Adding frames to a viewfinder

[giellaleafapmu]

Suppose you are using a viewfinder for a 28mm lens and one for a 50mm lens but you want to bring with you only the 28mm one and you want to add the lines corresponding to the 50mm lens. Suppose also that you have no problems disassembling and reassembling the thing and have a way to know where to draw the lines (also suppose you don't really care if the thing is 100% precise, just you need something for your mirrorless camera which has no viewfinder at all for when the sun is bright). What is a good way to draw lines to the little glass in a way which looks professional and don't break everything?

GLF

 

[Landshark]

Why not make a small frame & mask to slip on?

 

[giellaleafapmu]

Why not make a small frame & mask to slip on?

Mmmh, yep, that's also a possibility, I wanted to have something permanently on which could be used with a zoom by looking at different frames as one does in a normal rangefinder without messing too much with masks or stuff. I mentioned 28mm and 50mm because past that length (or equivalent) I feel that it is sometimes difficult to know whether mounting this on a hot-shoe really aligns it properly.

GLF

 

[Gadfly21]

Bump


I would also like to do this, and perhaps add a central point to help with aiming for auto-focus.


I imagine you would have to carefully remove a tiny bit of the silvering on the element in the viewfinder that has these lines, but it would be easy to mess up.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

You can draw on new framelines using some kind of translucent ink or paint. I've done this with a Zeiss 25mm finder to modify it permanently for use on an XPan. Get a high quality precision marker, like a Sakura Micron .002, in the light color you like. Mask the inside surface of the eyepiece glass. Measure 20 times before you button it back up because you don't want to do it again. Every time you open this up you will have the opportunity to introduce more dust than actual new framelines.
I have to add that this will not create bright framelines because bright line finders have half silvered framelines.
Phil Forrest