Waist level viewfinder old style

[vid_stojevic]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>Just received a wlv - old style, with the square magnifier, and was wondering if the following is normal. </p>

<p>First. It seems like a delicate art to unfold the thing. Pushing the knob to the right, sometimes brings the sides and the magnifier up all at once. Sometimes they don't come up in order, and there is a jam. So what I need to do is only give a very delicate push and lift - then the magnifier doesn't seem to come up. Is this normal?</p>

<p>Second, and more worrying. It is possible to push the sides down so that they hit the focusing screen. One can be careful, but still.</p>

<p>Many thanks,</p>

<p>Vid</p>

[ulrik]

<p>The magnifier should not come up when you open the finder. Watch out for the reason, a little bit of bending at the right spot should do. Old focussing screens often show scratches because of careless folding the sides down too far. Especially screens with microprisms in the center.</p>

<p>Ulrik</p>

[ulrik]

<p>If you think this finder is delicate then look at the even earlier type with round loupe from the Hasselblad 1600 F/1000 F/early 500 C-aera.</p>

<p>Ulrik</p>

[vid_stojevic]

<p>Cheers.<br>

Is there any way to tell its age?<br>

From your description i think it's more or less as it should be. It's only when I whip it open really that everything comes up all at once. <br>

Otherwise, I think it looks better than the new one, with the metal hinge, and I like the square magnifier better as well - it's easier to see the whole frame at once. One more question. Is the diopter meant to be exchangeable? The attached one is not exactly scratched but looks a bit muddy from cleaning.</p>

[vid_stojevic]

<p>>>Especially screens with microprisms in the center.<br>

This is a bit worrying. It seemed to me like the metal frame can only touch the edges of the focusing screen.<br>

<br /></p>

[q.g._de_bakker]

<p>Don't worry about scratching the screen. And you're right that the sides do not touch - if they ever they do - the center of the screens.</p>

<p>There is no way to tell a finders age, except very broadly, by type.<br>

The oldest folding finder (with struts) was produced from about 1947 to 1961. The next one (with the square lens) from 1961 until 1983. The latest one (with hinges on the sides) from 1983 until today.</p>

<p>The lens in the second type (with square lens) is not exchangeable. You need the latest type for that.</p>

[vid_stojevic]

<p>Thanks. I have the newest type as well, but think I'll prefer to shoot with the square lens type.</p>

[timothypuccetti]

<p>I've got a newest style waist level finder and the little hing pins on that small back rectangular flap fell out. It's the smaller rectangular flap that hinges and that has the pins with the springs that lift the walls up. There are 4 pins altogether on this flap. First, the two pins without the springs fell out and then the others fell out. They are about the size of sewing needles which didn't inspire any confidence in me.<br>

I carefully put all the pins back in and then they kept coming loose. It seems that there was a gap of about an eighth of an inch between the pins in the center after the pins were back inside the hinges. I don't know if this was missing a center insert or if it was just designed badly -- I got it used and it came like that. So, I got the pins to stay put by tapping the edges of the sheet metal hinges shut with a hammer and punch so that the pins couldn't slide back out. Now it works but it's unsightly underneath and I can't return it of course.</p>

<p>Now I'm wondering if I should buy an older style finder that had the sliding button to open it because maybe they were made more durable than the newest style, or did I just have a finder with missing pieces that were supposed to hold the pins in place. I can't see how the pins can stay in place the way I received it. One pin is inserted and pushed to the left and one is pushed to the right starting at the center of each hinge. Then there is a gap in the center. What is holding the pins in place underneath on the newest style finders that other people have? Do they make non Hasselblad copies of the newest style waist level finders now? Maybe I got a non Hasselblad finder.</p>

<p>Tim</p>

[timothypuccetti]

<p>I've got a newest style waist level finder and the little hing pins on that small back rectangular flap fell out. It's the smaller rectangular flap that hinges and that has the pins with the springs that lift the walls up. There are 4 pins altogether on this flap. First, the two pins without the springs fell out and then the others fell out. They are about the size of sewing needles which didn't inspire any confidence in me.<br>

I carefully put all the pins back in and then they kept coming loose. It seems that there was a gap of about an eighth of an inch between the pins in the center after the pins were back inside the hinges. I don't know if this was missing a center insert or if it was just designed badly -- I got it used and it came like that. So, I got the pins to stay put by tapping the edges of the sheet metal hinges shut with a hammer and punch so that the pins couldn't slide back out. Now it works but it's unsightly underneath and I can't return it of course.</p>

<p>Now I'm wondering if I should buy an older style finder that had the sliding button to open it because maybe they were made more durable than the newest style, or did I just have a finder with missing pieces that were supposed to hold the pins in place. I can't see how the pins can stay in place the way I received it. One pin is inserted and pushed to the left and one is pushed to the right starting at the center of each hinge. Then there is a gap in the center. What is holding the pins in place underneath on the newest style finders that other people have? Do they make non Hasselblad copies of the newest style waist level finders now? Maybe I got a non Hasselblad finder.</p>

<p>Tim</p>

[timothypuccetti]

<p>Here is a photo of the underside of the finder</p>

[timothypuccetti]

<p>And here -- the finder does say Hasselblad on the magnifying flap. So, I guess that rules out the aftermarket question. If those hinge pins are only held in by friction then I expect to see a lot of them falling apart in a few years.</p><div></div>

[q.g._de_bakker]

<p>Timothy,</p>

<p>The thing that is holding the pins in place is friction. A tight fit.<br />Helped, however, by a tiny spring (red arrow below) that is between the left and right pins, pushing them out.</p>

<p><img src="http://home.tiscali.nl/qnu/PN/Finder.jpg" alt="" width="506" height="434" /></p>

<p>Sounds like the finder lost these tiny springs.</p>

<p>The older style finders are fine, but do also suffer when abused (they don't like moisture in particular, but brute force also is not something they relish). Sprinks will (rust and) break, hinges will fail, panels get bent.<br />I don't think the new style finder is less reliable. It is a lot easier to use, though.</p>

<p>Only Kiev makes finders that fit on Hasselblads. But they look distinctly different.</p>