Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/07/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I put an old Leitz 90mm hotshoe finder on a IIIg recently and was surprised at the brightness and clarity. What I really liked was that, with both eyes open. the 90mm finder presented the sharp and bright scene at exactly the same magnification as my other eye. It was as if your whole range of vision had a 90mm frame on the world wherever you turned your head! I agree with Nathan that the Olympus DSLR cameras are not the brightest bulbs on the chandelier when it comes to viewfinders. On my E-330, critical focus with the Leica APO 70-180/2.8 is not easy unless there is a fair amount of light. However the live view LCD with its 10x magnifier lets you focus more precisely than any other method, even, I believe, than with a bright finder like the SL. No good though for action. The 10x racked out at 180mm is doubled as a 360mm lens, which at 10x is like holding a 3600mm lens! Tripod or table top is a must. But at 10x you can focus on a gnat's eyelash. With autofocus Olympus lenses, all of the above is moot. Autofocus has been spot on. I describe the use of the Olympus E-330 live view LCD with 10x on a long telephoto at: http://northcoastphotos.com/Lympa_2006_04_12.htm Gary Todoroff At 02:35 AM 7/6/2007, you wrote: >Nathan Wajsman wrote: >> I would rank the viewfinders as follows: >>1. Leica M3 >>2. Leicaflex SL >>3. Leica M6 (the 0.85 flavour) >>4. Canon 1D2 / Leica R8 (tie) >>5. Olympus 410 / Canon 20D (tie) >>6. Leica CL >>7. Leica IIIf >>But of course that is just my subjective opinion, > >Wow, Nathan. As much as I like the IIIf, it actually made it onto >your list? (I use one Leitz external 50 finder now. Perfect 1:1 and >works out well. It was confusing me when I had a 35 or 90 viewfinder >anyway ... when to move to the external one and when to the built in >one? Now there is always an external one there). > >:-) > >Daniel