viewfinders question

viewfinders question

I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really rely on my
right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make right angle
viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.

Re: viewfinders question

TomCat999 wrote:
> I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really
> rely on my right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make
> right angle viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.

You talking about SLR medium format? Most have a waist level finder
that serves the same purpose.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http :// mysite.verizon,net /xico

Re: viewfinders question

I don't understand your answer. I want to buy a medium format camera(mamiya 7
most likely but it could be any brand). Can I attach a right angle viewfinder
on it or not? I am a new york city street photographer and I photograph
people without them noticing so much because I have a right angle viewfinder.


dadiOH wrote:
>> I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really
>> rely on my right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make
>> right angle viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.
>
>You talking about SLR medium format? Most have a waist level finder
>that serves the same purpose.
>

Re: viewfinders question

TomCat999 wrote:

>>> I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really
>>> rely on my right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make
>>> right angle viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.

>> You talking about SLR medium format? Most have a waist level
>> finder that serves the same purpose.
_____________

> I don't understand your answer. I want to buy a medium format
> camera(mamiya 7 most likely but it could be any brand). Can I
> attach a right angle viewfinder on it or not? I am a new york city
> street photographer and I photograph people without them noticing
> so much because I have a right angle viewfinder.

You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing? If yes, all you
need is a mirror in front of the lens...mirror can be attached jury
rigged by you or there may be a ready built one. If the one you use
on your 35mm is big enough in diameter you may be able to use step up
rings to fit to medium format camera.

As far as the Mamiya 7 goes, I have no suggestions for being able to
view what the lens will take when such an attachment is used on a
camera with an optical viewfinder.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http :// mysite.verizon,net /xico

Re: viewfinders question

>
>You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
>take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?

yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists for
medium format. Thanks anyway though.

Re: viewfinders question

TomCat999 wrote:

>>You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
>>take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?
>
> yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists
> for
> medium format. Thanks anyway though.

You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

Re: viewfinders question

In article <46842b8b$0$89292$dbd4d001@news.wanadoo.nl>,
"Q.G. de Bakker" <qnu@tiscali.nl> wrote:

> TomCat999 wrote:
>
> >>You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
> >>take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?
> >
> > yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists
> > for
> > medium format. Thanks anyway though.
>
> You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
> 90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.

http :// photo,net /bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00FrcJ


Renting a waist level finder camera for a day and shooting with it would
be able to satisfy any questions about his style and shooting with MF.

I would watch the lens if anyone had a camera up to his face and suspect
that a waist level TLR would be more discreet.

Re: viewfinders question

Rebecca Ore wrote:

>> You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
>> 90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything
>
> He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
> piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.

I think he's talking about a waist level finder.
But no matter what: you get it too with MF cameras. Everything!
;-)

Re: viewfinders question


"Q.G. de Bakker" <qnu@tiscali.nl> wrote in message
news:46853421$0$2851$dbd4f001@news.wanadoo.nl...
> Rebecca Ore wrote:
>
>>> You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
>>> 90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything
>>
>> He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
>> piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.
>
> I think he's talking about a waist level finder.
> But no matter what: you get it too with MF cameras. Everything!
> ;-)
>
What he is talking about is the type of right angle finder that fits over
the eyepiece frame of a 35MM camera EXcept the finder is made for a Mamiya
7; which is a rangefinder camera rather than an SLR like many other MF
systems. As far as I know there is no such animal.

Re: viewfinders question

Michael wrote:

> What he is talking about is the type of right angle finder that fits over
> the eyepiece frame of a 35MM camera EXcept the finder is made for a Mamiya
> 7; which is a rangefinder camera rather than an SLR like many other MF
> systems. As far as I know there is no such animal.

What he's looking for is a way to be looking in a different (90 degrees
different) direction from where the camera lens is pointing.
There are very few MF cameras (the Pentax) that do not (!) offer that.

Re: viewfinders question

In article <746258339b825@uwe>, "TomCat999" <u35419@uwe> wrote:

> >
> >You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
> >take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?
>
> yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists for
> medium format. Thanks anyway though.

Let me try one thing here. The phrase "90 degree finder" means different
things in 35mm and medium format equipment.

A bare medium format camera like the Hasselblad 503c come equipped with
a folding waist level hood. Hasselblad's description: "The foldable
Hasselblad focusing hoods shield the focusing screen from stray light
and show the full image even with the camera at hip level. The built-in
magnifier enlarges the image 4.5X. The magnifier is interchangeable with
correction magnifiers ranging from -4 to +3 diopters."

This hood allows you to look straight down -- vertically -- while
pointing the lens horizontally in any direction. While this in fact is
90 degrees view, it is never referred to as a 90 degree finder.

Prisms are available in 45 and 90 degrees. This refers to the direction
your eye is facing to see the focusing screen. A 90 degree prism allows
you to point your eye parallel to the lens. A 45 degree finder has your
eye looking halfway between horizontal and vertical. Neither prism
allows you to pretend to be looking one way while shooting another way.

Again, Hasselblad: "This viewfinder [90 degrees] offers a large, high
eye-point eyepiece, making it especially suited for users with
eyeglasses. Interchangeable eyepieces, with correction strengths from -4
to +3 diopters, are available." And: "A prism viewfinder with a 45°
viewing angle that provides an un-reversed 2.5X magnified focusing
screen image. The large eyepiece, especially suitable for users with
eyeglasses, has a diopter adjustment range of - 2 to + 1 diopters.
Additional eyepiece correction lenses are available to expand the
correction range to ­4.5 to +3.5 diopters."

