Bright Line

Bill Pierce

Bill Pierce

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In an attempt to come up with a camera for street shooting that was quiet and small, one that could do digitally what a number of film cameras from the Minilux, the Contax T and smaller 35mm rangefinders, I put a CV 35mm bright line finder in the accessory shoe of a Canon G9. It worked so well that I started using a number of CV and Leica bright lines, eyeballing the proper focal length with the built-in zoom of the G9. At a speed of 80, the pictures are pretty good. 800 in the NY subways is marginal, but if you can drop the speed somewhat and the picture is really good, you don't have to remain at the preferred 80 all the time. Really makes you wish for small cameras with bigger sensors and faster lenses (that were a little longer than an effective 28). Any thoughts on using a camera with a collection of bright line finders that cost more than the camera?

Bill
 
Bill Pierce said:
In an attempt to come up with a camera for street shooting that was quiet and small, one that could do digitally what a number of film cameras from the Minilux, the Contax T and smaller 35mm rangefinders, I put a CV 35mm bright line finder in the accessory shoe of a Canon G9. It worked so well that I started using a number of CV and Leica bright lines, eyeballing the proper focal length with the built-in zoom of the G9. At a speed of 80, the pictures are pretty good. 800 in the NY subways is marginal, but if you can drop the speed somewhat and the picture is really good, you don't have to remain at the preferred 80 all the time. Really makes you wish for small cameras with bigger sensors and faster lenses (that were a little longer than an effective 28). Any thoughts on using a camera with a collection of bright line finders that cost more than the camera?

Bill
Click to expand...

Well, you can always match your G9 with a Russian made 35mm finders.

I do not think that a CV finder costs more than the Canon G9 camera?

but that sounds like a very good idea Bill.
 
If you already own them, they don't cost anything!

Whatever works for you though - the IXUS 850 that I bought for a similar job just doesn't do it for me though :/

I wish I knew why technologies such as optical viewfinders suddenly get forgotten in this digital age. I'm sure engineers took copeous notes before they were retired with the end of film camera development - surely the new guys only need ask!
 
An accessory that might be handy in this situation would be a double-shoe adapter (such as offered by Voigtlander) so that two finders can be mounted simultaneously...
 
The Nikon zoom finder might be the ticket.
 

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I'm interested in this ideas as well; I just purchased the G9.

I don't have the numbers here in front of me, Bill, but isn't there a Leica-made viewfinder for the Tri-Elmar lens that has three focal lengths build in? Are those focal lengths useful for the G9?
 
Bill,

I had quite a collection of Bright Line finders and a few Sport finders which cost more than my Bessa T did ($200 some years back). I used a $300 Nikon 105 Brightline on her a lot, my CV 35 was used with my 40/1.4 and loved them. IMHO, it's not silly at all, it's a matter of taste. I had a Tewe zoom finder which was OK but not for me. I loved the idea of one zoom finder would work with most of my lenses, but the view through great brightline finders is stunning. I figured that great glass deserves a great finder.

I have a 28 CV finder on the top of my GRD and love it. While the 28/35 is a cool finder the metal CV is world class.

B2 (;->
 
Why use a finder at all? Just use the built in video screen or guestimate by eyeballing it. Depth of field is rather large with these small sensor cameras. I love my G9. I also added the Raynox .7x adapter to get a 25mm-lens fov. I really like the combo and it can definitely be shot from the hip without a finder. It is rather heavy, though.

/T
 
Tuolumne said:
Why use a finder at all? Just use the built in video screen/T
Click to expand...

It's difficult, slow, at times almost impossible to use the video screen in bright sunlight. The bright line finder is not as quick as a blind hip shot, nor has it the exact same proportions of the G9 frame. But it's much quicker than the view screen especially when you use the "camera up, click, camera down" technique of Bresson. That said, hip shooting without looking through any viewfinder is a practical, realistic alternative.

Bill
 
Bill Pierce said:
It's difficult, slow, at times almost impossible to use the video screen in bright sunlight. The bright line finder is not as quick as a blind hip shot, nor has it the exact same proportions of the G9 frame. But it's much quicker than the view screen especially when you use the "camera up, click, camera down" technique of Bresson. That said, hip shooting without looking through any viewfinder is a practical, realistic alternative.

Bill
Click to expand...

Maybe the G10 will come with a better built in viewfinder.
it is a very handy feature.
 
Voightlander on a D-Lux-3

Voightlander on a D-Lux-3

Hello Bill and everyone, Bill I have read and valued your work for a long time. I bought a 28mm Voightlander finder from Camerquest.com and after lining it up as best as I could attached it with Gorrilla brand super glue! It works fine. I also attached a lens hood from a Summicron 50mm and I get all sorts of comments on my "old" Leica camera or my funny old fashioned camera......it all helps with street shooting. My thinking is how can it be a Leica without a viewfinder!.......and I belive a lens hood is still usefull. Thanks, Jim.
 
A lack of decent or existent viewfinders prevents me from considering all the otherwise useful small digital cameras. I simply can't afford an M8. I would be reluctant to spend that much money even if I could afford it. A small digital with a good, fast lens and a good viewfinder at a reasonable price would be great.

As for using brightline finders, I regularly use a pair of old 5 cm Leitz brightline finders on Kiev bodies with Zeiss Sonnar lenses.
 
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