I need 35mm finder for my M3

begona

begona

Goran Begoña
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I want to buy 35 finder for L3ICA M3. I looked on ebay and some other sites(keh, leicashop...) but it is to much expensive(400$ for finder is madness). Is there any alternative 35mm finder perfectly working on M3?

Thanks
Goran
 
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I've got a Altissa (Altix?) finder - with vertical parallax-correction and all metal body - works fine and wasn't expensive on the bay.
 
35mm is easy. Any brand will work, provided it has the same angle of view as a 35mm lens on a 24x36mm frame.

For small and cheap, I like those tele-wide finders originally made for fixed-lens RF cameras. Yashica and Petri are common. This gives you two framelines marked "tele" and "wide," with "wide" being very close to a 35mm view.

Also cheap, even from Leica, is the VIOOH variable frame finder. It's bulky and doesn't look right on an M3, though.

There's a 35mm finder from the former Soviet Union that's also very common.

Cosina made a 28/35 mini finder that's perfect for the M3 but it's getting really pricey.

Finally, don't buy the Kodak Retina 35/80 finder. It's a fantastic little gem but it blocks the shutter speed dial on Leicas.
EDIT: See ebay item no. 190596478182 for what that looks like...
 
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For no money I like the old Canon VF'ers. They are bright as a Leica VF'er, but they have no framelines. Also they are round chrome cylanders that have a retro look that would look very cool on a M3.

Cal
 
I believe Raid is saying to use the entire viewfinder, outside of the 50mm frame lines to approximate the 35mm field of view on an M3.
 
The entire view in an M3 approximates the 35mm FOV but it gives me a headache to do that. It requires your eyeball to move far left and right to see the edges.
 
I needed a 28mm finder, so I was deciding between the small 28/35 one and the 28 metal one, both by Voigtländer... Just when I was about to buy, a cheap 28/35 one popped-up here on classifieds (normally more expensive than the 28 one...) but finally having both options at the same price, I preferred the 28 one, to enjoy a classic single set of framelines with out of frame vision...

Well, when I received it from cameraquest.com and placed it on my Leica, I just couldn't believe it... The view is BETTER than reality! It's totally amazing! Voigtländer finders are as good or better than Leica and Zeiss ones...

I got the silver one, and its finish is so beautiful... Looks like an original part of a silver Leica... Small size too! The Voigtländer 35mm one (same external looks and glass quality as the 28mm one) would be the best one you can get thinking of quality/price... It's $209 with free shipping inside the US... I never imagined that viewfinder was going to be such a pleasure! Thanks CV!!!

Cheers,

Juan
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
Well, when I received it from cameraquest.com and placed it on my Leica, I just couldn't believe it... The view is BETTER than reality! It's totally amazing! Voigtländer finders are as good or better than Leica and Zeiss ones...
Click to expand...

That might be overstating things a bit... :D
 
jsrockit said:
That might be overstating things a bit... :D
Click to expand...


Could it be? :D Who knows? I'm no expert, but years ago I saw through a Leica external finder and I didn't have the feel of clarity I have with my new Voigtländer 28mm finder... I would imagine the differences between those three brands (Voigtländer/Leica/Zeiss) must be small...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Calzone said:
Juan,

I disagree. The Zeiss 25/28 VF that I own is brighter than any Leica VF by far, but this is not an inexpensive finder.

Cal
Click to expand...

Hi Cal,

That's a great finder for sure, as lots of people state it... But perhaps for practical purposes or for the OP's interest (best not too expensive 35mm finder) the Voigtländer recommendation can be useful... I would happily use a finder with lower vision quality than my 28mm Voigtländer: it's REALLY impressive.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Juan, I think we can both agree that the CV is the best based on a performance vs. price ratio. The Zeiss finders are the top of the heap of the new finders though...
 
Proper framing is the most important thing on a Leica, including being able to estimate parallax. Do yourself a favor and buy the straight CV 35mm finder. It's great. Or, alternatively, a Leica lens with eyes (Summaron, Summicron or Summilux). Not cheap though.

Roland.
 
Or, be prepared to crop and use a Helios Mk II viewfinder.

Offers 35, 85 and 135mm brightlines, is black paint and coated. And cheap!

They are here. I bought from this seller, the viewfinders are new-old-stock. Come in plastic and with fake leather case.
 
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