Leica LTM 35mm External VF: What's your recommendation?

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Erik van Straten said:
The SBLOO too - in black paint - but I admit it is among the rarest Leica items. I have one ...

Erik.

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Erik, you always have the nicest stuff !

That black paint SBLOO looks gorgeous!
 
Vincent.G said:
But do you need to press your eye close to the Canon VF to see all the 35mm frame lines? I wear glasses so I need the VF to have good eye relief.
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Yes, you really do need to get right up on it (and, FYI, there are no framelines). As noted above, it's really not suitable for glasses-wearers.

But the lens is rather good.
 
The fsu 35mm accessory VF has a plastic foot which is a weak point

Mine broke while in use.
 
I've been happy with the CV 35mm finder. I tried a Leitz 35mm finder, and it was fatiguing to look through, like a pair of eyeglasses that are a little too strong. When I sent it back to the seller, he took another look through it and agreed with me. He said he never realized it until I pointed it out. There must have been something wrong with it; they can't all be like that!
 
oltimer said:
As a Leica owner, I have the 50 (SBOOI), and the 35 (SBLOO), and with original boxes. The Voightlander 35 that Stephen Grandy sells is totally weather sealed; and in my opinion a far superior product. Today I only use my Voightlander 35 viewfinder.
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I agree. Vincent. I also have the SBLOO only because i got it for a bargain .
I prefer the VC metal finders.

Ophir.
 
The 35mm version of the Voigtlander Kontur viewfinders is pretty rare and it's quite difficult to find one for sale, but it's the best external viewfinder I've ever used. Not everyone's cup of tea though and takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you've never used any of the Kontur finders before. The 50mm fov Kontur finders also say 35mm on the front, but that's related to the film format, not the fov.
 
My favorite is the Voigtlander 28/35mm brightline finder.
It does not block the shutter speed dial and I can use it for 35 or 28mm. Using the 1937 IIIa's viewfinder I can also shoot with a 50mm. Downside is it is expensive but worth it to me.

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Thank you very much for sharing your experience guys. I will most likely go for a CV 35mm metal VF. I will update here with my user experience in time to come.
 
maxmadco said:
My favorite is the Voigtlander 28/35mm brightline finder.
It does not block the shutter speed dial and I can use it for 35 or 28mm. Using the 1937 IIIa's viewfinder I can also shoot with a 50mm. Downside is it is expensive but worth it to me.

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Wish I'd seen one of these before getting separate finders. Just leave it on the M3 full-time and be covered from 28 to 135. Might have to do some wheeling and dealing. Is this comfortable to look through a lot?

Thanks,
s-a
 
semi-ambivalent said:
Wish I'd seen one of these before getting separate finders. Just leave it on the M3 full-time and be covered from 28 to 135. Might have to do some wheeling and dealing. Is this comfortable to look through a lot?

Thanks,
s-a
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Yes comfortable to look through and has a rubber tip so will not scratch your glasses.
 
I have the later black Canon 35 finder which is setup only for the Canon L1/VT/VL series with the auto-parallax and that has bright lines. Quite bright, I'm happy with it when using those cameras but obviously not so wonderful when trying to use it any where else due to the lack of parallax compensation. But, if you aren't trying to frame that precisely, maybe it would be an option for you.
 
Voigtlander 35mm metal vs Leitz SBLOO finder

Voigtlander 35mm metal vs Leitz SBLOO finder

I realize this is an older thread, but I want to add a bit info from some recent first hand impressions

I have been using a vintage SBLOO for some time but wanted to replace it with the Voigtlander 35mm metal finder for use on my IIIf. Now I have both finders here on my desk for a direct comparison, one important thing strikes me and as far as I can see, it has not been mentioned clearly in any of the comments here in this thread:

The SBLOO gives a MUCH bigger image.

The Voigt metal finder apparently has a lower magnification. I was looking for the exact ratio numbers but couldn't find any for the metal version. The SBLOO is said to be 0.7. I guess the lower magnification is a consequence of the compact dimensions. Maybe the plastic version of the Voigt finder comes closer to the image size of the SBLOO (it has a 0.68 magnification according to the bartender), but the image of the metal version is distinctly smaller. It's a bit like comparing the 50mm field on a M3 and a M2 in relative terms. I also read that the newer plastic version of the Leitz 35mm finder has a lower magnification than SBLOO, but have not seen it personally

Other impressions so far:

  • Eye relief for the Voigtlander is better
  • Frame lines in the Voigt finder are more solid and distinct, but also a bit more "obstrusive". Which you prefer is probably a matter of taste.
  • I do NOT see any difference in the brightness of the finders. If you have a SBLOO and think it is dim, you should have it cleaned. IDK about the more recent plastic Leica finders.
  • Both finders appear to have a similar amount of barrel distortion, no winner here IMO.
  • The rigidness and finish of both finders appears to be equally well.
 
joeswe said:
I realize this is an older thread, but I want to add a bit info from some recent first hand impressions

I have been using a vintage SBLOO for some time but wanted to replace it with the Voigtlander 35mm metal finder for use on my IIIf. Now I have both finders here on my desk for a direct comparison, one important thing strikes me and as far as I can see, it has not been mentioned clearly in any of the comments here in this thread:

The SBLOO gives a MUCH bigger image.

The Voigt metal finder apparently has a lower magnification. I was looking for the exact ratio numbers but couldn't find any for the metal version. The SBLOO is said to be 0.7. I guess the lower magnification is a consequence of the compact dimensions. Maybe the plastic version of the Voigt finder comes closer to the image size of the SBLOO (it has a 0.68 magnification according to the bartender), but the image of the metal version is distinctly smaller. It's a bit like comparing the 50mm field on a M3 and a M2 in relative terms. I also read that the newer plastic version of the Leitz 35mm finder has a lower magnification than SBLOO, but have not seen it personally

Other impressions so far:
  • Eye relief for the Voigtlander is better
  • Frame lines in the Voigt finder are more solid and distinct, but also a bit more "obstrusive". Which you prefer is probably a matter of taste.
  • I do NOT see any difference in the brightness of the finders. If you have a SBLOO and think it is dim, you should have it cleaned. IDK about the more recent plastic Leica finders.
  • Both finders appear to have a similar amount of barrel distortion, no winner here IMO.
  • The rigidness and finish of both finders appears to be equally well.
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I'm very much in the market for the Voigtlander! Haven't seen one on eBay in a while. ;)
 
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