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Hasselblad RM2 finder

Discussion in 'Medium Format Cameras and Accessories' started by GLS, Oct 13, 2018.

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  1. Oct 13, 2018 #1
    GLS

    GLS Member

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    I wonder if anybody here can provide real-use experience and advice on the RM2 finder.

    I already have the PM45 finder for my 501CM, and have no complaints with it, with one minor exception. When that combination is in use mounted on my tripod at full extension, I can no longer see into the eyepiece even on tiptoes, so a 90 degree finder would help in this situation.

    I have been considering either a PM90 or PME90, but am curious about the RM2 also. I like the idea of creating more distance between the eyepiece and the film back that you would get with the RM2, but am concerned that it might not provide 100% coverage of the focusing screen as it is a 3.0x magnification (I can not find a manual for it to state definitively one way or the other). My PM45 is 2.5x mag and only just covers the whole focusing screen.

    Can anyone with practical experience with the RM2 provide insight on this issue, or anything else they feel may be relevant? Thanks.
     
  2. Oct 13, 2018 #2
    Pieter12

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  3. Oct 13, 2018 #3
    M. Axel Wikstrom

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  4. Nov 21, 2018 #4
    BillK

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    I have used RM2 finders. We still have one at work. We used them for an early digital back and for when we would shoot straight down over a set. They were originally made for using with the 70mm backs. Now it has been a few years since I have used it, but I think it does crop in slightly. More like the way a NC2 finder does, just a bit on the edges. I never particularly liked using them. You had to have you eye almost exactly centered to see well through it, but at least you could. There is a RM finder that is the same but with a shorter viewing tube. There is also an HC1 but it is a small opening to look through. My opinion would be that you would probably be happier with the PM90 style. Bigger viewing opening, like the pm45.
    Bill
     
  5. Nov 21, 2018 #5
    Theo Sulphate

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    I have the HC 3/70, which is what the RM2 was originally called (according to The Hasselblad Manual).

    It's definitely for eye-level straight-ahead shooting. I enjoy the magnification of the focusing screen, which I thought was 4x but is apparently 3x -- it's more than enough. I also like the diopter adjustment.

    I believe the 45-degree non-metered PM5 would be more to my liking, simply because I wouldn't have to hold the camera up as high and I could hold it in closer or use it reasonably on a tripod. However, I paid very little for the 3/70, so it's worth it for those occasions I'm not using the camera and waist-level finder on a tripod.
     
  6. Nov 22, 2018 #6
    OP
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    GLS

    GLS Member

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    Thanks for the info guys. Maybe I will pick up a PM90 at some point instead, as thinking more about it the eyepiece of the RM2 looks considerably higher up than the PM90, so I may have the same issue with the tripod.

    I'll probably just stick with the PM45 for now.
     
  7. Nov 22, 2018 #7
    jeffreyg

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    I have a RM2 which I originally got pre-owned at a very good price because of the ability to adjust the eyepiece even with my reading glasses. It is rather heavy although I don't know the weight compared to the PM90. The RM2 could be used with Polaroid backs but not the PM90 which doesn't seem to matter anymore. I use the the PM5 with an eyepiece suited for my vision and at times the waist level viewer.

    http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/
     
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