Are there really no alternative SWC finders?!

jodad · Apr 29, 2019

It is generally agreed that the native SWC finders are not accurate enough for framing without some guessing.
The alternative is a massively overpriced angle finder from Voigtlander that is so rare now because it was a limited run manufacture.

Are there really no other external 6x6 finders out there that match the focal length?

Aren't there some guys out there that make custom viewfinders relatively cheaply (I'm sure I've read about this...)? Shouldn't they be able to make something like this?

Sirius Glass · Apr 29, 2019

The SWC finder has a built in bubble leveler. In the later views finders the bubble leveler shows up in the view finder. If I need to see the exact coverage I mount the camera on a tripod, remove the film back and the view finder, attach an adapter and put on a 45 degree viewfinder to look at the image. Once set up, I remove all the added equipment, replace the view finder and film back, take the photograph, and remove the camera from the tripod. I usually take the tripod with me when I walk away.

cramej · Apr 29, 2019

At longer distances, the parallax problem is minimized. I find that framing loose and a little bit low is sufficient. There is a diagram in the 903 SWC manual that shows the distance between lens and finder and the viewfinder vs image coverage. It's about as general in description as it can be and basically says that if you really need accurate framing, use the focusing screen adapter and a finder.

Sirius Glass · Apr 29, 2019

Major Hint: I put yellow tape on the lens cap and on the lens hood to remind me to take off the lens cap before firing the shutter.

Luckless · Apr 29, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Major Hint: I put yellow tape on the lens cap and on the lens hood to remind me to take off the lens cap before firing the shutter.

Do you just fit the tape to them just to increase visibility?

I no longer have any cameras that need it, but in the past I've put a loop of tape that extended past the lens cover and would intrude into the view finder if the cap was still on. [Also made one into a nice tab that could clip into a carabiner when not on the camera, but I was on the fence about it as it also felt more at risk of snagging stuff.]

Theo Sulphate · Apr 29, 2019

My SWC came with a groundglass frame I can attach in place of the A12 back, though Sirius' adapter+finder is a much better solution.

In practice, I just use the regular SWC finder and any cropping is done in the darkroom.

This is my SWC, an older one. Looking through the finder, it does show both the bubble level and the lens settings.

Trask · Apr 29, 2019

I’ve toyed with the idea of making a new finder from a right-angle finder for an SLR connected to a “wide-angle view” screw-on element that camcorders and such used to use, but that project waits for another day. I feel your pain about the Voigtlander finders — they sold out quickly, so I’m always amazed that a manufacturer makes an item that sells well, then decides not to make any more. Yes, I would think someone on Shapeways would come up with an alternative finder — I’m still waiting.

But on a practical level, I just remind myself that if I’m shooting close I need to displace the camera vertically a couple of inches so the taking lens is where the viewing lens used to me. Like using a TLR at close focusing distance. And here’s a neat formula I read about the SWC — that the square imaginary image being taken by the Biogon lens is a square, each side of which being 1.5X the distance from the camera to the subject. So, if your camera is set to 6 feet, the SWC is going to capture an image that is 9 feet on a side. I find bearing that in mind helps at least with an initial mental idea of what the camera will be seeing.

NJH · Apr 29, 2019

The SWC finder is IMHO at least as good as most of the rangefinder WA solutions and better than many (the hilariously useless Leica zoom finder springs to mind, not the one with the presets the round one). As Theo says you frame a little loosely or you use the ground glass back.

There is actually one very good reason for using the glass back, one of the things that catches me out sometimes is lack of parallelism with the subject in the same plane as the film. As the view is so wide a tiny twist left or right in the horizontal can result in a big effect in the end result, and of course the bubble level tells you nothing about this adjustment. Should be able to see it on a ground glass though.

Sirius Glass · Apr 29, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Major Hint: I put yellow tape on the lens cap and on the lens hood to remind me to take off the lens cap before firing the shutter.

I can see either through the SWC view finder.

Maris · Apr 29, 2019

I've used the SWC upside down for landscape photography. Why? In the normal orientation the lens blocks the view through the finder and the all important foreground detail can't be seen. Upside down the foreground is fully seen and the vignetting is up in the sky where there's no critical detail anyway.

