Tewe Polyfocus on Zorki 4

M

mszargar

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Hello!

I would like to purchase a parallax-corrected viewfinder for my Zorki 4. While I was thinking about a normal turret finder, somebody suggested the Tewe polyfocus. It looks much less punkish and it is rather discrete, like Zorki 4 is.

I would like to know if anybody has an experience matching Zorki 4 with Tewe. The point is that I am not sure if the parallax correction of Tewe is enough to compensate for hot shoe-lens distance in a Zorki 4, as I don't know the exact specification of the cameras Tewe was designed to be used with (and whether they were different from those of Zorki 4 or not).

Thanks in advance,
Mahmood
 
You can be sure there is no "exact specification" as it was sold to go on any 35mm camera. I believe it was originally a directors' finder and they sinply put a foot on it to get some more sales. All 35mm cameras are more or less the same size anyway.
 
The TeWe universal finder, is usually connected with Contax Rangefinder Cameras.

I have one of those finders, my grandfather used on his Contax-II along with the bulky Zeiss Jena (postwar) one.

The TeWe is very fine and easy to use, since it's of the "zoom" type. The base is fitted with a parallax corrector.
 
I've never heard that before.
Click to expand...

I have been researching about this viewfinder for a week now. The only indication I have found of a camera having been designed to use with Tewe (or vice versa, as you like) is about Robot Royal 36. Many copies of this viewfinder actually bear the Robot brand beside the Tewe.
 
Frankly, the parallax correction is inaccurate enough that I use my Tewe finder for either LTM or M Leicas ....

It's been used on Barnacks for quite a while .... :)

feininger-leica-portrait-2b.jpg
 
Is there any way to open and CLA one of these? I have found one copy but the owner says there is a tad bit of haze inside (no mold though). If the haze is really little, I will cope with it, but I want to know there is something to be done if I find the haze annoying, before buying it.

For the inaccurate parallax correction, I guess I have to get used to it. Already if this little thing can remove the horizontal parallax, I will be happy. I am OK with correcting the vertical parallax manually, but the horizontal one really unnerves me as I take many symmetric shots!

Btw, the autoportrait is awesome!

Mah
 
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the only real problem with the Tewe on a Zorki/Fed is that your finder might be more costly/valuable than the camera on which it sits. not so much a problem as it is a choice. I have the finder and love it. it mostly gets used on a Leica IIIf.
 
If it gets the job done, I am sure I will find more gear to put it on! :)


+ On an unrelated note: Price is a function of market offer and demand much more than being a function of the intrinsic value of the products...
 
Hello again,

of course, the TeWe finder was produced for universal use, but I've always thought it would have been made especially for the Contax...

There is an old Zeiss advertisement, showing how a rich Contax-IIa outfit finds its place in an "Omnica-Zeiss" leather case. The pictures of that advertisement, are published in H.J. Kuc: "Auf den Spuren der Contax", vol. 2, page 116. Surprisingly, all accessories are Zeiss Ikon, BUT the universal finder is a TeWe one!

Btw, my TeWe fits smoothly on my Contaxes and Kievs; I have to slightly force it while mounting the finder on a RF Leica (IIIc and IIIg).

Best wishes,

E.L.
 
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