35 mm finder

[Erik van Straten]

The chrome NKT 35mm finder with no brightlines is an excellent finder with a manual parallax correction cam and it fully covers the 24x36 format. If you wear glasses you can see the whole frame for composing with no problem. Basically, what you see in that finder is what you see in the Nikon Varifocal finder once set to 35mm. It's very similar to the Canon chrome finder looking almost the same externally.

Note : the Nikon S has 24x34mm frame (the 24x32mm frame belongs to the Nikon One and the Nikon M).

There are lots of excellent 35mm finders out there, from the prewar Zeiss 432/5 finder (still remarkable even by modern standards) to the recent CV brightlines finder, of all specs., sizes and budgets. This is not a difficult hunting.

Thank you, Nicolas, for correcting me.

Neither the Varifocal nor the chrome Nikon 35mm finder are satisfactory in use. Even the Nikon 35mm brightline finders aren't perfect, because the brightlines are straight but the finder distorts (barrel). The best finder in my opinion is the Leitz SBLOO, altough it is rather large. Unfortunately I do not know the Voigtländer 35mm brightline finders.

The brightlines of the SBLOO anticipate on the barrel distortion of the finder, they are curved, so they are easy to use.

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

I have some rubber rings that are great for jobs like this.

The Summaron 35mm f/3.5 is a great lens, but the early screw mount version is not very ergonomic to put it mildly. The f/2.8 is easier to use.

Erik.

The Summaron normally lives on my M or even on my Nex where it does a very good job. Apologies, Erik won't know what a Nex is...🙂

 

[Highway 61]

Unfortunately I do not know the Voigtländer 35mm brightline finders.

At some point I had too many 35mm finders. I used to own a Leitz SBLOO, a Leitz VIOOH, a Canon chrome 35mm finder, a CV 35mm brightlines finder, a KMZ 35mm finder, the CV 28-35 brightlines minifinder, and a prewar Zeiss 28-135 variframes finder. The CV 35mm brightlines finder is the best of all - no question.

I kept a venerable Zeiss 432/5 and a Nikon chrome 35mm finder, plus a Nikon Varifocal 35-135 finder and a Zeiss Stuttgart postwar 21-135 variframes finder. All of which is again too many finders in my drawers... 😱

I figured out, that what I liked the most are the 1:1 35mm frames of my Nikon S3 finder. Besides the two separate finders to focus and then compose thing (because of which I never became a LTM nut), there isn't such a nasty thing as to try to put your camera back in your bag where it won't fit because of that damned external finder, or to suddenly wonder where that finder is and then to hear it hit the pavement... 😱

 

[Erik van Straten]

I figured out, that what I liked the most are the 1:1 35mm frames of my Nikon S3 finder.

The S3 finder asks for a lot of habituation. To use a 35mm lens, I prefer a Leica M2, but the M5 is then nice too.

On my screw-mount Leicas I always use a separate finder: the SBOOI for 50mm and the SBLOO for 35mm lenses.

On the Nikon S2 no extra finder is needed for 50mm lenses. For 35mm lenses on the S2 I use a Nikon brightline finder.

Erik.

 

[johannielscom]

I think I want a Summaron 35/2.8 on my Leica II...

:bang:

 

[cary]

For an inexpensive 35mm finder take a look at the Olympus VF-1.

 

[jlphoto]

I carry my Leica II in my hip pocket. I think I could do this with a WEISU 35mm finder, but how is it to use, really?
Thanks.
JimL

 

[cassel]

For an inexpensive 35mm finder take a look at the Olympus VF-1.

+1
Thumbs up -- I have this one- it is bright, light and cheap. Sometimes the brightline disappears...

 

[presspass]

Does the VF-1 format translate to 35 mm in, you guessed it, 35mm?