Best 35mm lens viewfinder or best bang for buck

It matches the 35mm FOV well.
Can be had for around $50 used.

I have no problem using mine on 24x36; YMMV.

Chris

I have it on E-PL1 with 15mm F8 lens. 🙂

But with film I'm spoiled with M4-2 accurate framelines and Olympus XA VF on LTM cameras. No problem to use because it is WYSIWYG.
 
Decent VIOOH finders (as per Chris's post) are pretty inexpensive. I do have one - in a box, in store at my old home. I find it looks a bit ungainly and better suited to the Barnacks, but that's just my opinion.

The Olympus idea is nice lateral thinking, but it jars to my eyes.

Looks like I need to track down either the Voigtlander or the SBLOO, which is growing on me.
 
Decent VIOOH finders (as per Chris's post) are pretty inexpensive. I do have one - in a box, in store at my old home. I find it looks a bit ungainly and better suited to the Barnacks, but that's just my opinion.

The Olympus idea is nice lateral thinking, but it jars to my eyes.

Looks like I need to track down either the Voigtlander or the SBLOO, which is growing on me.


I have a Zeiss 35mm brightline finder sold by Sony for one of their fullframe digital cameras. They're disgustingly expensive new, like $450, but somehow I lucked into one for $140 on eBay last month. It looks a lot like the Leica SBLOO except its black. If you find one cheap, its as good as the Leica. It does look maybe a little 'modern' for an old Chrome Leica, but all I cared about was function.


barnack-collection-1.jpg


You can see it on the Leica IIIg in the photo below.
 
I found an SBLOO at KEH for $200 in bargain condition last month and it’s great. The internal elements tend to rattle a bit so I guess the condition rating. Should I worry about it and is it repairable if necessary?
 
I have a Zeiss 35mm brightline finder sold by Sony for one of their fullframe digital cameras. They're disgustingly expensive new, like $450, but somehow I lucked into one for $140 on eBay last month. It looks a lot like the Leica SBLOO except its black. If you find one cheap, its as good as the Leica. It does look maybe a little 'modern' for an old Chrome Leica, but all I cared about was function.

You can see it on the Leica IIIg in the photo below.

That's perfectly livable Chris - it's handsome and I'm sure if I didn't want to look at the blue badge (not something I care about) a small patch of black tape would do the job admirably.

Gorgeous collection of cameras and lenses there!
 
For very high quality and useability at modest cost try to find a Diax. Comparable specification to the Leica/Voigtlander types, and of the right size and look for a ltm camera.

Regards,
D.
 
The Leica black 35mm finder sits nicely on my black Leica II. Its lower profile than the Zeiss finder but it is also off-set so it is easier to see the shutter dial. It 'locks' which is an advantage given the cold shoe of the Leica II has no means to grip. Both are superb finders. The Zeiss has slightly larger magnification and gives slightly more of an impression of looking down a tunnel.
 

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