Mamiya C330 finders??

[Bighead]

Porroflex? Porrofinder? Prism finder?

Whats the differences? What are the drawbacks of using one? What are the advantages?

I understand they bring things to eye level but other than that.. (?)

 

[Dave Miller]

Check out:
Dead Link Removed
Item 6.4 has the answers that you seek.

 

[eumenius]

Porroflex? Porrofinder? Prism finder?

Whats the differences? What are the drawbacks of using one? What are the advantages?

Hello there,

porroflex and porrofinder: mirror prism equivalents, lightweight compared to pentaprism finder, inverts image; easy to carry, but I don't like off-centered finder window position - that's why I don't have one. There is a metered porrofinder, but I'm unsure I need TTL on MF

prism finder: perfect for close-ups and shooting with pistol grip, relatively heavy, but bright and sturdy, gives straight image; I love it very much

Cheers,
Zhenya

 

[bobfowler]

What eumenius said. One thing I hated about the porro finder - it's way too dim to use in low light.

 

[Bighead]

Than a "prism" it is. Thank you all for the input.....

 

[bobfowler]

Than a "prism" it is. Thank you all for the input.....

Hey, be careful. Thanking people here might give them a big head. Oh, sorry, we have one of those already!

 

[Bighead]

Hey, I thought this website was designed for elitist snobs?? Shouldn't I expect a little condescending from time to time??

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

Try the chimney finder. Vertical orientation, one with a meter and one without. Also, magnification. Blocks out the light so its easier to focus (in my opinion).

 

[Bighead]

Thats what mine came with.... It has the flip up magnifier that I usually use...

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

Thats what mine came with.... It has the flip up magnifier that I usually use...

The chimney finder doesn't flip up. Its a 4-sided hard plastic "chimney" that extends the camera upward about 4 to 5 inches. I find it very helpful for the reasons described above.

This is not the "waist level" finder most cameras come with. With the chimney finder, you have to put your eye up to it; You can't look down into it from afar (at least not easily).

 

[eumenius]

The chimney finder doesn't flip up. Its a 4-sided hard plastic "chimney" that extends the camera upward about 4 to 5 inches. I find it very helpful for the reasons described above.

This is not the "waist level" finder most cameras come with. With the chimney finder, you have to put your eye up to it; You can't look down into it from afar (at least not easily).

Yes, the chimney finder is a nice thing - but I think its use is limited to closeups, that's my own opinion. I find it quite difficult to compose the frame correctly using a chimney finder, because it's difficult to see what happens across your image when it's magnified and vignetted somehow. Also, those chimney finders are rare to find - I wish I had one, I tried only a borrowed one For general use the prism has no substitutes, but again it's my opinion.

Cheers,
Zhenya

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

I actually have two. One is the basic chimney finder with the magnifier and then I found an immacualate prism finder with meter. CdS and works great. Its built from metal instead of plastic so its a bit heavier.

I have not found a problem focusing with this one because it really doesn't have a magnifier like the plastic one. It has a rotating glass element that I think is a diopter adjustment but I am not sure. It does appear to have some magnifying effect but I think thats from the diopter adjustment. I am not an optician so I may be wrong here.

It took me a year to find it. If you find one of the chimney finders, grab it.

 

[grahamp]

There is a non-Mamiya option - a modified Kiev prism from Baier Fototechnik in Germany (http://www.baierfoto.de/mameng.html).

 

[Blighty]

My vote goes for the chimney finder (cds). Well-built, light and accurate. The rotating eyepiece is the dioptre adjustment. Big eyepiece makes it easy(ish) to see the whole image, even when you're wearing specs. If you are going for a metered chimney, just one thing to note: It's a spot meter system. Actually, 'system' is too grand a word for it. It's a metering cell on the end of 'swing-in' arm. A bit Heath Robinson but typically Mamiya. Regards, BLIGHTY.

 

[benjiboy]

I use the pentaprism finder for my Mamiya C330f ,but due to enormous chunk of glass which it contains, ( even when used with the L grip ) I feel in danger of sustaining a broken wrist after after a few minuits use.

 

[eumenius]

I feel in danger of sustaining a broken wrist after after a few minuits use.

That's why I always thought to get a wristband like the wrestlers use But this prism is bright only because the glass is huge Just compare with Hassy prisms for the same format, and I don't mention Kiev! )