Brightline

[Bill Pierce]

I always found the brightline viewfinder of the Leica to its most valuable feature, seeing everything “in focus,” and, especially, seeing outside the frame. Decades ago I put Leica brightline finders in the accessory shoes of my film SLR’s, giving me the option of two viewing systems. Are those brightline finders and the accessory finders from Cosina/Voigtlander equally valuable in the accessory shoes of today’s small digitals that have no eye level finder and/or brightline feature? Since I already had the finders, the answer for me is yes. They get used all the time on an M mount Ricoh and a Fuji XE-1. As a matter of fact, there are days when I think the XE and the accessory finders out perform the more expensive X Pro. I’m still working on that one. Any thoughts?

 

[jsrockit]

As a matter of fact, there are days when I think the XE and the accessory finders out perform the more expensive X Pro.

Can you comment on when and why?

 

[robert blu]

Being in the process to buy an xe-1 I'm very interested in this. Planning the 35/1,4 therefore a 50mm VF should be ideal. Maybe later I'll add the new 23 (35 eq) and I'll could use the Leica VF I have for my x1 (leica). it seems a good idea.
robert

 

[Bill Pierce]

Can you comment on when and why?

When I used fixed focal length lenses on the XE-1, I use the 28/50/90 equivalents, That was my basic lens kit for the film Leicas, so I have some very ancient and very good brightline finders to match those fields of view. They also turn out to be “brighter” than the brightline finder in the XPro, something important when shooting in available darkness. While they don’t correct for parallax, they sit directly over the lens and the parallax guides in the finders are effective. With that caveat, they also turn out to be a hair more accurate than the XPro finder, cropping a hair less from the sensor frame. This is really a minor league difference. The important difference is the brightness.

 

[jsrockit]

When I used fixed focal length lenses on the XE-1, I use the 28/50/90 equivalents, That was my basic lens kit for the film Leicas, so I have some very ancient and very good brightline finders to match those fields of view. They also turn out to be “brighter” than the brightline finder in the XPro, something important when shooting in available darkness. While they don’t correct for parallax, they sit directly over the lens and the parallax guides in the finders are effective. With that caveat, they also turn out to be a hair more accurate than the XPro finder, cropping a hair less from the sensor frame. This is really a minor league difference. The important difference is the brightness.

Thanks for the explanation Bill, I appreciate it. 🙂

 

[DominikDUK]

I think the advantage a brightline viewfinder offers over a ttl or liveview finder is still relevant, it's still the only viewfinder that allows the photographer to see what happens outside the frame and helps to anticipate where and in what fashion a moving subject enters the frame. So for some subject it's still the king nothing has changed

 

[sojournerphoto]

I use bright line finders when I carry my m4/3 cameras. 28, 40, 90 equivalents. I still prefer my rf's, but sometimes the smaller body wins the space on the bike rack.

 

[bwidjaja]

Hi Bill, thanks for starting this topic as I am also interested in using finder with my X-E1. However, what I cannot get over, at least for now, is the workflow of focusing and composing using 2 different finders.

Any advice on methods of doing this effectively?

 

[Rodchenko]

I'm reminded I used to have a finder on my Kiev, and I'm not sure how I handled the focussing/composing bit either, as I like to have it in one view. I'm tempted by an optical finder for my Pen (I can't afford an EVF for a while), as the camera's doing the focussing a lot of the time anyway.

 

[Richard G]

The SHOOC is invaluable for what's inside the frame lines, even when the Leica has 135 frame lines. Much nicer view. I even acquired a SVGOO for the 90, for auditorium shots when I already have the focus and I want to see the face better. The very wides are useful of course, but even the 50, on my M9 is useful, as I hate the M9 deficient 50 frame lines and the confusion with the 75 frame lines I don't need.

 

[Godfrey]

I have a mix of Ricoh, Leica and Voigtländer brightline finders to accommodate EFoVs for 21/25, 28, 35, 50 and 75 mm focal lengths. I use them on the Leica X2 (35mm) and the Ricoh GXR-M (all of them). They provide bright, crisp, clear viewing and framing indication. The only one which is less than 100% satisfactory is the 75mm ... the focal length there is getting long enough (that's a 50mm lens on the GXR-M) that framing precision becomes a bit much for an OVF without automated parallax compensation.

Whether these OVFs outperform the Fuji X-pro1 optical VF I cannot say. They're great on my cameras for when I'm using zone and scale focus. When I need precision focusing and framing, the EVF is the right viewfinder tool in both cases.

G

 

[Bill Pierce]

Hi Bill, thanks for starting this topic as I am also interested in using finder with my X-E1. However, what I cannot get over, at least for now, is the workflow of focusing and composing using 2 different finders.

Any advice on methods of doing this effectively?

When I bought my first Leica, it was an M3. That's all there was in a Leica bayonet mount. And its widest frame lines were for a 50mm lens. You had to use an accessory finder for anything wider. So, for a long time I have been used to focus, then shift to accessory finder. I don't even think about it. Maybe the answer is practice - focus/shift/view/wait for "decisive moment"/push button. The real problem is that when your eye moves to the accessory finder, your nose often ends up in the eyepiece of the camera finder. This leads to a grease smeared eyepiece that really takes the edge off of finder quality.

 

[zuiko85]

I like brightline finders too, even as an accessory for SLR's. The problem is that prices are too high. This is probably due to limited production. Some finders are too close to the price of lenses that they frame for. You buy a lens for $500 and they want $200 for a finder. I think that is just crazy for a 3 to 5 element finder that does not even have to focus and is no doubt all pressed elements out of a mold.

 

[rjschell]

I recently returned to a Leica IIIf and find the 35 (.7x), 50 (1:1), & 90 (1:1) bright line finders sheer delight. I have even taken to using them on my NEX6 (especially in bright sunlight).

 

[Michael Markey]

I use a CV 28 finder with my GR V.