M8+VC12..Viewfinder choices & Opinions

[D&A]

Hi All,

Specifically on an M8, I've heard conflicting views as to which external viewfinder is best to use when using the VC 12mm lens on an M8. Conventional wisdom would say the VC 15mm viewfinder since the approx. effective field of view of the VC12mm on an M8 results in approx. 16mm.

Alternatively, some have said a better choice especially one who wears eyeglasses is the supplied 12mm viewfinder that comes with the VC12mm since it's hard enough to see edge to edge in the 12mm viewfinder when wearing glasses and this results in an approx. 16mm field of view.

For those that use the M8+ VC12mm combination, how has either the VC12mm or VC 15mm finders been at various subject distances and maybe indicate if you wear eyeglasses or not. Thanks!

Dave

 

[jlancasterd]

Hi All,

Specifically on an M8, I've heard conflicting views as to which external viewfinder is best to use when using the VC 12mm lens on an M8. Conventional wisdom would say the VC 15mm viewfinder since the approx. effective field of view of the VC12mm on an M8 results in approx. 16mm.

Alternatively, some have said a better choice especially one who wears eyeglasses is the supplied 12mm viewfinder that comes with the VC12mm since it's hard enough to see edge to edge in the 12mm viewfinder when wearing glasses and this results in an approx. 16mm field of view.

For those that use the M8+ VC12mm combination, how has either the VC12mm or VC 15mm finders been at various subject distances and maybe indicate if you wear eyeglasses or not. Thanks!

Dave

Having both the 12/5.6 and the 15/4.5, I keep a CV 21mm viewfinder permanently on my M8. This has brightlines which equate to the 21mm coverage of the 15/4.5 on the M8. However, this is the same finder as is sold without brightlines for the 15mm lens when used on a full frame 35mm, and it therefore covers the FOV for the 12/5.6 pretty adequately on an M8 if you ignore the brightlines. It saves me a lot of fiddling around changing viewfinders. 😎

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I do not have a CV 12mm, but I do have a CV 15mm, 18mm ZM, and a 21mm Leica. On the M8, I use 21mm, 24mm, and 28mm finders (all black Leica finders), respectively, with no problems at all. IMO, with 33% extra coverage, framing would be erroneous, if not impossible, with their "base" finders.

BTW, I do wear glasses.

 

[D&A]

Hi All,

Thanks John & Bill for your replies.

1. John, I understand exactly what you are saying...that the 15mm finder supplied with the VC 15mm lens does an adaquate job with the VC 12mm lens on an M8. based on the M8 crop factor. One of course would expect that...but....some who wear eyeglasses say that the VC12mm finder used with the M8+VC12mm lens combo works better since eyeglass wearers can't see the entire viewfinder frame in either the 15mm or 12mm VC finders and as such, the 12mm finder (for eyeglass wearers shows more accurate framing when using the M8+VC 12mm lens combo . Do you wear glasses? IF not, that may explain why the 15mm finder (or the entire area outside the brightlines in your 21mm finder) work just fine with the M8+VC12mm lens.

Dave

 

[HenningW]

I use the 12, 15 and 21mm VC lenses on an M8, and have all those finders as well as some others including the 15mm and 16mm Hologon finders.

Firstly, the 15 and 21mm VC finders do not show the same fields of view, never mind the brightlines. The 21mm finder has a higher magnification and shows a smaller field of view. The Hologon 15mm finder, made for the 1974 Leica Hologon, shows a bigger field of view than the 15mm CV. The 16mm Hologon finder shows the field of view for a 19mm lens, severely cutting off the field of view of an actual 16mm lens. The Leica 21mm finders show slightly more than the 21mm CV finder. The Leica one is quite accurate.

To come to the point, the 15mm CV finder is actually quite accurate for the 12 on the M8. The only thing available right now that is more accurate is the WATE finder at 16mm, and that one has the advantages of having brightlines defining the field of view and a bubble level. Yes, it's ugly and big, but it works.

So... if I am carrying the WATE and the 12, I use the frankenfinder; if I don't want to use it I carry the 15, 21 and 28 finders. The 21 CV finder is close enough to the wide position on the WATE to work, and the Leica 28 finder is quite accurate for the long (21mm) position on the WATE. BTW, the compact 28/35 CV finder is quite inaccurate at the 28 position, but would probably be OK to use with the 24 or 25mm lenses on the M8.

Henning

 

[Bill Pierce]

I use the 12, 15 and 21mm VC lenses on an M8, and have all those finders as well as some others including the 15mm and 16mm Hologon finders.

Henning

Any thoughts on a good finder for an M8 with the 15 for the glasses wearer?

Bill (who sold his Hologon, but will see if a CV 15 is partial repentance)

 

[jlancasterd]

Hi All,

Thanks John & Bill for your replies.

1. John, I understand exactly what you are saying...that the 15mm finder supplied with the VC 15mm lens does an adaquate job with the VC 12mm lens on an M8. based on the M8 crop factor. One of course would expect that...but....some who wear eyeglasses say that the VC12mm finder used with the M8+VC12mm lens combo works better since eyeglass wearers can't see the entire viewfinder frame in either the 15mm or 12mm VC finders and as such, the 12mm finder (for eyeglass wearers shows more accurate framing when using the M8+VC 12mm lens combo . Do you wear glasses? IF not, that may explain why the 15mm finder (or the entire area outside the brightlines in your 21mm finder) work just fine with the M8+VC12mm lens.

