Hasselblad PME90 rubber eye cup replacement

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

Recently acquired PME90 prism has brittle rubber eye cup. Still stuck on but has a crack and basically the flip out part will separate with a couple more touches.

Is there anything out there that would fit ?

This question also covers any of other Hasselblad finders whose eye cup would fit, so my search options would be widened considerably.

rorye · Feb 26, 2023

Hassasin said:
Recently acquired PME90 prism has brittle rubber eye cup. Still stuck on but has a crack and basically the flip out part will separate with a couple more touches.

Is there anything out there that would fit ?

This question also covers any of other Hasselblad finders whose eye cup would fit, so my search options would be widened considerabl

I bought a couple from this site a couple of years ago, they arrived in a week or so and fit perfectly.

Rubber Eye Cup for Hasselblad or Kiev medium format prism viewfinders.

Made in Ukraine. Shipping worldwide.

araxfoto.com

Sirius Glass · Feb 26, 2023

I would like to get the round eye cup for the SWC. Any suggestions?

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
I would like to get the round eye cup for the SWC. Any suggestions?

Do you mean for the new style finder with bubble in view?

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

rorye said:
I bought a couple from this site a couple of years ago, they arrived in a week or so and fit perfectly.

Rubber Eye Cup for Hasselblad or Kiev medium format prism viewfinders.

Made in Ukraine. Shipping worldwide.

araxfoto.com

Thanks. Oddly I am awaiting the same thing, but from description was not sure if PME90 will take it.

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
I would like to get the round eye cup for the SWC. Any suggestions?

SWC 903 eye cup, people have some nerve

Sirius Glass · Feb 26, 2023

Hassasin said:
Do you mean for the new style finder with bubble in view?

Yes

Sirius Glass · Feb 26, 2023

Hassasin said:
SWC 903 eye cup, people have some nerve

That is a bit pricey.

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
That is a bit pricey.

If I see what I think I saw last year I will let you know, that was just 10-15 bucks for the cup, but possibly the older finder. Need to look it up, not sure where I saw it.

eli griggs · Feb 26, 2023

Hassasin said:
Recently acquired PME90 prism has brittle rubber eye cup. Still stuck on but has a crack and basically the flip out part will separate with a couple more touches.

Is there anything out there that would fit ?

This question also covers any of other Hasselblad finders whose eye cup would fit, so my search options would be widened considerably.

Try using a quality Super Glue, Loctite offers many, and a thicker needle, to apply dots of glue along the eyecup section and the mounting section.

Press these together twice as long as recommended and wait an hour or more to test the fit.

You might have to reglue the lower ring mount, if you do, simply cover the entire line there.

Let us know the results if you try this, please.

Sirius Glass · Feb 26, 2023

Rubber cement will do the job and is safer and easier to use than Super Glue.

Hassasin · Feb 26, 2023

eli griggs said:
Try using a quality Super Glue, Loctite offers many, and a thicker needle, to apply dots of glue along the eyecup section and the mounting section.

Press these together twice as long as recommended and wait an hour or more to test the fit.

You might have to reglue the lower ring mount, if you do, simply cover the entire line there.

Let us know the results if you try this, please.

Thanks, this was on my list to try, but rubber is in a state which does not spell any more longevity. I will wait for the Arax’s version now and go from there. Will post back on this.

Michael Mutmansky · Feb 27, 2023

Hassasin said:
SWC 903 eye cup, people have some nerve

I'm not even sure that's the correct eyecup for the viewfinder. The corrrect one has a small hole in the rubber about 1/2 way to the edge (I have no idea why it has this).

See here:

https://aucfree.com/items/f278033194

About 1 or 1-1/2 years ago, you could buy a "real" (As in, I think, Chinese knockoff) eyecup to fit the viewfinder on Ebay. I think that's one in the link above. I had just purchased the camera (a late SWC/M) and a newer VF and went to buy one and discovered that the people who were selling them all sold out a week or so before... and they haven't been listed as available since then. At that time, they were selling them for $20 (and I would have bought a few!).

I'm still watching, but I haven't seen them listed since. If you do spot a seller with some somewhere, please let us know!

I was wondering if anyone has one of these 500-series sports finders:

Hasselblad 500 Sports Finder | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Hasselblad 500 Sports Finder at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

It has an eyecup on it that could very well be about the right size to work on the 903/905 viewfinder... I don't see why Hassselblad would create an all-new part if they already had something the would do the job, so I'm hopeful that the one in that link might work...

Hassasin · Feb 27, 2023

To update on the PME90 with Arax cup option: it actually does NOT fit. I took a chance on it as to be clear, they state just about all Hasselblad finders except PME90. I don't have the non-metered PM90, so was hoping it would be same, but no (and am not so sure this will work on the late PM90 either). Alll earlier prism finders look different in the area, so worth a try if one needs a new one.

So Arax cup will kind of stay in place over eye piece on PME90, but not fitting in as it should. It's usable, but clearly not the right thing for it. Eye piece ring has a rather thin groove and original cup is not only fitting right inside that groove, but also has a soft skirt all around, which appears to be keeping dust out of the area and keeps eye piece steady (without rubber cup, eye piece ring has a little side play).

So for now I'm left with basically rubber cover without flip out option. Will try rubber cement when I get to it, but not holding high hopes for it as rubber itself is very thin and glueing it back together will be challenging. It may help holding the piece as one, but I'm not sure flipping it will work. I'll get back on this.

eli griggs · Feb 27, 2023

It occured to me that a stop gap solution might lie in a black, hollow rubber handball ball.

Cut the correct mounting hole in the ball, then fit/glue a silicon "O" ring to the hole to make a no tear, snug fitting fit to the viewfinder.

