eronald Posted April 9 Share #1 Posted April 9 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have an M8 which was mostly unused in a bag since I got it (warranty replacement), I found I have a 21mm f2.8 Elmarit with an IR filter mounted on it, and I was wondering what to use as a viewfinder? Edmund Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9 Posted April 9 Hi eronald, Take a look here Viewfinder for 21mm Elmarit. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jeri Posted April 10 Share #2 Posted April 10 In fact, you can do without an external viewfinder, because the 28-millimeter frame lines in the camera's viewfinder will match the lens. ☆ But if you really want to, then any 28mm external viewfinder will do the job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommonego@gmail.com Posted April 10 Share #3 Posted April 10 After struggling with if the frame lines on the M8 match the lens used or what the equivalent focal e of a lens. I have come down to it is the lens used. My 25mm Canon is very close to the 24mm fram lines a 50 definitly matches the 50 framelines. So if you have a 21 mm, don't use the 28 frame lines on the M8, a full finder on the camera would be close, but if you get an external finder you would need a 28mm finder for the 21. I had a 25mm finder I used with a Nikon 20mm on an M8, I was happy with that. Are we confused yet? So in summary, 21mm no external finder, use the entire camera viewfinder frame (tough on an M8 with glasses). If you want a little easier viewing get an external finder, 28mm is ideal, 25mm works in a pinch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted April 10 Share #4 Posted April 10 5 hours ago, jeri said: In fact, you can do without an external viewfinder, because the 28-millimeter frame lines in the camera's viewfinder will match the lens. Not really correct. The M8 has a cropped sensor. The "28mm" framelines in the M8 are adjusted for this, so they show a "38mm" view of the world. As does the 28mm lens. The M8 crops 21mm lens to an effective 28mm - and there are no built in framelines for that view in the M8. ................. As to the original question - there are quite a few used hot-shoe-mounted 28mm viewfinders out there, left over from the pre-SLR era of 35mm-film RF cameras (~1935-1965) https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=2530a8e15266578f&rls=en&q=28mm+accessory+viewfinders&udm=2&fbs=ABzOT_CWdhQLP1FcmU5B0fn3xuWpA-dk4wpBWOGsoR7DG5zJBsxayPSIAqObp_AgjkUGqengxVrJ7hrmYmz7X2OZp_NIYfhIAjPnSJLO3GH6L0gKvuUU9jOm91_NGkSK1WJYVWjjHf1cMeOfIs5S2VkHB51zdvs5rEFgawK72NTjOMMeP0ZkzDJsLwBUA55RuQQ6_IgnTa_0Sg-ZSjc8BLe0lulqWQaGgA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk5Oer682MAxVFEzQIHTN4LdEQtKgLegQIHRAB&biw=1511&bih=1254&dpr=2 Leica, but also Nikon, Canon, Zeiss-Contax, etc. etc. In my M8 days, I used a 1960s Leica 28mm finder with my 21mm lens, but they all work. https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/File:SLOOZ.jpg There have also been "21st-century" 28mm finders made, from Cosina/Voigtlander, Zeiss-Ikon ZM, Ricoh, even TTArtisans. https://www.35mmc.com/16/01/2016/voigtlander-2835-mini-finder-micro-review/#google_vignette Leica's own current 21mm metal viewfinders have dual framelines, for use with either 24x36mm sensor/film - OR to frame correctly with the cropped M8. Insanely expensive when new, but not too bad used (for Leica gear). https://www.lensrentals.com/buy/root/photo/optics/viewfinders/leica-m-21-brightline-finder?srsltid=AfmBOor-LT30AbYIu11s2NasUQSw2irD2U1l5DGescWnAFcdqmsF3ffDzPw&gQT=1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 10 Share #5 Posted April 10 You may wish to try the Voigtländer 21mm "D" viewfinder which was made for the Epson R-D1 and has a 31.5mm equivalent field of view. There were a couple of them on e**y the last time i checked but i don't know if they are still there. 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/420371-viewfinder-for-21mm-elmarit/?do=findComment&comment=5784554'>More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 10 Share #6 Posted April 10 21 hours ago, eronald said: I have an M8 which was mostly unused in a bag since I got it (warranty replacement), I found I have a 21mm f2.8 Elmarit with an IR filter mounted on it, and I was wondering what to use as a viewfinder? I use a similar combination: M8 and 21/2.8 Kobalux* with a Singh-Ray IR pass ("black" 850 nm) filter. I use a Zeiss metal T* 25/28 external viewfinder and use its 28mm lines to see what the M8 will capture. It is an astonishingly crystal clear finder and better than any other finder I've used (apart from the Zeiss 15 mm finder I use with my Voigt 15/4.5 lens). *I use the Kobalux because it has no IR hot spot at all. Pete. