Finder for GR

[nightfly]

Have had my GRD III for awhile and am thinking about getting a finder for it. Ideally would want the Voigtlander 28/25 Mini Finder but they seem impossible to find now and expensive if found.

Wondering if anyone has used the Ricoh GV2 or the Sigma Sigma VF-11 and how they compare. Sigma is moderately cheaper but looks like it might be more plastic and cheap feeling.

Looking for small as possible and 3:2 as that's how I use the camera. Also might upgrade to the GR someday.

Also interested if you think it's a waste of money and just makes the camera less compact. I do think bringing the camera to my eye rather than using the screen would suit me better and let me work more like I do with the Ricoh GR1 or my M4-P.

 

[sebastel]

Ricoh GV2

want one? ...

 

[coelacanth]

I'm usually a fan of digital cameras with eye-level viewfinder, but with GR I'm quite fine with the LCD. This camera is a quick shooter, and I use my film cameras from hip or shoulder level without using the VF when I'm shooting stuff on the street so it's a natural thing for me at least. When I do wanna compose for desktop shot or something, the LCD is a better choice anyway. The LCD is very usable in daylight as well.

I do have CV mini viewfinder and I think it's great little VF for the GR. It has 28/35 framelines so it's perfect for the new GR with 35mm crop mode. Not sure if this is a plus (to "soft-crop" as you shoot) or negative factor with GR III. I just like the GR's small size and profile so I usually don't use the VF, but this CV 28/35mm VF is the one I'd use when I want an OVF on GR.

 

[nightfly]

Yes. Unless I can find a CV 28/35 mini finder cheap.

want one? ...

 

[nightfly]

Is the Ricoh GV-2 finder 4:3 or 3:2?

I've seen conflicting information on the 'net.

 

[kuvvy]

Heres a shot of mine, a CV 28 on the GRDIV. Gonna try it on the GR.

Paul

 

[sevres_babylone]

I’ve had the GV-2 since my GRD2, when I bought it as part of a kit from Popflash along with a leather belt pouch that I am now using with my GR.

It is very small, and I don’t think it makes the camera significantly less compact. I use a wrist strap with my Ricohs, and I felt the GV-2 kind of acted as a thumb-rest when I was carrying it.

I had thought it was a 4:3 ratio, until I read recent messages on the web. I believe it is 3:2. I took a quick look through it at lunch, and compared it with the screen, and it is definitely not 4:3.

I like mine. I seem to be having some coating problem on the front. (Perhaps from my fingers/thumb/hand touching it frequently). But it doesn’t seem to have had an ill-effect.

My GRD3 was one of the early ones with coating problems on the screen. So take the rest of my message in that context. If you get the GV-2, you might want to use a screen protector. I did with my GRD2, but haven’t used one since. The problem is that when you use an external viewfinder, your nose will touch the screen. When I used it in Haiti, the combination of sweat, sunscreen and dust was a disaster. The inherent problems with the screen coating didn’t help. Maybe I should have been more careful in cleaning it. As a result, my screen coating on the GRD3 is coming off, and the screen is worse in daylight.

I haven’t used it on my GR yet. I find the GR is better in daylight, though in bright contrasty daylight, the external optical viewfinder is much much better (and a godsend in Haiti.) However, my shooting style is different from yours. I like the freedom of framing with the screen, and often hold it lower than eye level (and sometimes higher).

I would recommend it, particularly for the way you prefer to use the camera, but I am not familiar with the suggested alternatives to make a comparison.

 

[nightfly]

Great info. I have a screen protector on the camera all ready so good to go.

Thanks.

 

[GaryLH]

I stopped using the sigma ovf from my dp1m because it made it harder to quickly take the camera out of my pocket, even though it is much more compact then any of my cv ones.

The LCD is as good as the Sony one. Very usable in bright sunlight for the most part.

Gary

 

[paradoxbox]

i really like the finder on the grd-2. i have both versions, the small finder and the big finder for the 21mm lens.

i really love both of them. the small finder is fantastic for quick shots and lets you turn off the lcd so you can get good night shots without your face being lit up by the screen.