90 degree lens

[picker77]

Anybody ever try one of those Opteka 90 deg angle mirror type "spy" lenses for low-profile street shooting?

[Roger Hicks]

I tried one only once, many years ago, in a friend's shop when he had one in second-hand. I found it almost impossible to point it in the right direction. Most people trying to use one of those things would look a lot more conspicuous than someone pointing a camera straight at you -- and besides, you'd need to be sure there was no-one irate in front of the 90 degree device too.

Long, long ago I had a WINTU right-angle finder, but that was a waste of time too.

Cheers,

R.

[kbg32]

I remember reading that Helen Levitt and Paul Strand used right angle/viewfinder mirror lens attachments.

[picker77]

Well, duh... it hadn't occurred to me that they would only be useful in any case with a through-the-lens viewfinder. Posted this in the wrong forum, lol!

[Sparrow]

They see a bit creepy anyway, I wouldn't feel comfortable

[picker77]

Getting so I feel a little creepy just having a camera hanging around my neck any more in populated areas. The world is changing fast. Maybe I'll take up a safer hobby, like free-climbing rocks.

[Vics]

Hmmm... seems to me you need a TLR. Great street shooter 'cause nobody knows it's a camera except for those nice old guys (like me) who will come up to talk about the TLR they used to have. Nice conversation-starter. I ran into a guy in the Place des Vosges in Paris last November who was wearing a Rollei around his neck, and we stopped for a minute to talk cameras (mine was a Contax IIIa) and I really wished then that I had brought my Rollei, just for the image quality!! TLRs also do great 90 degree pix.