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 10 Share #7 Posted April 10 Advertisement (gone after registration) 5 minutes ago, lct said: You may wish to try the Voigtländer 21mm "D" viewfinder which was made for the Epson R-D1 and has a 31.5mm equivalent field of view. There were a couple of them on e**y the last time i checked but i don't know if they are still there. 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! LCT, the problem with using a 21 mm external viewfinder with a 21 mm lens on the M8 is the 1.3 crop factor. The lens's outer 7 mm can't be seen by the sensor and is lost, which is why a 28mm external vf is the better choice in my opinion. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 10 Share #8 Posted April 10 The Voigtländer VF i referred to above was made for a crop camera, the Epson R-D1. Its equiv. FoV is 21mm x 1.5 = 31.5mm, so a bit more than the equiv. FoV of a 21mm lens on the M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 10 Share #9 Posted April 10 1 hour ago, lct said: The Voigtländer VF i referred to above was made for a crop camera, the Epson R-D1. Its equiv. FoV is 21mm x 1.5 = 31.5mm, so a bit more than the equiv. FoV of a 21mm lens on the M8. Thanks, LCT, I had forgotten about the RD-1's 1.5x crop factor. Since, as you say, the "D" was made for the RD-1 I suspect there aren't very many around now. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted April 10 Share #10 Posted April 10 Just now, farnz said: Thanks, LCT, I had forgotten about the RD-1's 1.5x crop factor. Since, as you say, the "D" was made for the RD-1 I suspect there aren't very many around now. There were a couple of them on e**y the last time i checked but i don't know if they are still available. I used mine on the M8.2 a dozen years ago. Below with Skopar 21/4. 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/420371-viewfinder-for-21mm-elmarit/?do=findComment&comment=5784639'>More sharing options...
eronald Posted May 13 Author Share #11 Posted May 13 (edited) Nice shots! Thx for the pointers. I'm afraid I'm going to keep shooting without a VF for the moment, as I wanna save up for a Fuji GFX100RF. Leica tells me the M8 is worth $500. At this price, if I get 10 decent pictures out of it before it decides to break, I'm happy, but investing in more than a couple of Chinese batteries is definitely out. I'm using it as an aid to painting, and by accident I got one decent pic today. One day I hope to get a later M for cheap for this lens and at that point I'll get a real 21mm finder. Edmund Edited May 13 by eronald Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernstk Posted July 16 Share #12 Posted July 16 I use my Elmarit M 2.8/21 on my M8 most of the time. I've found that you can 'learn' what the field of view is without needing an external viewfinder. Ernst Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted July 17 Share #13 Posted July 17 The FoV of 21mm lenses is close to that of the entire VF on the M8, due to the crop factor. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted August 23 Share #14 Posted August 23 On 5/12/2025 at 6:33 PM, eronald said: Leica tells me the M8 is worth $500. Leica-M (or would-be Leica-M) users seeking to buy M8s seem to have a higher opinion of the M8s' value than does Leica themselves. 😁 Might factor that into your calculations, if useful. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Leica+M8&_sacat=0&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_Complete=1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham (G4FUJ) Posted August 23 Share #15 Posted August 23 Good grief, that's crackers! Going back to the OP I have a Voigtlander 15-35mm Zoom Finder which covers full frame, 1.3x and 2x crop factors. Pete has seen it. I was lucky to find it on a UK dealer's site. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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