Viewfinder magnifier for R-D1

[Topdog1]

I've heard people make mention of a viewfinder magnifier for the R-D1. What product is it and where can it be bought from? Also, how does it work - can you still see the frame lines if you use it?

Thanks,
Ira

 

[AusDLK]

It comes from Megaperls in Japan.

I had one and sold it. The 1.35x magnification factor results in only the 50mm frame line being useful.

Therefore not very useful to me.

 

[jlw]

You can also see the 35mm frameline (just barely) if you don't wear glasses.

This is going to be pretty typical of any magnified finder eyepiece: the greater magnification comes at the expense of a narrower angle of view.

 

[mountainrivera]

I have a megaperls and it is very well made. With the 35mm basically what you see is what you get since the framelines are at the outer edges of the finder. I guess at 28mm it isn't too useful.

 

[startbanking]

diopter correction

diopter correction

It comes from Megaperls in Japan.

I had one and sold it. The 1.35x magnification factor results in only the 50mm frame line being useful.

Therefore not very useful to me.

My eyesight has gotten worse over the years. Now the proud owner of a MF Rangefinder (RD1), I am disappointed in lack of AF, due to difficulty in seeing the focusing squares. I am still looking for a good solution to this problem.
Tried to buy the Nikon Dioptre correction lens, and it helped just a little.
nidp2fm2 nikon lens +2

Correction lenses for Nikon FA, FM2 and FE2 bodies fit perfectly on the R-D1.

I would like to see if the Megaperls magnifier could work, but their link does not load. Is the website dead?
Does anyone have any solution to my problem?

Andrzej

 

[jlw]

If you have a lot of astigmatism (you know you do if your eyeglasses prescription incudes a "spherocylindric" value) then a diopter adjustment alone won't completely correct your view through a camera.

Astigmatism is a lens fault in which the shape of the lens isn't perfectly spherical: it's thicker on one axis than another. This causes lines on different orientations to be focused at different distances, depending on whether they line up with the "thick" part of the lens or the "thin" part. A diopter adjustment can correct for nearsightedness or farsightedness, but not for astigmatism.

Since the R-D 1 uses round eyepiece lenses, you might be able to get a spare eyepiece (CameraQuest sells them, I think) and then get an optician to make you a lens custom-ground to your eyeglasses correction and mount it in the eyepiece rim. Mind you, I don't KNOW that this is possible because I haven't tried it -- but it might be worth looking into (no pun intended!)

 

[saxshooter]

I wear glasses and use a Megaperls magnifier (I had a friend working in Japan track one down for me from them and FedEx'd it to me here in the U.S.) For me, what was important wasn't the magnifying of framelines, but the magnifying of the rangefinder patch itself. IMO the rangefinder patch of the RD-1 is small, in comparison to a Leica M. And add that to a much shorter baselength, I found it difficult to focus precisely (catchlights in people's eyes when shooting with fast glass close up, etc.) The Megaperls helps me loads, haven't taken it off yet.

I use either a 21mm and a 50mm, or a 15mm and a 35mm.

With glasses, more difficult to see 35mm frames, but I can work it.