Canon LTM P or VI for Eyeglass Wearer

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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Mark59

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I am looking at buying a P or VI. Is one models viewfinder better than the other for a person who wears eyeglasses?

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Mark
 
The P has a great finder, if you shoot mainly 50mm or 100mm. The 35mm frame is almost useless. I can't even see it without glasses, nevermind with.
 
i've never looked through a VI.

but i agree with victor, the P is bright and clear and the 50/100 are easy to use.
i do use the 35 with the P but it's a lot of guesswork cause i can't see the framelines, at least not all of them at the same time. but i'm a sloppy shooter, i work fast usually and concentrate on the center of the frame to catch the action.

i wear glassses.

joe
 
The V series, and the VI series, use variable magnification finders. The cameras have different optics that swing into position for 50mm, 35mm , and Telephoto (~135mm) field-of-views. I can see the entire 35mm frame with my glasses because it "squeezes" the field of view down to 0.42x.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
The V series, and the VI series, use variable magnification finders. The cameras have different optics that swing into position for 50mm, 35mm , and Telephoto (~135mm) field-of-views. I can see the entire 35mm frame with my glasses because it "squeezes" the field of view down to 0.42x.
Click to expand...


ya know, i KNEW that but i had no idea how to explain it!

thank goodness brian is here.

in my next life i want to be more techie minded.

joe
 
Mark59 said:
I am looking at buying a P or VI. Is one models viewfinder better than the other for a person who wears eyeglasses?

Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Mark
Click to expand...

This is a pretty old post, but I'll add an answer in case someone else ever has the same question and comes upon this thread via a search.

My highly educated answer: "It depends."

I have both a VI and a P, and as someone else noted, the P's 35mm frameline is just about invisible if you wear glasses. The VI has a turret finder with a separate position for 35mm coverage, and it's easily seen by eyeglasses wearers. However, unlike the P's, the VI's 35mm finder position has no bright frame and no parallax compensation -- it's just a plain, unframed view.

So, if you need parallax compensation and a bright frame, between these two cameras your only choice is a P... you'll just have to deal with the fact that the frameline is difficult to see. If you don't need parallax comp, the VI's 35mm position is easier to see.

But... another kicker is the finder's diopter power. The VI has much more negative diopter built into the finder system than the P. If your eyeglasses already have negative correction (for nearsightedness) the finder will increase that, and if your eyeglasses have positive correction (for farsightedness) the finder will tend to neutralize it. Your eye's focusing muscles will have to make up the difference -- no problem if you've got young, adaptable eyes, but if you've reached the age of needing bifocals you may find it difficult to accommodate. (I've had to semi-retire my VI for just this reason!) The P's viewfinder is more nearly neutral and is more "eyeglasses-friendly," at least to my vision.
 
Of course the 35mm framelines are wide at a "P", because it has a 1:1 finder! Other RF with 35mm framelines have minified view of at least 0,8 (Bessa-R) which is adverserial with telephoto lenses. 1:1 finder means it's a reporter camera for shooting with both eyes opened, not a dedicated wide-angle-camera.
So you don't see the framelines at one glance, but if you need them and have the time for composing your subject you are able to find them (if the silver isn't decayed due to age)

cheers Frank
 
A tip I may suggest with the P is to use the side lines of the 50 frames as 'rule of thirds lines' when using a 35. Even with the Canon 7 and the reduced finder I can't still see all four corners or the 35 lines at once so is not that much of a problem to just guess on the P, and in exchange you get a big and nice field of view for the 50.

KEH has an Exc Canon P body (wrinkled curtains) for $299
 
I did end up getting a P a few weeks ago. As Victor noted, the 35mm framelines are tough to see without glasses, impossible with them. I have started shooting with contact lenses, so, the 35mm framelines are useable. I bought a Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 lens and I am in rangefinder heaven. I had considered buying a M2, but, I am glad I got the P. Saved some bucks and got a camera that is, in my opinion, just as nice. Thanks for the inputs!
 
Mark after handling a M4 I know what you mean about the M2 and the P, loved the M4, but love my P just the same for $1000 less :)

Congrats on such a fine choice !
 
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