Zeiss viewfinder on M8

[Tony C.]

I recently acquired an M8 (no problems yet, thank you!), and, after having done quite a bit of research, decided to include a Zeiss 21mm 2.8 Biogon in my initial core group of lenses. I also decided to buy the Zeiss 25/28 finder to along with the lens.

Having just begun using the Zeiss finder for the first time, I am amazed by it's quality! I understand that many object to any accessory which adds to the M8's size, but to my mind, such a minor factor (the finder adds roughly one square inch to the M8) pales in comparison to the big, beautiful, incredibly bright optics of the Zeiss.

Believe me, I'm not prone to hyperbole, but even setting aside the obvious advantage of being able to use the Zeiss framelines for a 21mm lens, it’s a real pleasure to frame shots through this viewfinder. It’s true, of course, that focusing must still be done through the M8 finder (when close-focusing is necessary), and that the Zeiss isn’t cheap, but even those factors haven’t dampened my enthusiasm.

I suppose I should also mention that my (very) early results with the Zeiss 21mm Biogen have been excellent, and the money saved over the equivalent Leica lens certainly helped to ease any pain associated with the cost of the external finder.

As a final note, (as if he hasn't gotten enough praise on this forum!) Tony at Popflash provided excellent service to go along with his unbeatable prices for the lens and finder.

Regards,

Tony C.

[Sailor Ted]

Tony have you compared this to the CV finder- the smaller metal base version not the plastic ones that are prone to break or crack at the hot shoe connection point over time? I'm curious if you have less barrel distortion and hence, a more accurate representation of the final photograph.

I've read reports from some that would rather have the less expensive CV glass and the more expensive Zeiss finders then the other way around (the camp I and I suspect most of us here are in.)

[Tony C.]

Ted,

I can't speak from experience, as I haven't tried the CV. I can, however, paste the following exchange (which took place recently on the Leica forum) between myself and Sean Reid. Bear in mind that his reaction speaks only to quality, not relative value. But from my perspective, if one has invested, say, close to $10,000 in associated equipment, spending an extra $150 (or whatever the exact amount may be) to buy the superior finder makes good sense, especially if one plans to shoot quite a bit with a 21mm lens (as I do).



Hi Sean,

Thanks for your input. I appreciate that built-in and external viewfinders are not comparable, and I'm sure that you (and others) are correct about the M8 finder's excellence. My reaction to the Zeiss is really about it being (in my view) a very attractive alternative when fine focusing is not required.

Best regards,

Tony C.

It sure is. Those new Zeiss finders are best external finders I've ever seen.

Cheers,

Sean __

Sean Reid
http://www.reidreviews.com

[Sailor Ted]

T Man get a Flickr account and let's see some of the early returns : )

[pundit]

With my 12mm VGT - I use a VGT spirt level and 15mm sports finder on the double top holder thingy. I use a VGT 25mm finder for my Leica 21 mm. I love them and as I do lunchtime shooting in NYC, the level helps me control perspective distortion a little.

[StuartR]

I agree with you Tony, I keep saying how great the Zeiss finder is, but everyone tells me I am crazy because it is so expensive. I bought mine in Japan where it was cheaper, but yes, it is still quite expensive. That said, it is much better than the voigtlander finders. Not only is it much brighter, but it has almost no distortion, something which the CV finders have loads of. The lack of distortion aids in composition because it is much more of a "what you see is what you get" situation than with the voigtlander finders. The CV finders are still excellent, but it is a different experience with the Zeiss (for me anyway).