Praise for the old Voigtlander

[rumbliegeos]

I just went out shooting with a Voigtlander Perkeo II and a newly arrived 6X6 Kontur finder I bought off the big auction site. I have read about Kontur finders for quite a while, and I always wondered how well they worked.

The effect is amazing . I've owned a Zeiss Netttar and a Zenobia folder, and this is the first time the edges of the frame were easily visible (I switch between glasses and contacts, and today I was wearing glasses). The accuracy of the framing won't be clear until the photos are processed, but it cannot be worse than when using the minute optical finder on the Perkeo.

Voigtlander came up with innovative designs in many areas, but they certainly produced some of the best bright-line finders, albeit quite heavy, in the Vitomatic line, some of the Vitos and the later Prominents. The Kontur finder achieves something similar but with a different principle.

If you have a folder with a miniscule viewfinder, and you can locate a Kontur 6X6 finder, try it. Apparently, some people have trouble with using them, but they can be very effective.
gerry

 

[Solinar]

The Perkeo II is an old friend. I like to shoot a lot at f/5.6 to f/8. There isn't much depth of field when you are close to your subject. So, I usually have the separate Voigtlander RF apparatus mounted in the accessory shoe and make do composing with the built-in squinty finder.

 

[FallisPhoto]

I just went out shooting with a Voigtlander Perkeo II and a newly arrived 6X6 Kontur finder I bought off the big auction site. I have read about Kontur finders for quite a while, and I always wondered how well they worked.

The effect is amazing . I've owned a Zeiss Netttar and a Zenobia folder, and this is the first time the edges of the frame were easily visible (I switch between glasses and contacts, and today I was wearing glasses). The accuracy of the framing won't be clear until the photos are processed, but it cannot be worse than when using the minute optical finder on the Perkeo.

Voigtlander came up with innovative designs in many areas, but they certainly produced some of the best bright-line finders, albeit quite heavy, in the Vitomatic line, some of the Vitos and the later Prominents. The Kontur finder achieves something similar but with a different principle.

If you have a folder with a miniscule viewfinder, and you can locate a Kontur 6X6 finder, try it. Apparently, some people have trouble with using them, but they can be very effective.
gerry

Is this the one that only shows you the framelines? The one where you keep the other eye open and somehow your brain puts what you are seeing with both eyes all together? I've always wondered about those. Seems to me that there would have to be some parallax error involved.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Well, firstly, the Kontur finders have a mark on them for parrallax correction at under 1 metre. Above that you don't really have to worry.
Second, VC make an accessory fitting with two shoes - you can order them either right or left handed, but, even so you can't use the Kontur and the rangefinder together. I use the rangefinder separately and leave the Kontur on the Perkeo.
Thirdly, you don't have to go 6x6 if that's not your format. I have a 6x9 Kontur for my Bessa I and a 24x36 Kontur for my Vitessa 35mm barn door folder.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Well, firstly, the Kontur finders have a mark on them for parrallax correction at under 1 metre. Above that you don't really have to worry.
Second, VC make an accessory fitting with two shoes - you can order them either right or left handed, but, even so you can't use the Kontur and the rangefinder together. I use the rangefinder separately and leave the Kontur on the Perkeo.
Thirdly, you don't have to go 6x6 if that's not your format. I have a 6x9 Kontur for my Bessa I and a 24x36 Kontur for my Vitessa 35mm barn door folder.

So it is only used for framing the shot?

 

[Leigh Youdale]

So it is only used for framing the shot?

Yep! It's just a white outline on a black background. (By the way, the black film is easily damaged by leaving it exposed to strong sunlight. Be a bit careful how and where you leave the Kontur.
The original design idea was that it could be used as a "sports" finder for following rapid action, as the finders of the day were all a bit small and hard to use on rapidly moving objects. However, it has a wider use than that.
By keeping both eyes open, one takes in the whole scene at 1:1 while the other "sees" the frame. Your brain integrates the information from both eyes and so you see the scene with the frame outline superimposed on it. I use right eye for the Kontur and left for the overall scene.
Quite clever, but it takes a day or two to get used to it.