row. The black paint rear ones are in both 5cm and 50mm. Great for the post war Ic, If and Ig. 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! So you're the reason why it's so hard to find good ones now! 🤣 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted July 27, 2022 Share #9 Posted July 27, 2022 Stereo ? 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! 1 2 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478149'>More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted July 27, 2022 Share #10 Posted July 27, 2022 Viewfinders for the 50 mm focal lens SBOOI/12015, cylindrical shaped, in its variety : First one 5cm front engraved plain sides chrome, Second one 5cm front engraved striped sides Third and fourth show the 5cm front engraved back faces with and without black ring eyepieces. Fifth one show the latest model, 50mm front engraved with in background respective leather cases and genuine carton box. 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! 3 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478172'>More sharing options...
PG Black nickel Posted July 27, 2022 Share #11 Posted July 27, 2022 I also have a Leica 5cm viewfinder that came with an IG, that looks a bit like the Sbooi but has a parallax, dual scale and a 135mm frame inside the 50mm frame. I have never seen one like it. it.would be a fake? 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! 4 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478187'>More sharing options...
alan mcfall Posted July 27, 2022 Share #12 Posted July 27, 2022 Some have the GmbH engraving, I assume this started around 1952, but evidently was dropped at some point later on. Every one I have observed has the Germany engraving. Before the war, it was often seen on products for export, but maybe no longer used for that purpose after the war. The 33mm stereo viewer seems to be identical in shape and all of mine have the black paint rear rim and the grip side lines. I am not sure where the stereo viewfinders were made, did Midland get the plans and/or parts from Wetzlar and engrave them in Canada? Or build them themselves, pretty much like the 33mm lenses. As to the finder in post 11, it is clearly atypical for Leitz, is the ELW lettering actually machine engraved, as it looks like possibly a "stencil" lettering? Possibly a prototype. 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/334912-sbooi-information/?do=findComment&comment=4478265'>More sharing options...
nitroplait Posted July 28, 2022 Share #13 Posted July 28, 2022 13 hours ago, qqphot said: So you're the reason why it's so hard to find good ones now! 🤣 It is almost cheaper to collect Elmar 50/3.5 lenses than nice SBOOI finders these days. Go figure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
qqphot Posted July 28, 2022 Share #14 Posted July 28, 2022 15 minutes ago, nitroplait said: It is almost cheaper to collect Elmar 50/3.5 lenses than nice SBOOI finders these days. Go figure. And let's not get started on SUOOQ, SBLOO, etc. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted July 28, 2022 Share #15 Posted July 28, 2022 (edited) 15 hours ago, PG Black nickel said: I also have a Leica 5cm viewfinder that came with an IG, that looks a bit like the Sbooi but has a parallax, dual scale and a 135mm frame inside the 50mm frame. I have never seen one like it. it.would be a fake? 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! It's really an oddity... surely I haven't ever seen one similar to it.... the distance numbers on the parallax adjustment's ring have not a typical Leitz style, I'd say... But IG was mainly sold as a "Lab" Camera... I wonder if it's a sort of "special accessory" from the "tech-sci" department Or, as Alan suggests. a prototype : the lack of parallax adjustment was clearly a limitation of the otherwise excellent SBOOI : it can be related to the finder depicted by Lager quoted in my post #5 ,which too seems to be a never catalogued item. Edited July 28, 2022 by luigi bertolotti 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Black nickel Posted July 28, 2022 Share #16 Posted July 28, 2022 I had bought this IG from the granddaughter of a laboratory technician, who used this apparatus in his laboratory. In the box there was, apart from the IG, the viewfinder, some rings, a strange 39 mm sunshield, mirrors, a whole bunch of unmarked microscope equipment that I thought was worthless. But why not a prototype, I find it hard to imagine that someone could have made a fake Leitz viewfinder 50 or 60 years ago, considering the work it required to obtain a ridiculous price at that time! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted July 29, 2022 Share #17 Posted July 29, 2022 (edited) 19 hours ago, PG Black nickel said: I had bought this IG from the granddaughter of a laboratory technician, who used this apparatus in his laboratory. In the box there was, apart from the IG, the viewfinder, some rings, a strange 39 mm sunshield, mirrors, a whole bunch of unmarked microscope equipment that I thought was worthless. But why not a prototype, I find it hard to imagine that someone could have made a fake Leitz viewfinder 50 or 60 years ago, considering the work it required to obtain a ridiculous price at that time! I agree : btw, the writing on the cylinder body looks very accurately made... perfectly positioned... right fonts (*) (a bit too high, but can be an effect of the photo) ; nearly impossible to think is a fake (*) note the H in capital in "GmbH" , like in original Leitz items... Edited July 29, 2022 by luigi bertolotti Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted July 29, 2022 Share #18 Posted July 29, 2022 Apparently 'Prototype bright-line universal finders exist in the Leitz museum in Wetzlar' (p15): https://www.cameramanuals.org/leica_pdf/leica_accessory_guide.pdf Two focal lengths isn't quite universal, but this does seem to be something they experimented with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted July 30, 2022 Share #19 Posted July 30, 2022 My specialist dealer, now retired, has a 50mm finder in the style of the 90/135mm finders. I have seen it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now