ZI viefinder framelines with glasses

[mfogiel]

I wonder if any glass wearer can comment on the visibility of framelines of the ZI, as well as the wide angle external viewfinders. Unfortunatelly I am unable to find any of these in stock in Milan shops, so any experienced impressions would be welcome.

[Avotius]

I wear glasses and have always had a tough time with it, but the zeiss ikon is fine. 35mm lines were perfectly in sight with a little bit of space all around except the very corners of the lines.

[Huck Finn]

My experience has been the same as Avotius. The 28 mm frame lines are not com;etely visible with my glasses, but they're good enough - about the same as my 28 mm view with an SLR. A lot depends on your glasses since everyone's create a different interactions with the viewfinder. But 35 mm frame lines will not be any problem whatsoever.

I have no experience with external viewfinders.

[Joerg]

hi,

as mentioned before 35mm is perfectly visible.
I cannot see the 28mm lines with glasses without looking for them ....

Ciao

joerg

[traveller]

Having quite thick glasses (-5) the VF of the ZI is a pleasure to use. 35 mm is no problem, for 28 mm I have to look left and right to get a glimpse of them. Or I just screw of the diopter if I need a more precise framing.

[fourfa]

35mm is fine, 28mm is a little far

[marbrink]

OT because I'm not a glass wearar, but is the 28mm frameline easy to see without glasses? I think that Leica's 28mm framelines are hard to see.

[MichaelM7]

I have tested the external viewfinders for 25/28 and the 21. I find it quite easy to see the framelines, but due to the elongated distance of the eye from the exit pupil of the viewfinder, the framelines are visible only on a black background and not the actual viewfinder image. At least, that is true for me.
With a little extrapolation and by using your judgement, you can, however, quite well estimate where the image will end. Nevertheless, I have not done a careful comparison between developed image and the actual view through the finder, whether this assumption is true.
Also, it takes some time to get accustomed to the correct position from which the complete frame is visible. Nevertheless, the rubber ring protecting the entrance pupil is very nice if you wear glasses: you won't get any scratches.

[mfogiel]

Thanks for your help. I have used so far the R4A with a 28mm, and a R3A with the 50 and 90. The R3A with the 50 is a bit tight for me, so I am considering to rearrange this, and introduce an "intermediate camera" for the 35-50 range, and use the R3A for the 75-90 lenses. I have been shooting the 90mm Elmarit on the R3A along the 85 Planar on the FM3A. I am actually quite surprized about the ease of focusing with the Elmarit, and I like its light weight a lot , but haven't done any direct shots comparison yet.
Considering the third RF, I am primarily interested in a ZI, because I LIKE nice, big and bright viewfinders - the Leica ones seem a bit too cramped to me.