Shoe mount Rangefinder with wider view

[Shepa]

Hi!
I just bought old 6x9 folding camera with 105mm lens. It does not have any type of viewfinder except small mirror near the lens. It even does not have a hot shoe. I wanted to attach Watameter rangefinder to the top of the camera. But I found in Internet that it has tight angle of view. Unfortunately I can not check it before buying.
Do you know any kind of external rangefinder with angle of view close or wider then normal lens? I want to use it as viewfinder too.
I know about parallax problem, but it looks like there is no separate rangefinder with coupled parallax correction.
Thank you very much!

 

[FrankS]

Hello and welcome! External rangefinders are optimized to be rangefinders and therefore have a magnified view like a telephoto lens. They aren't optimized or meant to be used as a viewfinder as this would compromise their ability to rangefind, their primary and perhaps sole purpose. This is my understanding anyway.

 

[Sparrow]

Check to make sure there isn’t a fold-away finder somewhere on the body the original Bessa had a small reflex finder by the lens and a fold-away that should open when you fold out the lens, they tend to stick with age

 

[Shepa]

Thank you FrankS!
I do not know about all rangefinders but I believe most of them does not have any lens inside. Just 3 holes with protective glasses. No optical system at all. No magnified view. They have 100% magnification.

Thank you Captain Sparrow!
Yes. It has fold-away finder. But in most situation it is useless. Depending on the view distance and angle it will show different picture... I want to replace it by hot shoe 😀

 

[VictorM.]

It should be possible to remove the folding finder and install an accessory shoe. Then you need a brightline 50mm finder made for 35mm cameras (Leica, Voigtlander). Then you have a $25 camera with a $100+ finder. Some people actually do this. For the same money, you can buy a 6X9 Ikonta M with uncoupled rangefinder and an OK viewfinder.

This is what I mean: http://www.davidrichert.com/524_2.htm