Mamiya 7 43mm lens viewfinder alternative

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Nick De Marco

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Some time ago I managed to snap the 43mm lens viewfinder off the part which connect to the hot shoe (jumping off a roof holding tripod in a night storm in the Italian mountains!). I have not been able to fix it and a replacement is about as expensive as the lens!

Unless anyone can recommend someone who can mend this viewfinder for a reasonable price (the actual finder is fine, it just can't connect to the hotshoe) I have found another, cheaper alternative. I attached a voigtlander 21mm viewfinder for a 35mm format camera I have. Obviously it is not exactly correct, not least the format (in a test with the old viewfinder I found it was, unsurprisingly, slightly wider and not as tall), but I think it is a reasonable approximation. Has anyone else tried/had to try this, and have any views?

Thanks
 
Thanks for the reply
The cheapest way for me is the 21mm finder simply because I own it already. Voigtlander don't make a 24mm lens to my knowledge but they do a 25mm lens and the finder for that would cost me about £150 (inc VAT). I could spnd even more on a Zeiss 25, and the same on a Leica 24 as I would need to buy a replacement Mamiya 7 43mm finder. And I looked on ebay

So my question really is whether the 21mm is acceptable, bearing in mind I will have to compensate for the slightly wider width and narrower height. After all the 43 is 21mm in 35 equiv, and so I would expect you are only compensating the other way (with width, nut maybe only slightly) and the same with height when using either a 24 or 25?
 
Can it not be repaired

Can it not be repaired

Can you not glue the finder and hotshoe back together? I would think that would be doable. If you want to sell or trade the broken 43mm finder, I'd be interested.

-Ed
 
sorry, you're right, VC only have 25mm finder;
if you own the 21, just try; with some experience I really think it is managable with it
 
Ed, the thing that connects to the hotshoe (plastic and metal) completely snapped off and into bits. I am sure there must be some way of repairing if I could find someone who could make a new connector to hot shoe and weld it to the finder - so I am hanging onto it in case I ever do (and suggestions welcome!) as otherwise it is fine.

For now I guess I shall stick with the CV 21
 
Salvage the hotshoe from a broken flash an epoxy it to the viewfinder. I have both finders and would find it frustrating to compensate the 6x7 and 35mm finders.
 
JB Weld is a good bonding agent for rebuilding pieces, even if from fragments. And if you can find the stick version, you can mold it like putty into the shape you want before it hardens.

Hama also makes a series of hot shoe adapters that could be butchered into a shoe for viewfinder. Just have to figure out alignment and such.:)
 
you could check how alike the viewfinder and the field-of-view actually are by taping some tracing paper etc over the open back of the camera. It might be easier if it was on a tripod, or other support, at the time I suppose. Good luck !
 
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