Newbie w/viewfinder question

[DWzM]

Just got an R-D1 and I'm thoroughly satisfied! I'm thinking about getting Voigtlander's 90mm lens, but get confused when trying to determine the appropriate viewfinder to use with it. Could someone else with this setup help me out? Also, does the focus indicator work with the 90?

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Well you've got the crop factor to consider, so I'd go for an external finder for a 135. I think that there is a Russian/Ukranian turrett finder with masks for 28mm-135mm. It shouldn't set you back too much. An alternative is to just use the yellow RF patch in the viewfinder and see how that does you. Keep in mind that if you are trying to fill the frame with someone's face that there will be significant parallax issues up close. It will probably take some trial and error to see what works.

 

[saxshooter]

Framing a 90mm lens on the Epson R-D1 will be guestimate at best, but if you are consistently shooting, let's say, landscapes you'd probably be able to get used to how to frame with a given external VF (turret, brightlines, etc.) or even with some point of reference you may come up with using the camera's VF. But if you are alternating between close focusing portraits and landscapes, it's a crapshoot.

I fell into the latter category, trying to use my 90mm Elmarit throughout its entire focus range which a lot of hits and misses in framing, and sometimes focusing when at 2.8.