Nikon DG-2 on the R-D1

[Ed Schwartzreic]

I got my DG-2 eyepiece magnifier yesterday, eager to try it out on the R-D1 with longer lenses such as a 90mm. The first thing I found out is that DAG's rangefinder adjustment was a wee bit off vertically, not hard to adjust. I couldn't see it with the naked eye, but surely could through the DG-2. With the DG-2 in place, the center of the eyepeice image (including the RF patch a bit off center, up and to the right) is magnified 2X. This does seem to help with the R-D1's short RF base. However, with the magnifier portion swung up and away, one's eye is further from the rangefinder, so for me with glasses, the 35mm frame lines are barely visible, the 28 mm ones not at all. It's not going to work to leave in place when using shorter lenses, but will be useful to me when I'm using a 90, as well as the 50/1; I would use an accessory viewfinder for 125mm and 75mm respectively, in thse cases.

I attach a rather poor shot of the swung-up DG-2 on the R-D1, 135 Leitz BL finder, and 90AA on the camera. Then a tripod-mounted shot in my dining roon, plus detail where I had focused on the edge of a wooden trivet, f/2.0 at ISO 200 setting, 3 meters distance. Finally, a slightly cropped shot I took today at a fire in our neightborhood, again the 90AA, this time at f/4.0, 200 ISO.

Edhttp://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4516&stc=1
90AA detail.jpg

 

[Solinar]

I know this isn't RD-1 related, but I just received a DG-2 and the required eyepiece adapter to attempt using a 135mm Elmar on my Bessa R.

I noticed two things, (keep in mind that this is with a Bessa R).

First, the 2X field of view puts me, an eye glasses wearer, inside of the 90mm framelines for the Bessa R. So, you do have to flip the DG-2 up to take meter readings.

Also, it seems to me that the field of view is not quite that of a 135mm finder. Its a tiny bit wider than my Canon accessory finder.

Second, while using an edgy pole as a subject, it didn't seem to make that big of a difference in regards to focusing. - The cundundrum is that I could definitely focus just as well without using the DG-2. - I used a measuring tape to check the distances.

The bottom line, my first impression is that the DG-7 is not that big of an improvement over using a 135mm finder in the flash shoe.