Hasselblad Prism Finder ?

[michael_j._kravit]

Recently I got a great deal on a new Hassy 203FE body. A friend told

that I "must" have a prism finder. It makes focusing easier and in

general life a bit sweeter. With that in mind, I would appreciate

opinions from experienced users on the pros and cons of the 45 vs 90

degree prism. Also what folks think about just using the waist level

finder. My primary work involves landscapes and cityscape images. I

also shoot some macro from time to time.

 

<p>

 

In advance thanks.

 

<p>

 

Mike

[dave_jenkins]

Mike, if you're comfortable with the regular folding finder, there's

no reason why you shouldn't use it. It certainly makes the camera

more compact. My own preference is for the 45-degree prism because I

find the camera more comfortable to hold that way than at eye level.

You really need to handle all three and see what feels best to you.

[peter_hughes]

Personally, I prefer the 90 degree finders. I shoot mostly on a

tripod and the 90 degree finder lets me get eye-to-eye with my

subject. Also, you can use the excellent Hasselblad pistol grip to

shoot hand-held. But know that not all eye level finders are created

equal. My preference is the RM-2 which was designed for the 70mm

back. The image is the largest of any Hassy prism finder. The new

one, which is selling for $600 new, feels like the cheapened-down

junk that passes for a Hasselblad these days.

[terry_dent]

I have both a 90 and a 45 prism and I use them both in different situations. The 45 has a larger magnification but he PME-90 has an outstanding meter system. Whatever you get be sure it has the front flange notched or you won't be able to see your meter readings. All current model Hasselblad prisms have this notch. Terry

[bob_cook]

Mike: I bought the 45 degree finder. Like you, I shoot primarily

landscapes, and find that the 45 is easier to use when I want to shoot

close to the subject. Stream details are a good example. You want to

be on top of the detail, but you can have a more comfortable position

than with the 90, in my opinion. You should know that the prism

finder does not have as much magnification as the flip up magnifier in

the WL finder, but of course it blocks extraneous light better. It

shows approximately 92% of the actual on film image. Bob

[mark_spencer1]

Mike - Being you do primarily landcapes/cityscape work, you may

want to consider staying with the waistlevel ground-glass.

I find that when you see your compostion on a "flat, two-D"

surface it aids you in visualizing. Looking through a prism

has its place, but when you have the time and are attempting to

compose, nothing beats the good-old ground glass! I have both,

and do prefer the waistlevel finder for many situations.

Get both!

[ellis_vener_photography]

Two things that no else has mentioned.

 

<p>

 

1.) The weight of the prism finders, which are mostly a solid piece of high grade (i.e. heavy) German glass with an aluminum skin.

 

<p>

 

2.) The more philosophic concern of not having the camera in front of your face while shooting. I like using waist level finders because they force me to interact with the subject as a real world place, not just as an abstract 2-d representation. And it is easy to go back and forth from looking at the groundglass to looking at the real world.

 

<p>

 

Having said that, I also like the 45 degree finder, the one witout the meter.

[wayne_sircoulomb]

One thing that no one mentioned was the perspective of the final

photo. With the waist level finder the lens is always a little bit

lower than eye level and you can wind up looking up at the subject.

I'm tall enough that this is not too much of a problem, but I had an

assistant that needed to use a stool to bring the lens up to an

acceptable level. We probably shot 300 weddings with waist level

finders only. Now we use the 45 degree finders, in fact I prefer the

old NC2 finders made by Novaflex. They are less expensive used items

and the optics are very good. I used the 90 degree finders for

about a year, and their virtual image was too small for critical low

light use. Holding a medium format camera with prism up high enough

to look through a 90 also left me with very sore shoulders after an

all day wedding. However some bifocal users prefer the 90 degree

finders because they let you hold your head in a more natural

position. They say the 45 cocks the head down too much, and the waist

level finder is nearly impossible to use. As a matter of fact I

switched from the waist level finder to the 45 degree finder when I

stoped wearing contact lenses and went to trifocals. The 45's seem to

work best for me. By the way I ofter hear the complaint that the

image is reversed on the waist level finder and this is confusing, but

in use I can switch between waist level and prism and I never seem to

have trouble. I believe that this is a beginners problem that is

eliminated by experience.

 

<p>

 

Wayne Sircoulomb

Wichita, KS

[ken_eng]

I have a PM90 and it is very, very difficult to focus handheld. It's not bad on top of a tripod, but the image is just way to small for fast, accurate focusing. I've tried my friend's PME-3 prism (45 degree) and what a world of difference it made! Focusing with the 45 degree finder is so much easier! I'm seriously thinking of trading in my PM90 for a PM5!

[james_d._steele]

I have both and prefer the 90 degree. This really becomes an issue if

you ever use the A16 back and want to shoot verticals. If you use the

45 degree prism you are not facing the subject and it is awkward to

attempt to align the image properly even on a tripod.

[twmeyer]

The only time I use a finder is avoid having to use a ladder to look

down into the waist level (which is best when used...at waist level!).

This is almost always when photographing table top or still life.

Hanging upside down over a carefully balanced set can be extremely

counterproductive and gets old in a hurry.

 

<p>

 

Mark's point about reactive landscape photography is very true.

Compositional considerations become very evident, as he describes.

 

<p>

 

Ellis makes the excellent point concerning how the prism effects YOU.

 

<p>

 

And a living subject may react differently to you with a face... and

a camera, as opposed to you with a camera/face...t

[michael_j._kravit]

I want to thank everyone for the answers that I received. Not sure I

can make a decision yet, but the good news is that I will spend a

good deal of tine using the waist level finder first. I really like

the idea of interacting with the subject rather than having a camera

stuck in my face.

 

<p>

 

I will also try out both the 45 degree and 90 degree prism's before

making a decision.

 

<p>

 

So far I love the new camera. I like the dynamic quality images that

the MF provides. I like the fact that I must slow down and think

before pushing the shutter release.

 

<p>

 

I never expected such a large response with such a thorough

compliment of well thought out responses. Thank you all.

 

<p>

 

Mike

[dominique_cesari]

I have both 45 and 90 prism finders, so have not to parish. 45 is surely better for all-round use. 90 is really useful (and nearly a must) for vertical framing with 6x4,5 backs.

Try a 45 degrees finder like PME3 PME5, PME51 and you probably feel consistantly more comfortable than with folding viewer. It is worth the extra weight.

Regards,

Dominique

[dominique_cesari]

Oops!

As you have a 203 Fe you need the PME5 or PME51 to have the notch keeping the internal measuring scale in your sight.

[guy___]

I have two old HC-4 90 degree prisms which I will probably never give

up. They have +/- 5 diopter sight adjustment. I think the image is

larger than some of the current prisms. The one drawback is the fact

that you have to get your eye very close to it. Forget it if you

wear glasses. These are very, very well made.

 

<p>

 

Another suggestion is the non-folding look-down chimney style

viewer. These are much sharper than the standard waist level

finder. I just got mine out & it is extremely sharp in the corners,

as well in the center. It is also very adjustable for a variety of

different diopter corrections. It is also very bright. I would say

that this is the finest viewing accessory available for the

Hasselblad regarding helping you quickly and accurately focus. Check

it out.