Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 8/2/00 3:08:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com writes: << The waist level finder (like the Rolleiflex) makes for an instrument which you always are resting up against something. Setting it on a book on a table to squeeze off shots. >> I beg to differ. The waistlevel finder is fine for handheld shots. With the magnifier in the up position and the eye close to the magnifier the forehead above the eye pushes down on the upper edge of the finder cover while the hands push upward making the whole shebang very solid and much of the mirror slap is absorbed in the hands and face (not painful!). You also get a full-field view of the screen at 5x. No prism will get you that. Following a moving subject means fighting basic instinct, though, which usually wins out and you turn the wrong way. Probably the best advantage of the waistlevel is being able to turn the camera sideways for sneak shots (yes even a Hasselblad can be a sneaky camera) or completely upside down to shoot over the heads of people in front. I often take the prism off my Nikons to do this. One reason I'd never own an SLR that didn't have a removable prism.