Foldable finder for 35mm FOV?

[hoot]

Does anyone know whether a foldable (collapsible) accessory finder has ever been built for a 35mm lens FOV?

 

[back alley]

those crazy very expensive speed/sport finders might have had a 35mm fov.

joe

 

[Nikon Bob]

I don't know if one was built specifically for a 35mm RF. You could rob one off a junk med. format folder with eqivilent to 35mm FOV and home brew a hot shoe mount.

Bob

 

[wlewisiii]

It actually wouldn't be very hard to make one, as long as you'd be willing to do a sports finder type. Start with a 35mm slide - the empty plastic bit - put a little hinge on the bottom. Attach it to a popsicle stick sized piece of plastic. The hardest bit is to figure out where it would need to be on the shoe to measure 35mm from your eye. Once you do, cut off the plastic strip at that mark and attach to shoe. I like to snag the shoe from dead flash units when I build finders.

This is based on a bit I got out of one of Ansel Adams books about learning what the lens sees - hold the empty slide in front of your face at the fl distance and you'll see the appropriate field of view. The sports finder works on the same principle.

William

 

[richiedcruz]

I have a few flip up sports finders. A Japanese copy of a Leica Rasuk that has 35mm framelines, and the more common Leica Rosol that does not.

Richie

 

[payasam]

I was trying to recall the name of the Leitz finder when I saw that Richiedcruz had given it to you. You could make an imitation, or else you could follow Wlewisiii's procedure. Such finders are a little difficult to use, since the eye must be precisely centred. The Leitz one I saw decades ago, though, was good for several focal lengths. That too should not be difficult to copy: you just change the front mask. I cannot recall if it could be adjusted for parallax. There have been folding finders made with lenses, essentially the same as "ordinary" accessory finders except that they had no bodies. Since an "ordinary" optical finder is not much larger than a folding sports finder, or even a variant with lenses, the only advantage that the folding kind offers is that it can accommodate more than one focal length: but with eye-centring and parallax problems. Wlewisiii, do you mean "shoe" or "foot", that hoof sort of anatomical extremity?

 

[einolu]

maybe someone else can dig up a link, but i once saw a website selling this cool accessory for rangefinders. it was like a sports finder but smaller. just one metal frame and 2 little balls on the front and the back that one had to line up. looked like a cool accessory, wored for multiple focal lengths...

 

[Jacob]

maybe someone else can dig up a link, but i once saw a website selling this cool accessory for rangefinders. it was like a sports finder but smaller. just one metal frame and 2 little balls on the front and the back that one had to line up. looked like a cool accessory, wored for multiple focal lengths...

...You must mean this:

http://www.ikodot.com/takealook.html

Looks neat and handy, but it can't be very precise.
I had the CV minifinder and it was very small until I lost it and it sadly became totally non-existent for me.

Jacob

 

[wlewisiii]

Payasam, "shoe" is used to mean the accessory shoe on the camera while "foot" is used to mean the part that slides into it - such as is on the bottom of a flash or a finder.

Hope this clears up what I was trying to say.

William

 

[einolu]

yes, thats it! looks like a great little toy. the minifinder seems cool too.

 

[wlewisiii]

Looking at thier page, I'd bet that it's designed for 35mm and is probably reasonable for that if you have the dots lined up and your nose just touching the camera back. Learning how far to lean forward or back wouldn't be worth the trouble, I'd think. And $99 for a foot and some wire and two beads? With the CV mini at $170, I suppose it's an option, but I have a feeling you'll get what you pay for in this case.

edit: read the second page. Yep it's primarily a 35mm with some tips on other FLs.

William

 

[payasam]

Thanks, William (at last I saw that you have a spellable and pronouncable name). It was the bit about snagging shoes from dead flash units that threw me off. I am much cheered to see that when you speak of the Ikodot -- which, incidentally, I too consider a waste of time and money, something which will soon disappear unsung -- shoe becomes foot. It's always good to have cart and horse in the proper order.
[edit] Sorry, "pronounceable".

 

[hoot]

Thanks, everyone.

I have an Ikodot, but I simply can't get the hang of it. Made some tests and the framing never gives you even an estimate of what ends up on film. If anyone is brave enough to give it a try, it's for sale.

 

[taffer]

Ronnie, for all what you've told me, the minifinder may be exactly what you're after, try to catch a used one to save some bucks. It's difficult though, I tried for several months and nada :bang:

If you can first visit a store that has it and try it, way better.

 

[payasam]

You'll never catch me, Hoot, I'm running too fast. You'd best look for Pinocchio, since a nose of variable length is what's needed with the Ikodot.