Anyone got a lead? Or advise?

T

TJV

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Hey all,
I'm looking for a 35mm brightline viewfinder for use with my M3. Following Ebay I see that they are going for between $250 and $400US. I've had a look at a friends genuine Leitz one that he bought from Leicashop.com that was rated as a B and it looked pretty good to me, really bright and extremely clear. I was wondering if anyone has a lead of one that might be going for a good price and what peoples opinion is of the Voigtlander 35mm finder, avaliable from Cameraquest and B&H etc. Maybe the Voigltlander is the best option? I'm just a little concerned that it will distort more than the Leica version. Another concern is that it's round, not oblong shaped like the Leica finders front element, does this make the frames harder to see or the edges dimmer?

Regards,
Tim
 
Everything I have read is that the metal CV Finders are the best ever made. I have the 28 and 50 finders and they are everything I thought they would be.
 
I believe that Voigtlander products are top quality at an accessible price.

So what if a viewfinder distorts just a little? No problem. If a lens distorts it will affect your photos. But if a viewfinder distorts it will have no effect on your photos.
 
Jon Claremont said:
I believe that Voigtlander products are top quality at an accessible price.

So what if a viewfinder distorts just a little? No problem. If a lens distorts it will affect your photos. But if a viewfinder distorts it will have no effect on your photos.
Click to expand...

True, but I'd like to have a good sharp VF image to base my judgements on. Most people have told me they like the CV finders and would buy them again, I'm just curious if there are any practical difference between the two, being Leitz and CV.
Why, except for snob value, would someone go the Leitz version over the CV?
 
Not snob value, collector value. Same thing as Nikon do-dads to Nikonians, and some of those Canon hoods are pretty pricey too. Contax is the same. These were all "system camera" which means the companies offered all types of bodies, lenses and accessories. Collectors drive the price of accessories up as they want to have a complete set of whatever they are collecting.

Save the $150 plus if you are not collecting the trinket and get the CV finder. Like Jon said, the lens and body are going effect the image, not the finder.
 
Thanks,
2 more questions:
Where did you get your finders from? I'm also thinking about getting the 50mm finder for use with the Nocti is situations where the lens blocks important parts of the camera VF. Is this a situation similar to what inspires you to use a 50mm VF?
 
I have a Bessa T which made the 50 finder necessary for me. And I think I got it from Photo Village because Stephen did not have a black T when I was shopping. Both Cameraquest and Photo Village are great to deal with and if you are on the US side of Cloud Nine they are the official importers of CV stuff.
 
I recently compared my 50CV finder to the original Leitz 50 Brightline finder, which looks to be close to identical. Yes, the Leitz finder is a bit nicer to look through, I can see more at the edges than with the CV. Slightly brighter, with no distortion at the extreme edges.

I looked at the price of the Leitz finder ($100) and decided I can live with the CV.
 
Xmas said:
TJV

If you can use both eyes the finder blockage disappears, works real easy with M3.

Noel
Click to expand...

Hey! I never thought of that! I'm still waiting for my Noctilux to arrive, you see, and the high mag of the M3 viewfinder was the exact reason I got it. It's been a while since I've shot with one, but i did used to keep both eyes open. Good point.
Tim
 
An update

An update

Thought I'd post an update and say that today I received my voigtlander 35mm finder. I can't believe how clear and bright it is! Totally reckon it's the best finder avaliable, including the old Leitz examples.
 
I'd love to get out and use it but I've just been told by my local technician that he is unable to fix my "new" M3. I think I'll have to send it off to Luton Leica for a shutter replacement or some such thing. Oh well. I look forward to using it soon!
 
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