Dave

Hi Dave

I'm long sighted, so only use glasses for reading...

I can see that there might be a problem seeing right into the corners of a CV viewfinder for people with short sight who need to wear glasses for normal camera work. Maybe contact lenses would be a solution?

 

[POINT OF VIEW]

My choice to shoot 12 or 15 and 21mm.

My choice to shoot 12 or 15 and 21mm.

With or with out glasses it ‘s extremely bright, the field of view is dead on and you have the added bonus of having a bubble level built in. It’s the only way to get the lens perfectly level when using extra wide . TRI - ELMAR VF. Bill

 

[HenningW]

Any thoughts on a good finder for an M8 with the 15 for the glasses wearer?

Bill (who sold his Hologon, but will see if a CV 15 is partial repentance)

The Zeiss 21 is the best one, but it has sharp corners and is fairly large, so is easier to hook on something.

The CV is a more than capable substitute for the old Hologon. The only things that the Hologon still has going for it are that it's the flattest lens on an M and that it has zero distortion. The 15 CV has 'almost' zero distortion.

Henning

 

[Bill Pierce]

The Zeiss 21 is the best one, but it has sharp corners and is fairly large, so is easier to hook on something.

The CV is a more than capable substitute for the old Hologon. The only things that the Hologon still has going for it are that it's the flattest lens on an M and that it has zero distortion. The 15 CV has 'almost' zero distortion.

Henning

Henning - Many thanks.

Bill

 

[RWP]

cv12 and eyeglasses

cv12 and eyeglasses

Hi All,

For those that use the M8+ VC12mm combination, how has either the VC12mm or VC 15mm finders been at various subject distances and maybe indicate if you wear eyeglasses or not. Thanks!

Dave

Hi Dave
I wear eyeglasses all the time (short-sighted) and I use the supplied finder with my CV12. It is surprisingly accurate with my glasses. I have a double shoe on the camera with a bubble level in the second shoe.

I sometimes compose the shot thru the finder, lower the camera to waist level, check the bubble, wait for the shot to unfold, and then take the photo from waist level. People do not know I am taking the shot. Roger

 

[D&A]

Hi Henning & Roger & All,

Thanks everyone for all their valuable feedback, it's truly appreciated. Based on all the feedback especially from Henning and Roger, I have two different points of view to my original question and post on the top of this thread.

Henning makes the point that the VC 15mm viewfiner works quite well and is accurate with the M8 and 12mm VC lens combo....but doesn't mention if he wears eyeglasses.

Roger who does wear eyeglasses mentioned he finds the supplied VC 12mm finder that comes with the VC 12mm lens works quite well (and accurately with the M8+VC 12mm lens combo probably due to not seeing the entire field of view with the VC12mm finder and eyeglasses.

Henning, if you don't wear eyeglasses then I assume at this point that the VC 15mm finder is best used with the M8+_VC12mm lens and if one wear eyeglasses the VC12mm finder might work better with the M8+12mmVC lens combo. I've narrowed it down to these two finders just as I have in my original post in this thread. Now I have to see what people who wear eyeglasses think vs. non eyeglasses wears thinks.

Thanks!

Dave

 

[HenningW]

Hi Henning & Roger & All,

Thanks everyone for all their valuable feedback, it's truly appreciated. Based on all the feedback especially from Henning and Roger, I have two different points of view to my original question and post on the top of this thread.

Henning makes the point that the VC 15mm viewfiner works quite well and is accurate with the M8 and 12mm VC lens combo....but doesn't mention if he wears eyeglasses.

Roger who does wear eyeglasses mentioned he finds the supplied VC 12mm finder that comes with the VC 12mm lens works quite well (and accurately with the M8+VC 12mm lens combo probably due to not seeing the entire field of view with the VC12mm finder and eyeglasses.

Henning, if you don't wear eyeglasses then I assume at this point that the VC 15mm finder is best used with the M8+_VC12mm lens and if one wear eyeglasses the VC12mm finder might work better with the M8+12mmVC lens combo. I've narrowed it down to these two finders just as I have in my original post in this thread. Now I have to see what people who wear eyeglasses think vs. non eyeglasses wears thinks.

Thanks!

Dave

Yes, Dave I do wear glasses. All the time. To keep from running into things and to make the most of my Leica glass...

If you can get the chance, try to find someone or somewhere where there are the 15 VC and WATE finders together. The WATE finder at 16 is the most accurate, and very easy to use with glasses. Compare what you see with that to what you see with the 15 VC finder and decide if what you see with the VC is close enough. If you're near Vancouver, give me a call 🙂 .

Henning

 

[D&A]

HI henning,

Thanks for your continued response. Lets see, I live approx. 3,000 miles from you, so I'll be over in about 5 minutes 🙂 . I've seen the Wate finder and it is good but at this time I much prefer a small simple finder and I narrowed my choice down to the VC 15mm finder or VC 12mm finder with use of the VC 12mm lens on the M8. It seems 50% of individuals prefer using the vc 12mm finder since they can't see edge to edge and the field of view then is closer to 15mm rather than 12mm. On the other hand, many say the VC 15mm finder does show approx. 15mm . So it's a tough choice between the two. Thanks again!

Dave