Canon LTM Viewfinder of the IVSb versus IVSb2

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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Mackinaw

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Can anybody give me any real-life input regarding the viewfinders of the IVSb and IVSb2 cameras? According to Peter Dechert's Canon book, the viewfinder of the "2" version of this camera (and a few other Canon bottom-loaders) was a substantial improvement over the earlier model. Just curious as to whether some IVSb2 owner can tell me if this means it's less "squinty," or if it's brighter, better rangefinder, etc.

Jim B.
 
Noticeable, but not huge. The rear eyepiece has a 50% larger lens, which lets through more light, and gives a bit more eye relief, and is less critical about eye position. So it is a bit brighter as well. Also, there's a bit less flare.

But the beam-splitter prism is the same in both, so there isn't really a difference in rangefinder patch brightness or contrast.

Now the P, 7, and 7s, those have dramatically different finders.
 
Dragging this thread back to the top to ask if it's possible to replace the IVSB eyepiece with one from the IVSB2, or if there was ever an aftermarketr replacement, or some kind of eyepiece magnifier, or something that can improve the VF on this camera. I just got one and the finder is the only thing that isn't fantastic about it.

FWIW, I kind of like the VF on a sunny day, when I'm wearing contact lenses. Its simplicity is refreshing. But wow, that eyepiece lens is incredibly tiny.
 
Afraid the eyepiece has been pressed into the metal top and would be difficult to replace, but hell, anything is possible these days. Trouble is you would have to find a junk "Revolutionary Canon" body as Peter D calls them in his book to acquire an updated finder. Only the final four bottom loaders had the improved eyepiece and these were the IVSB2, IID2, IIF2 and IIS2 with the IVSB2 being a better camera than the Leica IIIG see Peter D's book pg 134.
 
I have the non improved and the so called improved bottomloader Canons and I find both finders squinty and dark.

the L1 and the Vt series have much better finders period.
 
CanonRFinder said:
Afraid the eyepiece has been pressed into the metal top and would be difficult to replace, but hell, anything is possible these days. Trouble is you would have to find a junk "Revolutionary Canon" body as Peter D calls them in his book to acquire an updated finder. Only the final four bottom loaders had the improved eyepiece and these were the IVSB2, IID2, IIF2 and IIS2 with the IVSB2 being a better camera than the Leica IIIG see Peter D's book pg 134.
Click to expand...

I have it upturned on my bedside table right now! And your book on the shelf not far away, Peter, where last night I looked up what version of the 50/1.8 I had (Type 2 Serenar, it appears).

I figured as much about the finder, and I do realize the L-series finders are an improvement. But I'm really taken with this camera, and appreciate its incredible compactness, solidity, and smoothness. I'll accept the tiny finder as part of the whole package. The RF patch is quite contrasty really, and the camera is a dream in the hand. I have a 7 as well, and the finder is quite amazing, but there's something to be said for simplicity.
 
It takes a while getting used to these tiny finders and the little circular rangefinder patch, which isn't as contrasty as modern rangefinders. But once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. I too, don't find the 4 newer/later bottom loaders to be significantly superior to the older ones.

Cheers,
 
I ordered Canon IV-SB recently (still waiting for it). I have a Canon P as well but I'm thinking of dedicating the IV-SB for wider lenses with attached viewfinder. Then I'd have my P for 35/50/100mm setup and the IV-SB primarily for my 21mm/f:4 lense. The big idea behind this is that you don't really need to care that much about the squinty viewfinder patch if you can take advantage of much longer DOF of wider lenses. My CV 21mm is sharp from ~1m onwards on f:8.

I'm also pondering if I should buy a small, collapsible Elmar-type 50mm to go with the IV-SB to get a nice pocketable camera. Maybe an Industar-22 to begin with.

Btw. Peter Dechert's book is just great!
 
Oh my... my new IV-SB arrived only 5min after I had sent my previous reply.

Isn't it just gorgeous! It is <E-P> marked and the serial is 144***. The viewfinder and the patch are MUCH MUCH better and clearer than I feared. Absolutely no problems at all to use. Now I'm definitely going to buy a nice 50mm collapsible lens for it.

Can't wait to shoot some test rolls...
 
CanonRFinder said:
Afraid the eyepiece has been pressed into the metal top and would be difficult to replace, but hell, anything is possible these days. Trouble is you would have to find a junk "Revolutionary Canon" body as Peter D calls them in his book to acquire an updated finder. Only the final four bottom loaders had the improved eyepiece and these were the IVSB2, IID2, IIF2 and IIS2 with the IVSB2 being a better camera than the Leica IIIG see Peter D's book pg 134.
Click to expand...
Actually I have a IVSB with the improved finder, and find it much better than a similar IVSB with the smaller finder. Perhaps not so much in bright daylight, but definitely in dim suroundings. My IVSB with the improved finder is a late s/n body (1548xx), actually later than the IVSB2 camera shown in Dechert's book on pg. 135. My camera is definitely not a IVSB2, as it has all the other features of a plain IVSB. I suspect the finder was put in during production rather than later by a repair person. Dechert states that the IVSB and the IVSB2 were produced simultaneously for a short while early in the life of the IVSB2.
Regards, Paul C.
 
Paul Connet said:
Actually I have a IVSB with the improved finder, and find it much better than a similar IVSB with the smaller finder. Perhaps not so much in bright daylight, but definitely in dim suroundings. My IVSB with the improved finder is a late s/n body (1548xx), actually later than the IVSB2 camera shown in Dechert's book on pg. 135. My camera is definitely not a IVSB2, as it has all the other features of a plain IVSB. I suspect the finder was put in during production rather than later by a repair person. Dechert states that the IVSB and the IVSB2 were produced simultaneously for a short while early in the life of the IVSB2.
Regards, Paul C.
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HI Paul,

Would appreciate the lens serial #+ focal length and the Camera body serial # so I can record that as having an improved finder. I have decided the next book will be on the cameras and in it I can mention things like this and maybe work out roughly when the overlap was happening during the production run. All very interesting to a collector but maybe not to a user. Peter.
 
Very beautiful, very classic setup. Here is mine. No Canon/Serenar lens unfortunately.
 
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CanonRFinder said:
HI Paul,

Would appreciate the lens serial #+ focal length and the Camera body serial # so I can record that as having an improved finder. I have decided the next book will be on the cameras and in it I can mention things like this and maybe work out roughly when the overlap was happening during the production run. All very interesting to a collector but maybe not to a user. Peter.
Click to expand...
Peter, the camera came to me without a lens so no help there. The complete s/n is 154816. The IVSB2 shown in Dechert's book on page 135 is #154120. Dechert says there was about nine months of overlap in production of the IVSB &IVSB2.

Regards, Paul C.
 
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