Where would I find a 105mm Brightline Finder?

[b2 -]

Does anyone out there have any ideas of where to look for a

brightline finder for a 105mm rangefinder lens? I have search for

days and come up dry. I love the lens, but my eye are have gotten

too used to brightlines with my wideangles and so I am looking for

one for my new (to me) 105mm. I posted this to the Nikon forum with

a few responses, but no Brightlines yet. Thanks. B2 (;->

[back_alley_.]

pardon my ignorance but is 'brightline' a brand or are you just looking for a finder that would handle the 100 pov?

[dan flanders]

The FSU Turret finder doesn't have bright lines but it does have a shaded area outside the image frames. It can usually be found for around fifty bucks or less and is one of the best buys in finders. It's closest setting for the 95 lens is for the 85. The Nikon "Zoom" finder has a setting for 105 and the Tewe has a setting for 100. Both the Nikon and Tewe finders are continuous zooms so "in-between" focal lengths are easily approximated. You might find a 105 finder on eBay but it will probably be at "collector" price. Much the same would obtain with the Leitz Brightline 90.

[jorn ake]

There is a Tewes multi-finder that is similar to the Nikon Variframe & Varifocal which comes in several permutations, including I believe one that does the 105 focal length (35-135 or 35-200 range.) I don't know whether any of these are brightline (haven't actually looked through them,) though I remember they do have parallax compensation so somehow must indicate the framing. The Tewes is not horrendously uncommon or expensive. The Nikon Variframe &/or Varifocal are collectible and so are more $$$.

[jorn ake]

Right, the previous post got me. 100 on the Tewes, not 105. Here is a link to the <a href="http://www003.upp.so-net.ne.jp/sp5/nksacc/fi850.htm" >Nikon 105mm single magnification finder</a>. I can't even guess the price on this thing. It is a brightline though.

[al_kaplan1]

I don't remember if it's a bright line but Canon used to make a 100mm finder.

[dan flanders]

I don't know how much my Tewe cost since it was on a camera I took in trade. My neighborhood camera shop is asking $69 for a nice one and I have seen several on eBay in the same price range. The Tewe has a very good parallax adjusment.

[joel_matherson]

The 105 brightline finder is hard to come by seperately, they usually only sell with the lenses. I just use the Nikon zoom finder, it isnt brightline though but does have a click stop for the 105 position.

[furcafe]

eBay, but you need to be willing to search for much longer than a few days. Or perhaps store & individuals (Ritz Collectibles, Kevin Cameras, etc.) who sell Nikon RF gear. I would like 1 myself, but as others have posted, all the brightline finders are desirable collectors's items (probably because they were produced in smaller numbers during the period when the Nikon SP, w/its built-in framelines, was being produced) & are likely to be expensive.

[b2 -]

Back Alley,

I think that brightlines speaks to the fact that rather than the edges of the finder being the edges of the frame, you actually have a line projected in the finder which tell you where the edges are. Often, brightline finders have a larger exit pupil (the hole you look through) than other types and are viewable without having to put your eye right up against the eye piece.

 

Harry, Jorn, et.al.

I have an older leica finder and a Tewe zoom finder which were fine five years ago.

 

Al,

From my research, Canon, Nikon and Komura have all made good one for 105mm (or 10.5cm). I have found a Canon 85 and 135, but nothing in 105 yet.

 

Christopher,

I tried Ritz, no brightline, but they had an Argus 100mm that looked good, but I do not think it would be any better than my Tewe. Priced very right though. They also have a Zoom finder, also from Argus that looks interesting http://www.ritzcam.com/catalog/images/Argus_Opt2.jpg but has a small exit pupil.

 

Everyone,

Thanks for the ideas, I know one is out there. B2 (;->:

[back_alley_.]

bill,

 

my sincerest thanks for your serious answer.

i find it amazing the 'variety' of answers usually given on this forum.

 

bill, i am awaiting the delivery of a canon 100 mm lens c/w finder. i have no idea if it is bright or not, but if it is i offer you the first opportunity to make an offer on it.

 

reasonable is all i ask and what i offer, in both questions & answers and in the cost of used equipment.

