Linhof Multifocus Viewfinders - Old v. New Models

[peter_lewitt]

I'm interested in using one of these viewfinders instead of my

black cutout card, and also mounted on a Super Graphic. I've

never seen one in the flesh. The older ones for sale on ebay

seem to have very small eyepieces. Will this be a problem with

eyeglasses? Will this be yet another little hole to squint into? I

haven't found any relevant threads, except people say that they

are useful things.

 

Any information about using them, old models v. newer,

accuracy, problems, limitations, etc. would be helpful.

 

Thanks to all the people who contribute their information to this

forum. It has saved me a considerable amount of time

reinventing the wheel.

 

 

Peter Lewitt

[bob haight]

I have the newer version but really don't use it much. If you don't have it I wouldn't get one. The main purpose is to allow handheld photography for which it is a must. If your taking the time to set up and compose on a tripod the advantage is minimal. Further I use the shoe on my Master Tech for a hotshoe level. One more step and one more thing to keep up with.

[Troll]

VERY squinty! I can't use it with glasses, at all. ALso, the earlier models don't clearly define the frame edges, whereas the current ones have nice, crisp edges. I prefer a standard Pacemaker or Super Graphic Viewfinder with the correct size mask to the older Linhof.

[neal_shields]

The other day, I had a chance to compare my old one to a friend's new one.

 

His seemed clearer, and brighter. My old one requires a mask for 75mm and his doesn't. With my mask there seems to be a bit of distortion.

 

I haven't tried it, but I suspect neither would work well with glasses.

 

I use mine to decide which lens to use, and where to shoot from before I get the camera out, and love it for that. I have never used it for its intended purpose.

 

Neal

[mark_cudworth]

I have an old model, which came with my Tech III. I find it useful for checking potential compositions without having to set up the camera. I can use it with my glasses when set for 150mm or greater lenses, but I have to remove my glasses to use it at the 90mm setting. (I only have 90mm, 150mm and 300mm lenses.)

 

I find mine to be a useful gadget and I am glad I have it, but I don't think I would pay the high prices I see on eBay for it. (Mine was free with the purchase of the camera.)

[emile_de_leon9]

I think you will like the newer one better for it's intended purpose. I don't use mine a lot but it is nice to have around when you need it. I use mine to verify the corners of my 12x20 when using a slow lens in a dark room.This alone is worth the price. Also good to see position and lens focal length without setting up camera.

[brian_ellis3]

I recently purchased the current version and I've played around with the older version. I bought mine with the idea of using it in place of a viewing card. However, I'm disappointed in it for that use. First, it isn't easy to carry the thing around outside the backpack. I ended up putting it in a lens pouch and hooking the lens pouch to my belt, where it bounces around against my leg as I walk. Second, the hole is indeed a little hole you squint through. Kind of like using a 35mm camera again. Third, and most importantly to me, I find the current version very awkward to hand-hold and use. To change the focal length with the old one you held it up to your eye with one hand and slid the finder back and forth with the other hand. It was pretty easy to do that while keeping it at your eye. With the new one you rotate a circular focal length selector instead of sliding it back and forth. So to use it you hold it up to your eye with one hand and then point your elbow towards the sky and kind of reach up and around to rotate it with your other hand. Very awkward. I now think I'll go back to my viewing card for general scene selection and then after I've selected a general area put the finder on the camera and refine the composition without having to change lenses to do so. That's a valid use of it I think but not one I would have paid hundreds of dollars to get. If I had it to do over I'd certainly forget the current model and either abandon the idea entirely or at least get the easier to use older version for a lot less money.

[stefan_dalibor]

Don't know about the old one, but I tried the new finder at Photokina (looking for an aid in where to set up the camera).<br>

For me, the new Linhof finder was really hard to use w/ glasses (at every focal length)... the Horseman viewer I tried at their booth was much better in this respect, but the equally high price prevented me from buying it until now. Before shelling out that much money, as an eye-glass wearer I'd check out the Horseman device (althouth it had a slightly more limited zoom range than the Linhof finder).

[upscan]

Peter: Ignore Linhof's original intended purpose; suggest you use it as a scouting tool. Use the new one.

 

Brian: Use a tool handle such as used on some 3/8" drills and screw it on the socket of a flash foot (these things are available with a 1/4" screw-on socket), then mount the viewfinder on the foot. Put a string through a drilled hole on the handle and mount the viewfinder on the flash foot and voila, you have a portable viewfinder. Great for scouting compositions, easier to carry and set up than a camera. Gives you good idea of perspective with wide angles. A great time saver and helps bring back keepers. Best tool around!

[ole_tjugen]

I have an old one, and glasses. I have never had any problem with this combination.

 

It's great as a scouting tool, less useful as a viewfinder.

[nick_mccooke]

I have the old one (bought for a few tens of dollars) and also wear glasses. Without modification, it is diffcult to use at the 90mm setting. I have machined a larger hole in the aluminum eye piece and also reduced the depth of the eyepiece. I have also put plastic tape over the surface of the eyepiece so that it does not scratch my glasses when I press up against it. With these modifications, it now works well down to 90mm.

[emil_ems1]

Peter,

 

I use the oldest version of the Linhof finder, which is also the cheapest and, in my opinion, best.

 

Although I can agree with the view that 90mm can not be seen comfortably w glasses on, the rest of the focus lengths are quite easy to glance at.

 

What I did was let an optician put a correction lens in the inside of the black viewing piece that you screw into the viewer from the back. this cost me just a few dollars. Since then, using the finder is a lark.

 

When in the field, I carry the finder around my neck in a small camera carrying pouch. I hardly notice the pouch until I need the viewer. I use the viewer in three ways: (i) to check motives to find position and right focal length, (ii) on the view camera while setting the camera up, to ensure precise positioning; and (iii) on top of my Technica III when I do some free hand shooting.

 

This is a marvelous instrument, Peter, go for it if you can find it cheaply on ebay. The oldest version has a screw to adjust the focal length. Later versions (still not the present one) have a push button to slide for focal length adjustment. Those are more expensive and, actually, not as good as the oldest ones.

[chris_ellinger2]

I have one of the older slide adjusting type, and find it awkward to use while wearing glasses. I prefer a cutout card.