I recently acquired the new 28mm f/2 Summicron ASPH M lens and can say that it is truly remarkable, just as I've read and heard. However, since I own an M6 TTL with the .85 viewfinder, the 28mm frame lines do not appear. I knew this ahead of time and felt I could just judge the approximate 28mm frame lines with the boundary of the M6 viewfinder. Still, I am framing the 28mm with a big degree of guessing, especially when I factor in the large lens hood that basically obscures the lower right hand side of the M6 frame. My question is this - did Leica make a relatively recent 28mm viewfinder accessory, the small box-like style, that can still be located easily? What is the usually price for a used one? So far I cannot find one on ebay nor in the major camera shops' Web sites that deal with used Leica gear.

Of course, Leica now sells their new combination 21/24/28mm viewfinder, which seems to me to be nearly as large as a 50mm lens sitting on top of the M6 body. And its not cheap either. I'm sure the current version would be a useful investment in the event that I one day add a 21mm or 24mm lens. Budget reasons make that scenerio look unfeasible for the foreseable future, however.

Another option would be to go outside Leica and use a Voigtlander 28mm viewfinder, if one is available and looks equally well. I'm sure it would be less expensive than the new Leica 21/24/28 version. How much less expensive is the Voigtlander option compared to Leica's viewfinder, and does it work the same?

I also suppose there is some type of less expensive Russian-made viewfinder to go along with the Leica copies, though that option doesn't appeal to me.

Finally I guess there might be an older M3-era Leica viewfinder that also works well enough. However my first choice is to go with either the current Leica version (21/24/28 mm) of find one of the previous 28mm versions that seems to be smaller, rectangular box style. Any advice would be appreciated.

-- Steve Brantley (superglidesport@mindspring.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

the CV viewfinder is nice optically, but the housing was less than what I'd call terrific. The one I had for the 21mm CV lens allowed the "frame" to rotate so that the brightlines kept on tilting. I eventuallly glued the frame element in place and that stopped, but ... the whole thing was rather a poor fit on the shoe of both my Bessa R and my oldymoldy Leica II (still works, somehow someway). The "spring" part on the shoe of the CV finder is a bump on the plastic, with a slit behind it to allow it to "give". This quickly wore down.

I got the Leitz variable finder, which is not a nice optically, and it is a bit larger... but its not heavy. It DOES have a locking ring (which all of those accessory finders should have), and stays put. After having the CV finder come off a few times, nearly getting lost, i tink it was a good compromise - for my way of shooting.

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), March 23, 2002.

I have a Voigtlander 28mm viewfinder. I originally purchased it to overcome the small and dark viewfinder of my Contax G1 with the 28mm Biogon. Well, for that purpose it works just fine, it looks nice on the body and is well made. I don't use it though because I just don't use the Contax much anymore. Someday I may bring it out of the closet if I get a Tri-Elmar for my 0.58, just because I wear glasses.

-- Doug from Tumwater (dbaker9128@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

I've had both the Leica and Voigtlander finders. The Leica (previous version, metal, that's now so expensive used) finder was no great thing, either--I had to send mine in a couple of times to get various things fixed, and it really liked to slide out of the shoe. Now I've got the Voigtlander one--better optically, stays in better--a definite winner as far as I'm concerned, and a lot cheaper.

Of all the finders I've had (Leica 28 and 35, two old Canon ones, three new Voigtlander ones), no accessory finder has done a very good job of staying put when it's hanging on my shoulder all day, and I variously run electrical tape down the side of all of mine, down onto the top of the camera, or even easier, stick a piece of masking tape on just the bottom of the shoe to make it stickier.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

I have used the VC 28mm finder, the Leica zoom finder as well as the current plastic Leica 28mm finder and without doubt the Leica 28mm is the best.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), March 23, 2002.

I bought a used 28mm finder for $300 a few years back -- one of the plastic ones. I note that Wall St. Camera shows one for $257 on its web site.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols1@mindspring.com), March 23, 2002.

Steve,

Leica had plastic bodied finders for the 21, 24, and 28. I think they may have dropped the 28 recently. I have one for my 24 and it is a good finder, have a lever to lock it in the shoe. Works pretty well as often I forget to release it when removing the finder and its tough to remove till I do release the lever.

As noted they dropped it from production recently, but you still may find a dealer with NOS. Think they ran about $280 new. I picke up my 24 used for $190 as I recall, which seems about right.

The 60s and 70s era metal finders are works of art compared to todays though, When I had a 28 I had one and one did have to be careful not to knock it off the shoe inadvertantly. It was not loose fitting though such that it would fall off readily though.

Those old metal finders have been "discovered" by the collectors though, and prices are pretty dear. Particularly the 21, 28, 35, and 85mm lengths. Not that the other focal lengths (50, 90, 135) are cheap by any means. I received $375 for mine, but it was mint with the box.

Good luck,

Jerry

-- Jerome R. Pfile, Jr. (JerryPfile@msn.com), March 24, 2002.

Hello Steve.In my opinion a Leica 28mm.single focal length viewer would be the way to go...it preserves the compactness of your rig as a whole.John Collier has advised that the later plastic (now discontinued)type is good for the job and does not tend to slip off.Aesthetically I like the early,compact metal type.However,it can more easily slip especially when mounted on earlier non M6 bodies.In this case if shooting in rougher conditions I have found the one cent solution: a smaller rubber band carefully stretched from the back of the finder,over the top plate,over the front of the lens and resting close to the lens flange.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.

Is the glass in the newer plastic finder as close to the back as in my old metal one? That was one of the big irritations for me-- constant greasy forehead prints on the Leica finder. The C/V one is recessed about 2mm--no prints.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.

I think Leica reintroduced the 28 finder when the 28 'cron came out (it's shown in the 28 'cron brochure) - and then dropped it again 6 months later for the multi-finder. If you have at least TWO of the lenses 21/24/28 the multifinder will be less expensive, bulky and (possibly) inconvenient thant 2 separate finders - otherwise look for a single 28 finder.

The plastic Leica finders have a locking lever - not QUITE as secure as the multifinder's screw-down ring, but I've never knocked loose my 21 finder.

The old metal finders are beautiful, but have some mechanical flaws: no lock, the front element is press-fit into place and not always repairable if it comes loose or gets a corner crack (likely if it gets a whack - about 60% of the used 21/28 metal finders I've ever seen had a chip/crack in the corner of the front element). Plus they are collectible and therefore often more expensive than the 'pedestrian' plastic ones. The plastic finder's rear glass is recessed about 1mm or a little less.

For practical use I would recommend the Leica plastic finder (new or used), followed by the CV, with a coin-toss between the multifinder and the old Leitz metal finder for 3rd place.

But it's just a finder - if you run across something Russian for $50 used - and the view looks clean and it doesn't seem about to fall apart in your hands - go for it.

P.S to Michael D. - You must shoot left-eyed - that's the only way I can figure out to get forehead prints on an accessory finder! Shooting right-eyed my shoe-mount finder is out somewhere beyond my ear.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), March 24, 2002.

Thanks to all for their informative responses to my inquiry. I definately need the 28mm finder and hope to locate one in the near future. I've invested too much into this new 28mm ASPH lens to have to guess what I'm actually looking at through the M6.

-- Steve Brantley (superglidesport@mindspring.com), March 24, 2002.