M. Axel Wikstrom · Apr 29, 2019

The SWC's finder doesn't give the full view either. There always seems to be more in the frame than the finder suggests. As others mentioned, the only real way to see what's going to be on the film is to use the ground glass adapter and then play musical chairs with the back and adapter; but with practice one can become good at estimating what will be recorded. For critical focus, especially at close distances, use the ground glass, or physically measure the distance.

c41 · Apr 30, 2019

I got lucky finding a Voigtlander finder a few years ago and consider it well worth it but the original finder on my SWC/M is foggy and cracked so I needed something anyway.
It'd be nice if there were some cheap option as I have to be very careful using mine, I really wouldn't use my SWC without it.

But it is a Hasselblad and many accessories can be stupidly overpriced - the ground glass + viewing hood could cost the same as another s/h 6x6 finder.
I have no idea why Voigtlander stopped making them but seem to release a new lens every month.

Luis-F-S · Apr 30, 2019

I’ve only used an SWC for some 40 years and it’s never been an issue. I guess I’ve never noticed.

Sirius Glass · Apr 30, 2019

Luis-F-S said:
I’ve only used an SWC for some 40 years and it’s never been an issue. I guess I’ve never noticed.

+1, but not 40 years, more like 7 or 8 years.

Sirius Glass · Apr 30, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
The SWC finder has a built in bubble leveler. In the later views finders the bubble leveler shows up in the view finder. If I need to see the exact coverage I mount the camera on a tripod, remove the film back and the view finder, attach an adapter and put on a 45 degree viewfinder to look at the image. Once set up, I remove all the added equipment, replace the view finder and film back, take the photograph, and remove the camera from the tripod. I usually take the tripod with me when I walk away.

Sirius Glass said:
Major Hint: I put yellow tape on the lens cap and on the lens hood to remind me to take off the lens cap before firing the shutter.

Sirius Glass said:
I can see either through the SWC view finder.

mshchem · Apr 30, 2019

Theo Sulphate said:
My SWC came with a groundglass frame I can attach in place of the A12 back, though Sirius' adapter+finder is a much better solution.

In practice, I just use the regular SWC finder and any cropping is done in the darkroom.

This is my SWC, an older one. Looking through the finder, it does show both the bubble level and the lens settings.

View attachment 222538

Those are such beautiful cameras. I've wanted one for 40 years. Maybe I should take the plunge.

mshchem · Apr 30, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
View attachment 222649 View attachment 222650 View attachment 222651

That is so cool. Widest Hasselblad lens I have is a 50.

Theo Sulphate · Apr 30, 2019

mshchem said:
Those are such beautiful cameras. I've wanted one for 40 years. Maybe I should take the plunge.

mshchem said:
That is so cool. Widest Hasselblad lens I have is a 50.

I don't think you'd regret getting a SWC. Although I am not fond of anything wider than 28mm (in 35mm format), the SWC's 38mm Biogon (24mm equivalent) is just magical. It is better than Hasselblad's 40mm lens because of its optical corrections. I've done architectural photography with my SWC and can attest that it gives perfectly straight vertical lines right out to the edges. I'm certain I've used my SWC more than all the other lenses on my 500-series put together.

Sirius Glass · Apr 30, 2019

mshchem said:
Those are such beautiful cameras. I've wanted one for 40 years. Maybe I should take the plunge.

mshchem said:
That is so cool. Widest Hasselblad lens I have is a 50.

Have you considered the 30mm Fisheye?

mshchem · Apr 30, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Have you considered the 30mm Fisheye?

View attachment 222657

Oh no no no!

Richard Man · Apr 30, 2019

The Voigtlander finder is amazing. I have tested it against the ground glass, and it's pretty dead on (minus parallax issues at close distance). Some guy claim he could modify a regular voigtlander angle finder, which cost ~$200-$300 to have the framelines suitable for the SWC. That maybe a possibility.

Richard Man · Apr 30, 2019

Just taken 2 Sunday ago.

M. Axel Wikstrom · Apr 30, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Have you considered the 30mm Fisheye?

View attachment 222657

Fisheyes can be fun, but very limited to me. A rectilinear lens is far more useful.

Sirius Glass · Apr 30, 2019

M. Axel Wikstrom said:
Fisheyes can be fun, but very limited to me. A rectilinear lens is far more useful.

I agree.

Luis-F-S · May 1, 2019

Luis-F-S said:
I’ve only used an SWC for some 40 years and it’s never been an issue. I guess I’ve never noticed.

Bought new from B&H in 1979, probably paid for itself 20 or more times. Still have it, upgraded it to a SCW/M in the 1980's. Great camera!

Are there really no alternative SWC finders?!

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