Re: [Leica] 21mm, 24mm Viewfinder Question

[CapsTeeth@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/5/00 12:10:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
henningw@archiphoto.com writes:

<< I've had many metal finders, which all met their
 death by sliding out of the shoe and dropping onto something hard. On later
 ones I even resorted to glued on strings with clips to fasten onto straps
 (a real pain) or bent the foot to get better grip. They all died in the
 end.>>

A user-condition metal finder can be shock-guarded by using stick-on foam 
(like they sell for replacing light seals) to cover the external surfaces.  
Don't do this to a mint one!
 
 <<The black plastic one, on top of being brighter and having better eye
 relief, and being as accurate as any, stays in the shoe a lot better. I've
 now gone about 5 years with this finder, which is definitely a record.>> 

A lot of people have experienced the body breaking off the pedestal because 
it's tacked on with glue in just a couple places.  I bought one in that sorry 
condition for a pittance and restored it with self-curing dental resin 
(aside: great stuff...super for patching small vulcanite chips on pre-M6 
bodies, much better than the tar-like pitch the repair techs use, because 
this stuff has a metal primer that bonds it to the body casting) 

 <<Other finders that might have some appeal under some circumstances, but
 that are poor in practice are the 21 Contax-G finder and the Ricoh finders.
 The latter weigh as much as their lens hoods! and that is as much as 10
 times (figuratively) what their Leica equivalents weigh. All metal is not
 good. It drags you down. >>

I have a Contax finder, agree that it's big but not heavy.  Much dimmer than 
the Leica plastic finder (about like the M6's main finder), with a 
not-useful-to-me crosshair but no would-be-useful-to-me parallax markings.  
It has a nice, kind-to-glasses rubber eyepiece (but the plastic Leica finders 
haven't ever scratched my glasses).  The "Bower" finder (that's sold along 
with the Avenon-whatever 21) is enormous, flares horribly, has little eye 
relief and the metal eyepiece needs a rubber pad, but it is *bright*.  One 
fairly rare finder is the 21 Yashica, which is bright, all-metal and 
lightweight.  Mine (purchased for the kingly sum of $20) unfortunately has 
had the front antireflection coating well-worn so it's a low-contrast view; 
the eye relief is so-so (usable with glasses) but also needs a rubber pad to 
guard glasses from scratching.