Ideas for homemade viewfinders for 135mm and 35mm?

[RLangham]

So I now have a full set of lenses for Argus C3-- Sandmar 35mm, Argus 50mm, and Soligor (Fujitar) 135mm.

Now, I can mentally frame out 135mm in a 50mm viewfinder, even correcting somewhat for parallax. But it's inconvenient and obviously I can't mentally make the viewfinder any bigger for the wide angle.

So has anyone made an auxiliary finder for a rangefinder camera from household materials or easily obtainable stuff?

And by the way, what can I expect from the Sandmar? Not Zeiss quality I'm sure, but it is German, unlike the other two.

 

[AgX]

Take out the viefinder of a fix-focus/focus-free plastic camera with 35mm lens.

 

[RLangham]

Take out the viefinder of a fix-focus/focus-free plastic camera with 35mm lens.

I had actually messed with a disposable camera, but I couldn't get the rear lens out of the finder housing.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I purchased crapped out Olympus XA2 and reused its 35mm VF.
Minox 35 (crapped out is their default state by now) is another source for very good VF.
135mm might be not expensive on eBay.
Like 60 USD including shipping: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=135mm+viewfinder&_sacat=0

 

[RLangham]

I purchased crapped out Olympus XA2 and reused its 35mm VF.
Minox 35 (crapped out is their default state by now) is another source for very good VF.
135mm might be not expensive on eBay.
Like 60 USD including shipping: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=135mm+viewfinder&_sacat=0

I just spent the last of my photo budget for the month on the Sandmar, unfortunately. And my good C3 doesn't have a shoe.

 

[abruzzi]

for $60 I would buy a soviet multi focal length finder. For nothing, I'd probably make something out of cardboard and bailing wire.

 

[RLangham]

for $60 I would buy a soviet multi focal length finder. For nothing, I'd probably make something out of cardboard and bailing wire.

I had considered the Soviet before, if for my FED 2, but usually I find with shipping those are a little more like 70...

 

[abruzzi]

yeah, $60-70 on ebay, a little more from Fedka. I got mine for 2500 rubles in St.Petersburg, which is really cheap, but thats not a price most people not in Russia will find.

 

[AgX]

I had actually messed with a disposable camera, but I couldn't get the rear lens out of the finder housing.

I had instead reusable ones in mind, amongst of which are models with large finders. And the idea is to keep the finder in its housing, just cut it off instead.
Think of something like this:
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODg4WDE2MDA=/z/s7IAAOSw4aZbGkws/$_57.JPG?set_id=8800005007

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I just spent the last of my photo budget for the month on the Sandmar, unfortunately. And my good C3 doesn't have a shoe.

Shoe is also sold on eBay. And 3M car tream tape is common in local stores.
If you don't have 60 USD for decent VF, here is nothing I could do.

 

[RLangham]

I had instead reusable ones in mind, amongst of which are models with large finders. And the idea is to keep the finder in its housing, just cut it off instead.
Think of something like this:
https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODg4WDE2MDA=/z/s7IAAOSw4aZbGkws/$_57.JPG?set_id=8800005007

Seems difficult to do without making mincemeat of the housing.

 

[David Newton]

Canon Owl. Big plastic 35mm finder.