Nikon F100 - Waist level viewfinder?

[dcelfving]

I just noticed some Nikon waist level viewfinders in the classified section. They seem specifically tailored for the F5. Will they work with the F100? Is there a similar product that will work with the F100?

I had no idea that such things existed for 35mm SLR cameras - I'm really quite excited! I tend to shoot a lot of street and subway photos and a waistlevel would allow me to be a lot less obtrusive.

 

[Amund]

No, the F100 hasn`t a removable prism, as the F5 has...
Buy a Rolleiflex

 

[naturephoto1]

There is probably a Nikon angle finder that would fit the camera eyepiece. You would have to view the camera close to the eye and you might find it useful. But, not knowing the camera, I do not know what meter information would be visible.

Rich

 

[dcelfving]

You know, I realized that the F5 has a removable prism shortly after posting. I was hoping that, perhaps, there was some fantastical device that would work with the F100, but that doesn't really make sense . . .

It's almost enough to make me invest in an F5. Would that I were not a poor student!

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

You could probably buy a used F2 for a fraction of the F5 and be able to have a WLF. Plus, you can reuse your exisiting lenses.

 

[naturephoto1]

You could probably buy a used F2 for a fraction of the F5 and be able to have a WLF. Plus, you can reuse your exisiting lenses.

Same would be true for an F3 (no autofocus though).

Rich

 

[colrehogan]

Nikon does have a right angle finder, but it's not really any good for waist level viewing. I don't recall what is visible in the viewfinder. I can check later on today and reply again if I need to. It's great for doing macro work though. Seems to me that you lose your ability to meter when using the WLF though. I'd have to check that when I get home too.

 

[naturephoto1]

Hi Diane,

As I recall with the F2 when the WLF was swapped for the regular prism, that the meter was replaced. I am not sure if that is the case with the F5. In any case, that was one of the reasons that the Canon F1 series had the meter in the camera and not the head. When you replaced the regular prism with the WLF the replacement (without the meter) was so less costly than the Nikon.

PS

I mentioned the angle finder above, but do check what is visible in the finder when attached to the camera.

Rich

 

[Chan Tran]

With the F and F2, when you remove the prism viewfinder you remove the meter. So there is no meter for these 2 models with the waist level finder. The F3 only has center weighted meter but the metering function is retained with any viewfinder as well as no viewfinder. With the F4, I am not sure. With the F5, only spotmeter is available with the waist level finder. Matrix and center weighted metering are not available on the F5 with the waist level finder. With the F6, Nikon decided that the waist level finder is not neccessary thus it has no interchangable finder feature.

 

[John Koehrer]

dceflving,
Although the finders can't be changed there were slip on finders made.
Leitz had some early on. You could take the reflex finder from an old folder & mount it on the acc shoe for cheap.