Making/Finding a viewfinder for 17mm fish

[rogue_designer]

Hey all -

I have on the way (courtesy of KEH) a Canon Adapter B so I can mount my FD 17mm fisheye on my LTM bodies.

However - even though I realize its mostly a futile exercise, I want to have *some* idea of framing.

Does anyone know of approximate viewfinders either preexisting, or that could be made relatively simply (I was considering using a wide-field door peephole as a viewfinder, for instance).

Just curious what might be out there in relatively ready made form.

Cheers - and thanks in advance.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Not sure but would the CV 12mm finder come at all close?

Kim

 

[Revolucion Artistico]

I think holga makes a plastic fisheye camera with a viewfinder but I have no idea of the focal length.

 

[rogue_designer]

Hmm - a bit more reading on the 17mm I have (proves I didn't use it much) shows that it's fairly rectilinear, not fisheye at all... so maybe the 15mm CV finder would be close enough.

I'll keep looking around though.. would love to not buy anything at full retail if I can avoid it. 😀

 

[Graybeard]

You can make quite a useable finder inexpensively.

Go to a hardware store or Home Depot and buy a fisheye "peephole" - this is a security item intended to be installed in an entry door, you often find these fitted to doors in hotels.

You'll have to devise your own means of mounting the finder to the top of your camera. One way is to buy a cheap hot-shoe to PC socket adapter and glue the door viewer to the top of it with epoxy cement.

The peephole viewers generally have a viewing field approaching 180 degrees. You can mask off this field to correspond to your lens with black electricians tape.

Those who are so inclined can write "E. Leitz" on the side of the viewer with a felt tip pen.

I made a finder in this way for a Russian 16mm fisheye in a Pentax mount that I use with a home fabricated adapter ring; the accessory shoe mount was made from some scrap aluminum . To calibrate the field of view, I mounted the lens on a Spotmatic then masked the peephole view to correspond to that of the SLR. I haven't put the Leitz label on mine as of this writing.

 

[David Murphy]

Hey all -

I have on the way (courtesy of KEH) a Canon Adapter B so I can mount my FD 17mm fisheye on my LTM bodies.

However - even though I realize its mostly a futile exercise, I want to have *some* idea of framing.

Does anyone know of approximate viewfinders either preexisting, or that could be made relatively simply (I was considering using a wide-field door peephole as a viewfinder, for instance).

Just curious what might be out there in relatively ready made form.

Cheers - and thanks in advance.

Do you really need a finder on a 17mm lens? Isn't the FOV over 100 degrees (depending on direction)!!!

 

[rbiemer]

You could look for one of the Konica super wide disposables--they have 17mm lenses and VFs. Shoot the roll that's in it and then cannibalize the finder. I've seen 'em on ebay as new old stock occasionally.
Not too expensive; the last one I saw was £8.99 from an HK seller.
Rob

 

[Finder]

(I was considering using a wide-field door peephole as a viewfinder, for instance)

Good idea. It will have similar barrel distortion to a fisheye which is that is what makes a fisheye lens fisheye. Masking may be tricky because of the size of the peephole lens. The mask lines may have to be curved.