 

joe

[todd_phillips1]

I have an old Leitz VIDOM finder that starts at 35mm and goes to 135.

It has a 105 mark. I don't use it much...if your interested make me an offer off line. It's not a "brightline" but an all black area around a clear rectangle.

[peter_evans4]

Komura sold at least two, entirely different 105mm finders. I have one

that is, or anyway seems as if it ought to be, one of the best finders ever

made: it has a projected brightline. If you look at it from the front you

see a transparent rectangle on the right and a translucent one on the

left; the former provides the view and the latter the rectangle. Parallax

correction is calibrated in both metres and feet. Great! Now the bad

news: (i) the whole thing slightly droops down to the left, (ii) the

brightline isn't perfectly parallel with the outer view; (iii) the base of

the accessory, um, whatever it's called that plugs into the accessory

shoe [let's call this the foot] is flat, and therefore would conflict with

the parallax correction pin that comes up out of the old Canon (VL) that

I happen to be using these days; (iv) the foot is bent in on one side, and

so might not fit firmly in some accessory shoes; (v) the edges on the

parallax adjustment wheel are about the nastiest "eyeglass killers" that

I've ever seen. (Don't even think of using this doodad if you have plastic

lenses.) Somebody who knows what he's doing might well be able to

square everything up in this -- but perhaps might not. If there's anyone

here who's still interested, yes, I'd consider selling this thing (write to

me at peter at despammed dot com). (I'm also happy to provide detailed

photos of it, but for the next month or so will be too preoccupied with

other matters to be able to do so.)

[peter_evans4]

<p><em>the former provides the view and the latter the

rectangle</em></p><p>Duh, I meant that the former provides the view

and the latter the brightline.</p>

[al_kaplan1]

I doubt that Canon ever made a 105mm finder, but they did make one marked for 100mm, to use with their 100/3.5 and 100/2 lenses, both still in production while the 7 series cameras were in their line-up.

[Troll]

The 90mm framelines of the M2,3,4, and 5 actually match the field of a 105mm quite closely from 3 meters to infinity.

[jorn ake]

I was just buzzing around Ritz Collectibles' site (they are in Phoenix, AZ - my old hometown - so I like to check for old times sake) and they have a Tewes in stock with a couple good photos. <a href="http://www.ritzcam.com/catalog/frameset.php?category_id=560" >Ritz</a>

[chris_eve]

The "economically priced" Helios 35-85-135 brightline finder is very conservative in my experience, the 135 frame may well give a very good approximation to a full-frame 105. As it's a multi-frame finder, the 135 frame is unfortunately quite small.

[frank_reidelbach]

I have a Canon 100m brightline finder (automatic parallax correction with ball at Canon V/L/VI) which I would like to barter against a manual version with distance scale.. moreover I have another one for 135mm.

 

I like them. They are well made, nice, heavy and working well. I wouldn't expect a notable difference to the 105mm. 105mm is very Nikon special. There is no other manufacturer (except Leitz in the 30's) with this focal length. Anyway, the most common viewfinders from Canon are the older "hole" viewfinders whithout brightlines. I don't like them.

 

regards Frank

[peter_evans4]

<p><em>105mm is very Nikon special. There is no other manufacturer

(except Leitz in the 30's) with this focal length.</em></p><p>Wrong.

Merely for LTM, there were Komura, Sankyo (Acall), Meyer,

Voigtländer, National, Schneider, and Zeiss. My source:

<cite>Leica Copies</cite> by "HPR". I've seen examples of the Komura

and Acall lenses myself.</p>

[b2 -]

Thanks for all your ideas everyone. I am still in the hunt for one. I would think that Pres K (of CV fame) would make a few for the 85, 105 and 135 focal length. I have a feeling there is a small market, that could be profitable.

 

Keep your eyes open and thanks again.

 

B2 (;->

[b2 -]

I found a Komura (had to buy a 105 and 35 lens with it) which looks good. I will keep my eyes open for other brightlines with hope of a great one some day. The 90mm frames on my M6/4P seem to be 100% of the area covered by the 105. This works fine as I like to fill the frame with my subject normally.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

B2 (;->