Viewfinders: 21 / 25mm interchangeable?

[infrequent]

Hi,

Can I use the 25mm viewfinder with the 21mm skopar without any issues? I already have the 25mm skopar / viewfinder and am thinking about buying the 21mm skopar but the lens doesn't come with a viewfinder. Just wondering if the 25mm viewfinder will suffice. I have also heard of quality issues with the 21mm viewfinder. Is there any substance to it? Thanks for your advice!

 

[dazedgonebye]

25mm is 82 deg fov.
21mm is 92 deg fov.

That[s pretty significant. On the other hand, you'll just get more than you bargained for, not less.

I haven't had any quality issues with my cv finders, including the 21.

 

[pvdhaar]

Aren't there two versions of the CV 25mm finder, a newer one with brightlines, and an older one without? In case you've got the one with the brightlines, you may wing it by using the area outside the projected frame as an approximation of 21mm.. It won't be terribly accurate, but neither are the 25mm brightlines for the 25..

 

[infrequent]

I am hoping for the same. My viewfinder has the brightlines and maybe using the edges will be close enough. I should know soon enough as I did buy the 21mm offered in the classifieds.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I recently received a 21 finder with the LTM 21 I bought. I certainly can't find anything wrong with the quality of it. I went for the LTM version as the glass is the same, it comes with the finder and it was $100 cheaper!

As to the other question. I had an "old style" 25 finder and a new 28 one with bright lines. Looking through them, it looked very much as though Mr K used the old 25 finder and put bright lines in for the 28. I use the same finder for both and sold the 25 finder. Based on that, he may well have done the same with the 21/25

Kim

Hi,

Can I use the 25mm viewfinder with the 21mm skopar without any issues? I already have the 25mm skopar / viewfinder and am thinking about buying the 21mm skopar but the lens doesn't come with a viewfinder. Just wondering if the 25mm viewfinder will suffice. I have also heard of quality issues with the 21mm viewfinder. Is there any substance to it? Thanks for your advice!

 

[infrequent]

@Kim - Yes, I am starting to think on the same lines as well. Maybe all the plastic CV viewfinders are the same with varying framelines for the different focal lengths. Can someone confirm / refute this?

 

[Dektol Dan]

Sharp as Spoons?

Sharp as Spoons?

This is all very interesting. I have a plastic VC 40mm, and 25mm viewfinder both with bright lines. I also have what I believe to be a '60's era Komura 28mm viewfinder without bright lines. It looks identical to a Canon product.

Judging from the many photos I have shot with these and not withstanding the crapshoot parallax issues of viewfinders in general I discovered the VC 25 would work for a 21mm lens as well a 25 and 28 by just accommodating for full view and inside or outside of the brightlines. Accuracy with fiewfinders is exceedingly sloppy.

Learning from this I bought the 40mm viewfinder to use with a 35 which it does very well.

I also have used the 28mm Komura with the 25mm lens witout a hitch and I would say that the only problem using it that way would be that facing an eye glass user who would have trouble seeing the full frame.