[Leica] 21-24-28 multi-finder long winded

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

 My multi-finder really is too big (Hey! Its smaller than a flash you want
egg in your beer!?) and there is no bright lines but it DOES work with my
glasses.
My prescription is:
    sph cyl axs pris    base    add
OD  50  -25 173    
OS  125 -75 00-?                1,75

The edges are a tad fuzzy but ok for Army work.
I wonder if they'd not be fuzzy with some kind of Diopter?
I was going to complain that there was no way for a Diopter but I checked
the site just to make sure.
http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/msystem/m6ttl/zubehoer/sucher/index_e.h
tml
And there is.
With a Dioptor you can see through the camera but nothing else.
Not my f stops.
Not my watch.
"Eyepiece: Rubber-coated mount with thread for M-System corrective lenses
(+/- 3 dioptres) " (the Leica site)

The eyepiece is rubber at the back unlike my Leica 24mm which cost a
fortune, about as much as the variable, and unlike my gorgeous
Cosina/Voigtl?nder 40 which is plastic back there. So it's going to put
nicks in the very middle of your glasses. I hate that. Walking around with
spots in front of my eyes. "down spot down!!!"
There used to be somebody on he lug who went into business making rubber
gaskets for the backs of finders. What every happened to that guy? I bet he
wore glasses that's a clue.
The Variable multi-finder finder has a wheel which hunkers it down so it's
not going to fall off for nobody no-how. (woof)
I heard it was made by Cosina for Leica.
The wheel on the pricey Leica red dot 24 seems to not do much and it's only
a matter of time before that little baby magically disappears.
But what's 300 bucks give or take? Easy come ease go!
But its less of a tragedy now with the embarrassment of riches available
easily from Rich Pinto. Or Steven Gandy.
I see both both have them; I got mine from Steven. I see this at
Photovillage: (Rich's place)
"Zeiss 25/28 Viewfinder bxed .....................399"
Dollars!!?!
Well I'm glad it's not 400!
That's the amount is was planning on blowing on an 85 1.4 Nikkor, used!
I was thinking for finders spending not 400 but 40!
Which is what the Cosina/Voigtl?nder's cost.
Used maybe.
A Linhof is closer to 4000.
Cosina/Voigtl?nder even makes these subminiature models which seem really
cool!
My Cosina/Voigtl?nder 40 has no wheel but they figured out how to make it
quite snug on both my M6's, TTL and classic, that I don't think its going
anywhere in the near future. But if it doesn't it's chump change to replace!
That the Cosina/Voigtl?nder's are really better than the "Leicas" (who ever
makes them for them) at a decimal point less cash is really amazing. As I'm
one of those guys who normally thinks one gets what one pays for.

I LOVE FINDERS!

And plan on getting them, the Cosina/Voigtl?nder's probably for every single
focal length I've got up to 135mm. I've got no 75 though. A big gap in my
lineup.

By the way the reason why I got the multifinder in the first place is when I
got my 21 ASPH they had just stopped making the Leica 21 finders and I
couldn't find them anywhere. Not that I was good at looking then. And that
may have been before I knew how great and cheap the Cosina/Voigtl?nder's
Steven, Rich and B&H have.
Or the higher end Zeiss/Cosina spread.
So I got this monster.
Hey it's a zoom (almost)!
It's three three three finders in one!

Once upon a time there was a mother finder who had three little baby
finders.
The three little baby finders grew so big that their mother said to them,
"You are too big to live here any longer. You must go and build leather
zippered cases for yourselves. But take care that the wolf does not catch
you."

Speaking of leather zippered cases the one which came with my 21-24-28
multi-finder I keep my 40mm Summicron C lens in now.
Not the finder the lens.
So for now on there's no excuse to not have with me in any camera case a
semi normal lens.

And finally my whole thing on bright lines:
I think bright lines are a mixed bag.
I think I compose shots with my Leica M's not what's inside the box but
what's OUTSIDE THE BOX! Really! Kind of a process of elimination. I take out
the extraneous bits I don't like till I've got the shot. Especially with my
longer optics. I would not make this up. And I think other people in their
deep unconscious do this too. Though they'd' never admit it to themselves or
anyone else.
And I think these makes for better shots or certainly different than with
tunnel vision SLR shooting.
On the internet I find:
"Thinking 'outside the box' means balancing lower frequency emotions - fear,
anger, etc. With higher frequency emotions and therefore not being
controlled by your emotions.
Let it all go ... it's just an illusion in time."

Just in case you were a non believer in this whole bit.

But at the same time I think it's a distraction I can live without.
Shooting 645 or superslide or semi panoramic 630's with my Hassy it's just
like-a Leica  - you have a frame to look around with the stuff outside it at
the same time..
I ended up taping them off - half of my Plexiglas groundglass inserts for my
various non normal Hassy backs.
There's such a thing as TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!
Which this post exemplifies.
So I think the only path to follow is to get both.
And use either depending on how the mood moves around you.
I believe in OPTIONS!
And all the marvelous third party options, German, Japanese and who knows!
(French?) in the finder world from years gone by I plan to someday get into.
When I get a bit in "collecting mode".
Which is 6 years from now when I turn 65. (fat chance!)
Not that photographers ever retire.
They just go retro.



Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/

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