It's...a...WINTU.....

Rich Silfver · 03-30-2006

Got a beautiful, like new, black WINTU finder and am looking forward to trying it out this weekend.

A WINTU is a finder that allows you to hold the camera in a 90 degree angle as you look through the finder that runs ontop of the camera and supposedly make you more...stealthy.

Regardless, it looks great and seems fun

pvdhaar · 03-30-2006

Rich,

I guess you now really have to look for the WACKY to couple the WINTU to the rangefinder windows..

Rich Silfver · 03-30-2006

Oh it's already coupled....see the last photo...that is a lever with a glass/mirror prism that you slide down infront of the window so that the finder has exactly the same view as you would have from looking through the back of the camera.

I believe the WACKY only came in chrome...but I think the WACKO is in black as well

pvdhaar · 03-31-2006

Hi Rich, just kidding of course, as I didn't see the RF coupling at first..

But that aside, this looks like a splendid way to do portrait orientation photography with the camera at ground level. The sort of thing you'd need a tilt/swivel LCD on a digital for..

Rich Silfver · 03-31-2006

Took the camera out this morning - fitted with the WINTU - as I went and had some coffee (off work today. yay).
Took 3-4 photos trying it out and I'm surprised how much I liked it. Fun stuff.

John Robertson · 04-01-2006

I had one of these things years ago, when I used it,I got fed up with silly twats telling me I was holding the camera the wrong way!!!

VictorM. · 04-04-2006

Ben Shahn used a WINTU for many of the photos he took for the FSA. His wife would pose and Shahn would pretend to take her picture but actually take someone else's. Aren't you glad RFF is back?

John Robertson · 04-05-2006

I think a lot of the more esoteric accessories, were more decorative than really useful. I had a MBROO waterproof case for my IIIf, it was a right pain in the A** It made the camera weigh a ton, and the front clattered about as you took a photo. Then when you snapped it closed there was a really good chance you would nip your fingers in it. I was quite happy though when someone offered me silly money for it. *-)))

Rich Silfver · 04-05-2006

I agree, some of my "Leica accessory purchases" has been because a) they were fairly cheap and/or b) they seemed quirky/fun.

Having said that I actually used the WINTU on my III (F) just this past Sunday. Fun.

Rich Silfver · 10-11-2006

Original ad for the WINTU:

Film dino · 10-12-2006

.. sorry, couldn't resist this.. good job it's been fun, cos otherwise the coming colder months might turn out to be a WINTU of discontent...

(groan)

David

Keith · 10-12-2006

I remember reading somewhere that TLR users can do the same thing by holding the camera horizontally and shooting to the left or right thanks to the square format ... now that would be a challenge!