Leica LTM reasonably priced viewfinders

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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davethesnapper

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Hi I have a 3F and I was wondering if anyone has some insights into accessory view finders that are A. good quality and useable. And B. don't cost a fortune.
The Leica ones on eBay recently are as much as a camera !!

Thanks Dave
 
I don't have any insight; sorry, as I favor the SBOOI on both my IIIf's and you're right, prices have increased. I haven't checked in awhile. Are you seeking a bright-line finder only?

I hope you find one at a reasonable price.
 
Yes I'd like the SBOOI but at £150 and up it seems a bit unrealistic. Are any of the Leica multi finders usable ? they are cheaper and more flexible but are also bigger.

D
 
Other than the Kek VFs be on the lookout from auction sites for reasonably priced Rostock FSU finders and odd brand Japanese finders from the 1950s...50mm viewfinders are unfortunately not common and expensive whether it is the SBOOI , the recent CV one or the kind of rare Canon made one .
 
There's a Japanese bright-line one called the Helios VF for 35, 85 and 135mm.

No longer made but they turn up here and there; usually cheaper than you'd expect as the name links them to the old USSR made stuff in some people's minds.

And, of course, the KMZ turret one that's based on the old CZ one.

Regards, David
 
A good under the radar option is the Olympus VF-1 designed for their micro four thirds cameras. It has some distortion and the brightlines are a tad less bright than my Voigtlander finder, but it's way cheaper and still optically pretty good. 4/3 format lines, but also a little tight as a 35mm, so compose to slightly outside the vertical lines and you'll be pretty close. Better than any of the plastic optics types.
 
The Keks 28mm viewfinder is pretty good for the money. There are reflections at the edges that are a bit distracting. It also protrudes behind the camera a bit rather than being flush with the back of the shoe, which makes it catch a bit. It’s also not the “big” view of a Voigtlander finder. But for $30...!
 
It would help to know what focal length you are looking for. 50mm finders are relatively less common, as they weren't strictly necessary, whereas other focal lengths required them, so there are likely more options. It doesn't mean they'll be cheap, though. The best option IMO is to be as patient as you can - you'd be surprised at the things that pop up from time to time. Also, if you have any local antiques shops (junk shops/charity shops/etc.), take a pass through them when conditions permit. I've pulled some extraordinary bargains out of places like that over the years.
 
dave, I'm with raydm6 on this one. The SB00l is a fabulous framing device. It's bright and works so well even with glasses. It entirely changes the working dynamics of the screwmount Leica. No question you can find other cheaper work-arounds, but if you're looking for accurate framing especially for any kind of action, the expense of the individual Leitz (or comparable) finders IMO, pays big dividends in the photo results.
 
There are a few very well made Japanese viewfinders produced in the '50s/'60s. Right now I cannot remember the brand (it is a bird's name). Not bright line but accurate.

Also...I think Komura made a bright line finder, as did others.

All cheap so no worries about losing them!
 
Dralowid said:
There are a few very well made Japanese viewfinders produced in the '50s/'60s. Right now I cannot remember the brand (it is a bird's name). Not bright line but accurate.

Also...I think Komura made a bright line finder, as did others.

All cheap so no worries about losing them!
Click to expand...

A little bird told me the brand name is Swallow. ;)
 
There was also a Japanese company named Accura that made very nice viewfinders. I got mine from evilbay, but there are none for sale at the moment.
 
There were lots of after market ones made back in the day. Unfortunately even these have become comparatively pricey though less costly than the ones made by big name makers like Leitz, Nikon, Canon. It really depends on what kind of finder you are looking for. The ones with best vision are the brightline ones but you generally need one per focal length though some have more than one frameline visible at a time -these latter type tend to be less accurate in framing). The ones which are most flexible (multiple focal lengths covered) are the turret finders which have a series of rotating lenses for different focal lengths. Most of these also do something the Leitz ones do not - they enlarge the image rather than framing it off when a longer focal length is used. This makes them more usable.

Overall, assuming you only want something like 35mm/50mm/90mm I would strongly advocate you look into the Voigtlander "Turnit" finder which has framelines for 35mm/50mm/100mm. The latter is close enough to an 85mm or 90mm to be usable. This finder is very bright, gives good vision because its optics are large and in my experience is not too expensive (though its price has gone up in recent years as have other types of accessory finder). But it is large with an unusual rectangular shape which may be why it is not in quite so much demand as some. Bear in mind there are two types. An earlier metal one and a later plastic one. I prefer the metal one for obvious reasons though I think they may be the same optically. I would expect the latter type to be considerably less expensive.

turnit3face.jpg
 
Something which other folks haven't mentioned is that it's generally best to match viewfinder to the intended camera, especially for longer lenses; for instance, the Soviet clone of the turret is a good cheap option, but it's really intended for the Kiev/Contax system, and won't be accurate at all on a IIIf due to the difference in accessory shoe position. It's less important at the super-wide end - say 28mm and wider - but at 50mm and up it's very noticeable.

This caught me out when I was trying to save some cash a decade ago, and I don't know why more people don't point it out.

The Leitz multi-finders are obviously designed for the Barnacks - and so are considerably more accurate than most on a IIIf - but they're cropping finders. I don't mind the Imarect/VIOOH for 35mm, and it's tolerable at 50mm (although I'd rather just use the built-in finder!), but past that it's like looking down a tiny tunnel. You can generally find them fairly cheaply if you look around - MW Classic in London currently has one for £59, and Red Dot Cameras have a bunch for around the £50 mark, for instance - and it's not a bad bet if you're looking for 35mm or 50mm finders.

Definitely get a dedicated finder if you want anything longer, though!
 
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