28mm viewfinder

[wjlapier]

The Zeiss is bright and nice to look through but it also big—you can see it in my avatar. If the plastic Leica 28 is anything like the 36mm finder for the X1 I wouldn’t say it’s the worst. Another bright finder but smaller and lower profile. One of the Ricoh finders has its foot offset if that matters to you. Finally, there is also a Fujifilm 28mm finder that looks like a Voigtlander. Plastic as well but very bright.

 

[sjgslack]

sjg, I think it's worth considering that both the 12009 and the plastic version of the Voigtlander are susceptible to breakage due to the design with the plastic base.

Yes I've played with one. I agree that if i was waving it around or using it all the time that could be a problem, but it will be mainly pretty tame walks in the countryside. I mainly use 35/50/90, but I have a 28mm that I don't want to be neglected 🙂

 

[sjgslack]

The Zeiss is bright and nice to look through but it also big—you can see it in my avatar. If the plastic Leica 28 is anything like the 36mm finder for the X1 I wouldn’t say it’s the worst. Another bright finder but smaller and lower profile. One of the Ricoh finders has its foot offset if that matters to you. Finally, there is also a Fujifilm 28mm finder that looks like a Voigtlander. Plastic as well but very bright.

The zeiss one does look bigger than i expected!

Good tip on the fuji one -- I hadn't seen that before.

Seem they are all expensive. The plastic ones don't bother me really. What's important is that I get a nice bright view.

It's going to be a toss-up between an old leica one or a new[ish] ricoh/cv/other one

 

[sjgslack]

I haven't used the Leica, Zeiss, or Voigtlander finders, but I have used both styles of Canon 28mm viewfinders, the manual parallax correction, and the auto parallax design (for use with the appropriate Canon bodies). Both rangefinders performed beautifully and cost 1/3 to 1/2 what is being charged for the other finders. I recommend that you at least check them out before you buy.

They sound promising... what model should I be looking for d you know?

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Canon 28 - Try this one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3934904822...GehWg1wUWjWmehP2FUaa|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524

I've owned a couple including the 25mm (& lens) and they are very nicely made.

 

[sjgslack]

Canon 28 - Try this one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3934904822...GehWg1wUWjWmehP2FUaa|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524

I've owned a couple including the 25mm (& lens) and they are very nicely made.

Great! thanks for the link. I'm in the UK so will wait for one this side of the pond, but that shows me what I'm looking for.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

sjg, I've had very good luck and very speedy shipping times from Japan. Last spring for example i ordered bought a Makina 670 thursday afternoon (ebay) and it arrived at my door (in small town Alberta) tuesday morning!

 

[Godfrey]

I bought a Ricoh GV-2 a decade or so ago when I bought the Ricoh GXR since the basic camera module had a 28mm equivalent FoV lens. It's small, plastic but nicely finished, and light weight. It works best on cameras where you can get your eye close to the body easily since it was designed for a relatively small, thin body and doesn't have a huge amount of eye relief. It has only the one framing brightline, and doesn't distort much. The framing proportions it displays are 3:4, not 2:3.

I've used it on Ms successfully, as well as a bunch of other cameras where I wanted a 28mm FoV finder and I wanted its compactness.

I have various others of the Voigtländer finders, have had a few of the Leica accessory viewfinders as well. The optical correction, eye relief, and a single frameline setup, are more important to me than that the finder is metal or plastic.

Of course, I like accessory viewfinders that don't break off their foot too easily as well since they do tend to catch on things and get knocked about from time to time. I've had no problems with the Ricoh in that regard... 🙂

G

 

[Highway 61]

The second poster mentioned it already, but I concur in that the Sigma VF-11 28mm finder (with proper 3:2 ratio framelines and no shoe lateral offset, contraringly to its Ricoh GV-2 cousin), is compact and excellent at the same time. And not that expensive, all things considered.
Example here.

Here, and for decades, I've been using a vintage chrome NKJ 2.8cm finder, identical (model and condition) to that one.
It works and does the job it's designed for. Fortunately, I could find it elsewhere than at Kevin's... 😀

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The second poster mentioned it already, but I concur in that the Sigma VF-11 28mm finder

When I first got to the USS John C. Stennis in 1998, we deployed with VF-11. That was back when they were flying F14-D Tomcats. 😉

Phil Forrest

 

[Oscuro]

Darlings,
I have the GV-1. Bellisimo. Also Fuji making one that I have on a "project" camera.

Ciao,
Mme. O.

 

[sjgslack]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the help -- many mentioned that I hadn't thought of.
I just found a Sigma VF-11 on eBay for £75. Seemed like a good deal so I've gone for it. If it doesn't suit I can always sell it again.
Hopefully my 28 Elmarit will be a little less neglected now 🙂
Silas

 

[Rob-F]

The Leica finder is the worst of the bunch, Zeiss is the best.
Phil Forrest

I have the Leica and the Zeiss. I don't see why the Leica finder would be the worst, except that it has curvilinear distortion, which makes it hard to line up architectural shots or others where alignment of horizontal and vertical lines is important. The Zeiss has no such distortion and is a pleasure to use. It is however bigger and bulkier (and pricier) than the others.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

We here at RFF are an interesting group. So far, 33 posts on what most sane people would consider an obscure, trivial, and hopelessly boring subject. More, please!

 

[Rob-F]

We here at RFF are an interesting group. So far, 33 posts on what most sane people would consider an obscure, trivial, and hopelessly boring subject. More, please!

No, this is a worthy subject of actual use to Leica photographers. If you enjoy obscure and boring posts, you should look at mine. I'm out there!

 

[agentlossing]

It would be great if hotshoe viewfinders weren't such unobtanium. Speaking as a Bessa-T user, I kind of need them.

 

[Rangefinder 35]

I've been using Carl Zeiss 21/28 VF. It is pricey, but so much better than the plasticky one Leica has to offer. It's a lifetime investment...

 

[johannielscom]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194212684338

for future reference. Those are about 20 bucks a piece.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

It would be great if hotshoe viewfinders weren't such unobtanium. Speaking as a Bessa-T user, I kind of need them.

"Unobtanium"
While your local camera store (? if you have one) isn't likely to stock them, on any given day there's a stack of them available from online sellers. From $20 wonders to vintage Leitz finders....any one of them delivered to your door. I never saw that much variety in the printed days of Popular Photography or Shutterbug. Japan seems to be the big repository of all things Leica, and the Japanese postal service continues to be speedier than Canada Post or USPS.

 

[agentlossing]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194212684338

for future reference. Those are about 20 bucks a piece.

They are terrible, just so you know. The view is not only tiny but very distorted. While they work in the most rudimentary way possible, they are anything but pleasant.