Mamiya 7 - 50mm Optical Viewfinder Framing

[Jesse Taylor]

I just got the 50mm for my Mamiya 7. I'm confused as to what lines I'm using to frame the image in the optical hotshoe viewfinder, since there is the two bottom corner lines underneath the square. Is the square used for infinity and the bottom corners along with the top two indents inside the square used for close focus? That would make the most sense to me.

 

[EdSawyer]

You have it right. lower section for close focus.

 

[Klainmeister]

That's correct, but ultimately experience is going to be your guiding frame. Shooting the 43mm, 150mm, and 210mm has taught me to be suspicious of the viewfinder. Funny though, I think they were conservative in designing those, seeing as though most of my shots are actually wider than the frame, meaning I've never had an issues of image cropping.

 

[JSebrof]

I've heard on other forums that it's possible to use the viewfinder in the camera with the 50mm lens, just using the whole viewfinder, not any framelines. Since you have the optical hotshoe finder, would you say this is possible? It would certainly be more convenient if so. I don't have the 50 for my M7, but have thought about it. I think if I had to use the hotshoe finder I'd just skip it and go straight for the 43.

 

[jhw]

Just use the entire finder...it's just about right on. Indeed, with the external finder on the 43 being so 'generous' I get more exact framing from the 50 using just the viewfinder.

 

[Jesse Taylor]

i set the camera on a tripod and compared the optical viewfinder with the camera's viewfinder (using posters on my bedroom wall), and the camera's entire frame is dead on perfect size. i will be using the camera's viewfinder now, and possibly use the optical viewfinder with my hand to scout shots (since it looks more realistic)

if you want to use the entire camera's viewfinder with the 50mm, you have to place your eye dead in the center (for infinity shots) so there's an even margin between the 65mm frame lines and the edge of the viewfinder. since the 65mm framelines move down and to the right for close focus you have to move your eye slightly to the top left to make those margins even and have the 65mm lines in the center of the frame. doing this makes the image bang on to what the framelines in the optical viewfinder suggest, for both infinity and close focus.

it makes sense to me that you have to move your eye, adjusting depending on where the framelines are, instead of always having your eye smack in the center... you have to adjust for parallax with the framelines AND your eye, this may be why people always think their rangefinders are out of alignment just to hear back from the shop that it's perfectly fine. if they didn't have their eye in the right position shooting at closer distances, then they would be chopping feet off in full body portraits (especially with longer lenses)

am i making sense?