24mm viewfinders

[carlstrom]

Hi

I am considering a 24 mm lens for street photography.
The question is what finder to get. I notice the old leica plastic finder can be had for cheap. Is it any good, does it have a reasonable amount of space around the framelines? I am a glass eye wearer...

Best
//
Johan

 

[graphlex]

It's fine. The Zeiss 25mm is spectacularly luminous, but the Leica plastic finder has more accurate framing and better ergonomics.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[victoriapio]

I have a 24mm Elmarit and use the entire optical viewfinder of the M9 for wide angle framing. Works well ....

 

[Calzone]

The modern Zeiss finder is both bright and contrasty, but realize it has dual frames for 25/28.

To me I think the best for that all at once look. Also for street 28mm FOV is useful. YMMV.

Cal

 

[Rangefinder 35]

Yes, the Contax 25/28mm viewfinder is just gorgeous. But I agree with Victorapio that for 24mm you don't need the separate viewfinder unless you do precision photography.

 

[victoriapio]

I have a 24mm Elmarit and use the entire rangefinder of the M9 as a viewfinder. Works well ....

I should also have mentioned that I have an older Leica 21-24-28mm viewfinder but again, do not use it very much on the M9. It has a great build quality but is heavy and can unbalance the camera a bit. Plus it is tall. That viewfinder is very sharp and without glasses you can easily see edge to edge. As with any viewfinder, you need to be dead center with your eye to the viewfinder for the most accurate framing. And once you adjust to the right focal length lens on the viewfinder barrel, the entire view is the frame line.

 

[sepiareverb]

I use the Leica 18 finder, which has lines for the 18 on the M8, equal to 24. Lots of space around!

 

[LChanyungco]

I've got the 12013 21-24-28 vf too and i think that it's the best vf for these focal lengths on a Leica M body. The vf is canted to sit perfectly centered on the lens which makes it reassuringly accurate. Also its magnifications of 0.42x at 21mm, 0.48x at 24mm and 0.56x at 28mm are very "laid back" and are very comfortable for my vision. You just look through and see everything. No looking far into the corners like you do in a higher mag. vf.

I should also have mentioned that I have an older Leica 21-24-28mm viewfinder but again, do not use it very much on the M9. It has a great build quality but is heavy and can unbalance the camera a bit. Plus it is tall. That viewfinder is very sharp and without glasses you can easily see edge to edge. As with any viewfinder, you need to be dead center with your eye to the viewfinder for the most accurate framing. And once you adjust to the right focal length lens on the viewfinder barrel, the entire view is the frame line.

 

[Ronald M]

A mail order house sent me a Leica mint current metal finder when I ordered and paid for the plastic.

Spectacular is all I can say.

Better than the plastic and all the old metal Leica ones I have.

 

[sepiareverb]

A mail order house sent me a Leica mint current metal finder when I ordered and paid for the plastic.

Spectacular is all I can say.

Better than the plastic and all the old metal Leica ones I have.

Did you buy lottery tickets that day? That's some very fine luck! Yes, the current Leica finders are quite spectacular, they equal or surpass the current Zeiss.

Perhaps overkill, but the Frankenfinder is also magnificent. 24 is at the narrow end of its view, so tons of space around, but I find it extremely accurate with the 16 Hologon and 21 lenses.

 

[Ronald M]

Did you buy lottery tickets that day? That's some very fine luck! Yes, the current Leica finders are quite spectacular, they equal or surpass the current Zeiss.

Perhaps overkill, but the Frankenfinder is also magnificent. 24 is at the narrow end of its view, so tons of space around, but I find it extremely accurate with the 16 Hologon and 21 lenses.

I never buy lottery or gamble. Just lucky. Well one time, a Nikon F2 with plain plain prism from Japan for $229. I just wanted the prism.

A month before there was big sale and I wanted a 24 f/3.8 . The one on the site was 1800 reduced to 1900. I called and they would not give me the sale discount even after I said put the price back to 1900 and then give me 30% off.

So I went on line and got 1800 less 30%. That`s right, newish mint 24 f/3.8 for $1200 and finder was $300.

Stunning lens I might add.

This was the best deal I ever got in photography.

 

[lawrence]

I've got the 12013 21-24-28 vf too and i think that it's the best vf for these focal lengths on a Leica M body. The vf is canted to sit perfectly centered on the lens which makes it reassuringly accurate. Also its magnifications of 0.42x at 21mm, 0.48x at 24mm and 0.56x at 28mm are very "laid back" and are very comfortable for my vision. You just look through and see everything. No looking far into the corners like you do in a higher mag. vf.

Interesting. For me the two ZI finders that I have (21mm and 25/28mm) have too much magnification (I wear glasses). Having said that, they are very bright, quite compact and beautifully made. They also look rather nice.

 

[presspass]

Don't forget the Voightlander 25 finder. It's one mm off but for street photography that won't matter much and it's a great value.

 

[LChanyungco]

Give the 12013/4 a try Lawrence 🙂

Interesting. For me the two ZI finders that I have (21mm and 25/28mm) have too much magnification (I wear glasses). Having said that, they are very bright, quite compact and beautifully made. They also look rather nice.

 

[enasniearth]

Leica 24

Leica 24

In the 1970's I used the metal body leitz bright lines ,
They were the best brightest finders you could buy .
Now many have haze , no one is repairing them as parts are not availible
About 8 years ago I purchased a plastic body 28 leitz bright line ,
The view is superb .
At first it seemed cheap and I was not so impressed with the plastic ,
It's still bright and clear .
And people still seem to knock its larger size .
I keep buying metal bodied leitz bright line finders - but they all have haze or seperation issues
Just my 2 cents