Take a look at http :// www .hasselblad,com /products/v-system.aspx and see
-- I think there's just some confusion on what "90 degree finder" means
in the world of eye-level 35mm and waist/eye level medium format. I am
giving examples for Hasselblad since that is what i use; I am sure the
same is true for Mamiya SLRs and the old Bronica SLRs.

hope this helps,

shin

Re: viewfinders question

In article <jikijitsu-1A11D8.18461528062007@reader2.panix,com >,
shinjin datsu raku <jikijitsu@gmail,com > wrote:

> In article <746258339b825@uwe>, "TomCat999" <u35419@uwe> wrote:
>
> > >
> > >You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
> > >take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?
> >
> > yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists for
> > medium format. Thanks anyway though.
>
> Let me try one thing here. The phrase "90 degree finder" means different
> things in 35mm and medium format equipment.
>
> A bare medium format camera like the Hasselblad 503c come equipped with
> a folding waist level hood. Hasselblad's description: "The foldable
> Hasselblad focusing hoods shield the focusing screen from stray light
> and show the full image even with the camera at hip level. The built-in
> magnifier enlarges the image 4.5X. The magnifier is interchangeable with
> correction magnifiers ranging from -4 to +3 diopters."
>
> This hood allows you to look straight down -- vertically -- while
> pointing the lens horizontally in any direction. While this in fact is
> 90 degrees view, it is never referred to as a 90 degree finder.
>
> Prisms are available in 45 and 90 degrees. This refers to the direction
> your eye is facing to see the focusing screen. A 90 degree prism allows
> you to point your eye parallel to the lens. A 45 degree finder has your
> eye looking halfway between horizontal and vertical. Neither prism
> allows you to pretend to be looking one way while shooting another way.
>
Rollei prisms for the SL66 and the 6xxx/SLX series rotate 360° and click
stop every 90° so if one wanted to you could point the camera in any
direction and then rotate the prism while you are facing in another
direction.

The 90°, 45° and the 90° high viewpoint prisms for these cameras all do
this.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

Re: viewfinders question

In article <bob_salomon-7D5C01.21152428062007@news.tellurian,net >,
Bob Salomon <bob_salomon@mindspring,com > wrote:

> Rollei prisms for the SL66 and the 6xxx/SLX series rotate 360° and click
> stop every 90° so if one wanted to you could point the camera in any
> direction and then rotate the prism while you are facing in another
> direction.
>
> The 90°, 45° and the 90° high viewpoint prisms for these cameras all do
> this.

Thanks Bob -- I am not familiar (enough) with Rollei SLR equipment and
this is good to know. The other choice on a Hasselblad would be a
"chimney" magnifier -- essentially a non-folding vertical hood which is
eye-level but you look straight down at the focusing screen and has high
magnification.

If possible the OP should get a little hands-on experience with the
various systems. As a street photographer he may run into size problems
with anything near his eye -- the Leica is the quintessential street
photography camera with its tiny size, silent and fast operation.

Waist-level SLRs and TLRs from Hasselblad, Rollei, and Mamiya are
significantly larger than their 35mm counterparts.

Eye-level SLRs and Rangefinders from Pentax, Mamiya, Fuji (makers of the
"Texas Leica"), especially 6x7, are also tremendously larger than their
35mm equivalents. A trip to B&H (OP mentioned he is a NYC street
photographer) is well worth the time and energy to see what feels right
in both the new and used departments. Also, Lens & Repro or Calumet are
good rental houses with reasonable prices.

There's no substitute for hands-on experience.

--shin

Re: viewfinders question


"TomCat999" <u35419@uwe> wrote in message news:7461fb9552f61@uwe...
>I don't understand your answer. I want to buy a medium format camera(mamiya
>7
> most likely but it could be any brand). Can I attach a right angle
> viewfinder
> on it or not? I am a new york city street photographer and I photograph
> people without them noticing so much because I have a right angle
> viewfinder.

You'd have to kludege something up for the Mamiya 7. (I've never seen a
right angle finder for any rangefinder, and the Mamiya 7 is an overgrown
Leica M.) It doesn't really have anywhere to attach a right-angle finder.

Cameras like the Rolleiflex TLR or Hasselblad 500C are waist level from the
get-go; you have to add a prism to those to make them be eye level.

The Mamiya RB67 and RZ67 are also waist level from the get-go (the backs
rotate, so you don't really need a prism), but I have the impression most
people use them with prisms.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

Re: viewfinders question

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:58:15 GMT, "TomCat999" <u35419@uwe> wrote:

> I don't understand your answer. I want to buy a medium format camera(mamiya 7
> most likely but it could be any brand). Can I attach a right angle viewfinder
> on it or not? I am a new york city street photographer and I photograph
> people without them noticing so much because I have a right angle viewfinder.

You don't _need_ a right angle viewfinder with most medium format
cameras.

As I'm sure you're aware,the mirror in an SLR reflects the light from
the lens up on to a horizontal focussing screen. In 35mm SLRs there's
a pentaprism (or equivalent mirror box) fixed above this to allow you
to view the focussing screen from behind the camera at eye level. For
most 35mm SLRs "allow" in this context means "force": the pentaprism
is fixed, so you have to hold the camera at eye level to see into the
finder. If you want to hold the camera lower you need a right angle
attachment fitted behind the finder, as you know.

With most medium format SLRs (and a few 35mm ones) the pentaprism can
be removed and replaced with a waist level finder. This allows you to
hold the camera at waist or chest level and look straight down on to
the focussing screen from above. Some waist level finders have optics
in them to assist with focussing, but the simplest are nothing more
than a folding shade to protect the screen and cut out ambient light.

The point of a right angle finder is to reverse the right angle added
by the pentaprism, but removing the pentaprism means you can get rid
of the right angle view in the first place.

--
Matthew Winn
[If replying by mail remove the "r" from "urk"]