1:1 Viewfinders?

Eliot · Feb 11, 2016

Other than Leicas and Voigtlanders, are there any (cheaper) SLR or rangefinder cameras that have a 1:1 magnification viewfinder or something close?

I'd really like to get a camera that I can use with both eyes open that doesn't distort my view.

AgX · Feb 11, 2016

(I was writing nonsense...)

02Pilot · Feb 11, 2016

Canon P.

Les Sarile · Feb 11, 2016

I really prefer the larger magnifications as I can achieve faster more precise critical focus and these are the largest magnification viewfinders that I have.

Pentax LX FB-1+FD-1 = 1.00X magnification, FE-1 1.35X magnification
Pentax MX 0.97X magnification
Olympus OM1 0.92X magnification
Olympus OM2 0.92X magnification

With the OM-1&2, you will start to notice the difference.

Chan Tran · Feb 11, 2016

For an SLR the magnification refers to the 50mm lens. When you change lenses the magnification is going to be different.

Bill Burk · Feb 11, 2016

I always liked the Pentax Spotmatic family with a 50mm lens. Pretty sure it's 1:1

ic-racer · Feb 11, 2016

Any camera with a non-optical Sportsfinder. Many cheap cameras have these.

albada · Feb 12, 2016

Miranda Sensorex, with 50mm lens.

GRHazelton · Feb 12, 2016

Nikon S2

Newt_on_Swings · Feb 12, 2016

This will give you 1:1 with any camera with both eyes open...

https://obscurecamera.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/voigtlander-kontur-finder/

miha · Feb 12, 2016

Leica R4, R4s, R4 Mod.2 aka R4P. Easy with both eyes open. Cheap, lenses less so. All other Rs have higher eyepoint / less mag.

markbarendt · Feb 12, 2016

Nikon F 1-6 if memory serves.

John Koehrer · Feb 12, 2016

markbarendt said:
Nikon F 1-6 if memory serves.

100% viewing area but the there are at least two different magnifications(I think) with different finders.

albada · Feb 13, 2016

albada said:
Miranda Sensorex, with 50mm lens.

Not quite. I just checked, and my Sensorex is almost but not quite 100%. I thought I remembered 100% from when I had a Sensorex as a teen-ager, but I must have misremembered.

Warning: Even if a VF has 100%, I discovered that you probably still can *not* use it with both eyes open because the SLR's eye is shifted downward a few cm, shifting the image down, and my brain could not converge them. So I think the only way you're going to use both eyes open is to use a rangefinder with 1:1 such as the Konica IIIA/IIIM.

Mark Overton

Les Sarile · Feb 13, 2016

albada said:
Warning: Even if a VF has 100%, I discovered that you probably still can *not* use it with both eyes open because the SLR's eye is shifted downward a few cm, shifting the image down, and my brain could not converge them. So I think the only way you're going to use both eyes open is to use a rangefinder with 1:1 such as the Konica IIIA/IIIM.

Mark Overton

None of the SLR's I listed above have this distortion and I don't recall seeing it from any others that I have so I am curious which ones do?

albada · Feb 14, 2016

Les Sarile said:
None of the SLR's I listed above have this distortion and I don't recall seeing it from any others that I have so I am curious which ones do?

The lens of an SLR is a few cm below your eye, so its viewpoint is lower, causing the image-shift I mentioned. If your brain can converge that shifted image, then your brain is wired better than mine. I could converge such an image as a teen, but no longer.

darkosaric · Feb 14, 2016

I personally do not want to have both eyes open while taking the shoot: In Leica viewfinder you see outside the frame anyhow (if this is what you want), and with one eye closed actually you get better two-dimensional perspective of what will come in the picture.

Gerald C Koch · Feb 14, 2016

A 1:1 magnification is not popular due to framing errors. Better to have a bit of leeway in the darkroom. In addition if the viewfinder shows a bit more it is helpful for shots that involve action. You know just before the subject enters the negative frame. In addition your brain will become accustomed to ignoring the other eye. Anyone using a single ocular microscope is familiar with the effect.

AgX · Feb 14, 2016

Is there any 35mm SLR that shows on the groundglass image areas beyond te image-frame?

Les Sarile · Feb 14, 2016

Gerald C Koch said:
A 1:1 magnification is not popular due to framing errors. Better to have a bit of leeway in the darkroom.

I believe you are thinking of view finder coverage rather than magnification.

Les Sarile · Feb 14, 2016

AgX said:
Is there any 35mm SLR that shows on the groundglass image areas beyond te image-frame?

This would require a viewfinder coverage of greater than 100% and I have not encountered any in the SLR world.

Les Sarile · Feb 14, 2016

albada said:
The lens of an SLR is a few cm below your eye, so its viewpoint is lower, causing the image-shift I mentioned. If your brain can converge that shifted image, then your brain is wired better than mine. I could converge such an image as a teen, but no longer.

Since I am well beyond my teen years perhaps this is more noticeable in extreme closeups and not so much when the subject is farther away?

miha · Feb 15, 2016

AgX said:
Is there any 35mm SLR that shows on the groundglass image areas beyond te image-frame?

Yes, Leica R8/R9 with DMR.

bence8810 · Feb 15, 2016

Konica III / IIIa / IIIm.

You can read about them here - great little rangefinder with a superb lens. I have one (IIIa) and it's fantastic.

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/koni3.html

Ben

02Pilot · Feb 15, 2016

bence8810 said:
Konica III / IIIa / IIIm.

You can read about them here - great little rangefinder with a superb lens. I have one (IIIa) and it's fantastic.

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/koni3.html

Ben

Minor correction: the IIIa and IIIm do have a 1:1 finder, but the original III does not (and is in fact quite small).

1:1 Viewfinders?

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