You could, with the item removed from the viewfinder, then flatly compress the ball, in the correct orientation and trim an eye cup to suit you're own taste.

This could also be a way to replace missing rubber eye pieces to other cameras, such as a Canon F1, or Nikon F, which would only require a shallow 'dish' shaped eye piece.

I have some old new handballs in my workshop, somewhere and might just do this for a camera or two.

Hassasin · Feb 27, 2023

eli griggs said:
It occured to me that a stop gap solution might lie in a black, hollow rubber handball ball.

Cut the correct mounting hole in the ball, then fit/glue a silicon "O" ring to the hole to make a no tear, snug fitting fit to the viewfinder.

You could, with the item removed from the viewfinder, then flatly compress the ball, in the correct orientation and trim an eye cup to suit you're own taste.

This could also be a way to replace missing rubber eye pieces to other cameras, such as a Canon F1, or Nikon F, which would only require a shallow 'dish' shaped eye piece.

I have some old new handballs in my workshop, somewhere and might just do this for a camera or two.

I am not sure what "hollow rubber handball" you are referring to, some pics might help. At this point what I have is still good condition rubber section that protects eye [iece plastic (after all) ring and covers the surrounding area with t hat built in skirt. It is view shading part that is kind of lost by now. I will check some other rubber eye cups (Canon/Nikon) I have and see if I can use upper section and apply it to the top of what's fitting onto the eye piece ring and is still intact.

etn · Feb 28, 2023

A few years ago I bought an original Hasselblad replacement PME45 eyecup from Mr Gierens: http://v-system-500.de/

You can contact him, he might have one for PME90. I expect that other Hasselblad technicians have them too.

Hassasin · Feb 28, 2023

etn said:
A few years ago I bought an original Hasselblad replacement PME45 eyecup from Mr Gierens: http://v-system-500.de/

You can contact him, he might have one for PME90. I expect that other Hasselblad technicians have them too.

Thanks for the lead, I'll try that.

Trask · Feb 28, 2023

Hassasin said:
Thanks for the lead, I'll try that.

Please do report back here so we can find out what you learned. Thanks!

Hassasin · Mar 1, 2023

etn said:
A few years ago I bought an original Hasselblad replacement PME45 eyecup from Mr Gierens: http://v-system-500.de/

You can contact him, he might have one for PME90. I expect that other Hasselblad technicians have them too.

This source has none, but he's referred me to another one, will report back once that can help (so I get the last one first )

Michael Mutmansky · Mar 1, 2023

While you are at it, please ask about the SWC 903 eyecups!

Hassasin · Mar 1, 2023

Michael Mutmansky said:
While you are at it, please ask about the SWC 903 eyecups!

Will do that too, would by one myself when I find it, even if not needed now.

eli griggs · Mar 1, 2023

Hassasin said:
I am not sure what "hollow rubber handball" you are referring to, some pics might help. At this point what I have is still good condition rubber section that protects eye [iece plastic (after all) ring and covers the surrounding area with t hat built in skirt. It is view shading part that is kind of lost by now. I will check some other rubber eye cups (Canon/Nikon) I have and see if I can use upper section and apply it to the top of what's fitting onto the eye piece ring and is still intact.

I am speaking to an American Handball, handball.

The Dunlop XX S RA rubber balls I have on hand are 1.875 inches wide, or 4.76cm, are hollow, with relatively thick walls.

I'll post some pics later, after I cut one up, but, I'll add that the SAE "0" ring that I found to best fit the eyepiece of a Hasselblad prism finder, is a 1.4"ID 1.5"OD HARBOR FREIGHT Red Box piece, sold for about ten dollars U.S..

The naked eyepiece of prism has a flat ring receiving groove next to the body, which grabs the round, thick O-ring snuggly, without trimming.

The next smallest O-ring is too snug for holding the proposed manufactured eye cup.

Ill post more, later.

Michael Mutmansky · Mar 7, 2023

Just a side conversation on the PME90... I have been thinking of getting one for my 501C camera and was looking at the PM90 and the PME90 the other evening... Clearly, they aren't exactly that same but size-wise, they are similar and the PME90 adds in the diopter adjustment which would be very handy. Considering the PME90 isn't much more expensive than the PM90 in the market, I feel it is probably the way to go.

So, I have to ask; how do you like the PME90 that you have and can you compare it to any other viewfinders you have used? I currently have a WL finder and a PM45. I don't particularly like how bulky and high the PM45 is (in part because it can accommodate the old Polaroid backs).

How do you feel the meter in the PME90 works? I use the gridded screen, so I won't be using the spot meter, so I'm curions more about how the averaging meter seems to work.

Are they worth the $400 to $500 that they seem to fetch through the onnline sources?

Sirius Glass · Mar 7, 2023

Michael Mutmansky said:
Just a side conversation on the PME90... I have been thinking of getting one for my 501C camera and was looking at the PM90 and the PME90 the other evening... Clearly, they aren't exactly that same but size-wise, they are similar and the PME90 adds in the diopter adjustment which would be very handy. Considering the PME90 isn't much more expensive than the PM90 in the market, I feel it is probably the way to go.

So, I have to ask; how do you like the PME90 that you have and can you compare it to any other viewfinders you have used? I currently have a WL finder and a PM45. I don't particularly like how bulky and high the PM45 is (in part because it can accommodate the old Polaroid backs).

How do you feel the meter in the PME90 works? I use the gridded screen, so I won't be using the spot meter, so I'm curions more about how the averaging meter seems to work.

Are they worth the $400 to $500 that they seem to fetch through the onnline sources?

I prefer the 45° PME to the 90° prism.

Hasselblad PME90 rubber eye cup replacement

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