Forster 35 mm - 50 mm Viewfinder for LTM

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

I bought it for my Zorki. Can you give some history details of it ? Is it Leitz made or American - British made. Do 50mm finder have parallax compensation ?

Thanks,

Umut

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

 

[John Koehrer]

Easier questions would take all the fun out of it.

It does have parallax correction. The rear frame raises and lowers. Distances are on the back of the channel it slides in.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Thanks John, I googled Forster brand but I found only a Leica body made for measuring the roughness of a surface , not optical but a wheel attached to the body. I found Forster as hunting gear maker but I dont know they were the same companies.

I agree with you John about questioning.

 

[AJB]

FORSTER VIEWFINDER

Hello - I found your page via a Google Search. I recently bought one of these viewfinders on Ebay. Enclosed are a few photo’s…..


Also enclosed is a photo of an original boxed set. I got this from the internet but I’ve been unable to re-locate the website I obtained this from. I seem to remember doing a Google search and having to go fairly deep - like the 5th or 6th page of results - before finding the page of an American retailer who was selling it about 3 months ago. He’s probably sold it by now.



Unfortunately I can’t determine the country of origin - but I have a feeling it might be American judging by the layout of the box. However this is pure guesswork. It might be from the U.K.


As you can see you have 2 pieces missing - the inserts for longer focal lengths.


I’ve got the insert for 73mm and 85/90mm lenses. However I don’t have the insert for the 135mm focal length.


You might be able to have a metal-worker make one for you. I've no idea of the size of the 135mm aperture but you might be able to work this out from the photo. The dimensions for the 73mm and 85/90mm insert are as follows…..


INTERNAL ……… 18mm x 27mm



I bought the viewfinder for a Sigma DP-3 Merrill digital camera. This has a fixed (non-zoom) lens that is the equivalent of a 75mm lens (in 35mm terms). The unusual 73mm focal length would almost certainly refer to a Leica Hektor F1.9 lens which I think was produced from the late 1940's.

The viewfinder was slightly twisted when it arrived and I had to bend it back into shape using pliers. It now works perfectly. I much prefer using this viewfinder to holding the camera at arm's length.

Anyway - hope this helps. Get in touch if you have any questions. It would seem to be quite a rare item.

REGARDS

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Hello,

Welcome to APUG , Thank you for helping me for 135mm because I was having hard times to figure out 135mm Hektor.

I tried to measure your picture and found long side of 135mm viewfinder insert 15mm or so.

I will cut a aluminum thin piece with laser and install there. I think there would be deep parallax for 2 meters distance portraits but still better than to point the lens without nothing , .

Forster have a very short lenght parallax compensation and with these barnacks , important thing is experience.

Thank you very much and stick to forum , amazing place and no chance to learn things without it.

best,

Umut

 

[darkosaric]

AJB: welcome to APUG, great entry post!!

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

+1

 

[AJB]

FORSTER VIEWFINDER - 2

Hello again Umut




I’m glad you found my post to be helpful. However I think that using laser machinery to cut a mask for a 135mm lens would be incredibly time-consuming and expensive …. especially when all you have to go by would be a fairly low-definition photograph. You might want to use cardboard or even thick paper to start with.


Making a suitable mask from aluminium would certainly be an interesting technical challenge but personally I think this would be enormously difficult. I’d suggest going a different direction.


I had a quick look on U.K. Ebay and came up with this item……


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/E-Leitz-W...5-mm-SCHOOC-/121712412206?hash=item1c56a0062e


As you can see it’s a genuine Leica viewfinder and it does have parallax correction. I think this might suit your needs better. Also there are other viewfinders available for 135mm.


Incidentally here’s a couple of links to a really good website devoted to viewfinders……..


http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photograph...ources/RF-Nikkor/Leica_RF/LeicaSportframe.htm


http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photograph...sources/RF-Nikkor/Leica_RF/Leica-Finder_G.htm


From personal experience using the Forster viewfinder can actually be quite tricky as even with a 75mm lens it’s sometimes difficult not to tilt the camera so that it’s pointing in the wrong direction. With a 135mm lens I think you’d have severe problems.


Even with a digital camera like the Sigma DP-3 Merrill with it’s instant feedback it took me some time to learn to hold it properly. With a 35mm film camera like your Zorki the feedback would take a long time.


Also, in answer to another of your points, I actually found that the parallax correction was in fact quite good. It does seem to work well - at least with a 75mm lens. As you can see from one of the above links even Leica used a similar system.


Anyway - best of luck whatever you decide.


REGARDS

 

[AJB]

Hello Darko - Your deviant art gallery is excellent. REGARDS

 

[AJB]

FORSTER VIEWFINDER - 3 additional note ....

Hello again Umut

Incidentally a great way of testing a viewfinder for parallax and to get feedback on if you're holding the camera correctly is to take photo's of oil-paintings hanging on a wall. They're generally rectangular and if they're approximately 3:2 format even better. You try to get the painting in the exact middle of the frame. Take the photo square on. Any errors will show up and you can make adjustments accordingly.

This tip is from experience.

All the best.....