Lmst

https://genomirx.com/bismuth-needles-1-5cm/
Thermo Scientific Chemicals Bismuth needles, 1-5cm (0.4-2in) long, 99.998% (metals basis) @thermofisher @bismuth @needles #5cm #2in @GenomiRX @ThermoScientificChem @UnitedNuclear @AmericanElements @SantechMaterials @aemdeposition @GenomiRX

NOREN UIT 't VET...... #schaatsen #ijs #dikte #5cm #iceskating
#recreation #Amsterdam

5 LTM 50’s for $500 or Less

Choosing Leica mount lenses is always a bit of a struggle for me. I can find things I like and don't like about them all. And the ones that meet my ideal specs are often out of my price range. So I will end up buying another lens as a reaction to something I did or did not like about the last one and eventually, I'll have spent on several lenses what I could have spent on just one all around general purpose lens.

When I bought my 1930 Leica, it came with a nickel Summar. I didn't really have any need or interest in the Summar because I already owned and loved my Summitar (also a 50mm f2 collapsible.) But because I had it, I wanted to try the Summar. It turned out that I enjoyed that uncoated, early Leitz look as well as the diminutive physical size of the Summar but wanting something more flare resistant, I was lead to purchase a nickel Elmar. For 12 hour weddings, I need a fast 50 though, something that can stay on my camera sun up to sun down if necessary. So when my Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5 bit the dust, I got the Leitz Summarit 50/1.5. And lately, I'm kinda wanting to get another Nokton.

What's a picky, demanding photographer on a budget to do?!

So listen, I'm writing this blog to share my experience with these 5 LTM 50's for $500 or less because I accidently acquired this experience, not because I recommend repeating it! It might be wiser to just buy that multi-thousand dollar 50mm lens and be finished the search so that you can spend your time shooting. But maybe, one or two of these cheaper 50's will be perfect for your individual purposes and you won't have to buy 5 cheap lenses or 1 expensive one.

Maybe 50 isn't your go-to length, you're rocking a lower cost system or you already blew all your cash on that coveted Leica M but need something to mount on it. Regardless the reason for your interest in a budget lens, 50mm is one focal length that I still don't believe should require lifetime payment plans. There are so many to choose from and enjoy!

Generally, most any Leica mount 50 below about $700 is going to be LTM, rather than M mount. There are some exceptions such as those wallet-tempting 7Artisans but, aside from lower cost, in my opinion, it's smart to run LTM rather than M lenses where possible.

LTM lenses are shining examples of how good an investment the Leica rangefinder system is because LTM lenses can be used on cameras dating from the 1930's until this very day and across numerous brands. Seamlessly in most cases. I don't even own an M mount 50. You don't really need to either if you don't want to. And all you'll need to make your LTM work on the latest M body is an LTM adapt e r.

Oh, and just to let you know, all the example images below will be portraits taken on Kodak Tri-X three to four feet away for as direct a comparison that a scatter-brained stream of consciousness shooter like myself can offer! Obviously each lens will exhibit more obvious differences at full aperture but I hope these give you some idea of their "average" performance and character for real world use.

Here we go!

Leitz Elmar 5cm f3.5

Typical lens cost = $130 - $400 | FIKUS = $30 - $70 | FISON $30 - $250 | VALOO - $100 - $200

The Leitz Elmar 5cm (50mm) is essentially the first and one of the best Leica lenses ever designed or constructed, as agreed on by pretty much everyone. Due to it's modest maximum aperture and relative ubiquity, it's an affordable lens with many good deals to be had. What this lens lacks in speed, it makes up for with size and enjoyment. When collapsed into a Barnack, the rig is pocketable, and when extended, even with a hood mounted, viewfinder blockage is non-existent or minimal on most bodies. There is a certain gestalt to running the Elmar on a Barnack because the Elmar was originally designed as a non-interchangeable part of the first Leica cameras. The 5cm Elmar is really as much at the heart of early 35mm photography. These lenses are fantastic performers with excellent flare resistance despite little or no UV coating. Unlike faster lenses of the era, character is very consistent across the aperture and distance range, making them easier to use effectively regardless of the lighting situation. A Summar, for example, may be as sharp as the Elmar at the same settings but its rendering can be softened by veiling flare in conditions where the Elmar simply doesn't flinch. Yes, the aperture control is unusual but not as annoying as it may look, just a tad slower to operate than conventional ring-style aperture. Focus control is very smooth and classic Leica with the little focus knob and infinity lock. This is an ancient lens so most copies have non-standard aperture scales and of course, no click-stops or anti-UV coating. This isn't the lens for low light work of course but you might just be surprised how infrequently you need anything faster than f3.5 during the day. Many folks run their 5cm Elmars sans hood but none of its available hoods are really THAT big and the VALOO hood can even be used to change aperture faster/more easily. The Elmar remains a legendary, budget-friendly, and high-performing choice for any M39 screw mount camera body and isn't too shabby on an M either.

Reasons to buy the Elmar - history, sharpness, very little veiling flare, compactness, economy

Reasons to avoid the Elmar - speed

1930 Leica I/III | Leitz 5cm f3.5 Elmar Nickel | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak HC110b | www.JohnnyMartyr.com

Leitz Summar 5cm f2

Typical lens cost = $130 - $900 | SOOMP = $50 - $250 | FISON $30 - $25

The Leitz Summar was the company's first "fast lens" if one doesn't count the rare 5cm 2.5 Hektor. Released in 1932, the Summar is said to have been on backorder for over a year due to unusually high demand. Summar's wide maximum aperture makes it a nearly modern lens in terms of specs but with the handling and performance quirks of early 20th century photography. In particular conditions, the Summar can flare heavily and produce captivating swirly bokeh as an effects lens. Even in the most favorable conditions, f2 is on the soft side with obvious edge fall-off, but not to an unacceptable degree. The Summar also exhibits that classic "Leica glow" to the highlights. The middle of this lens is reasonable sharp through its focus range and it's nearly as compact as the Elmar. These early lenses are all about condition. If you want to eek out every drop of performance, top dollar must be spent on an infrequently used, well-maintained example. I hear that having the Summar UV coated can really clean up it's tendency to flare, or maybe just using a yellow filter to recover contrast. And a proper hood is also encouraged. There were a number of interesting variations on Summar's barrel, so steer clear of the rigid, black nose and nickel copies to keep costs in check. This is a great daily carry and fun lens that is more versatile than the Elmar but will take a little more understanding and appreciation for quirkiness in brighter conditions. My particular copy is very early and exhibits some cleaning marks but remains quite sharp stopped down, particularly in indoor lighting where flare is less of a concern. The Leica 5cm Summar is an often overlooked classic with excellent size and handling with fun performance.

Reasons to buy the Summar - speed, compactness, economy, character

Reasons to avoid the Summar - veiling flare reduces sharpness/contrast

1930 Leica I/III | Leitz 5cm f2 Summar Nickel | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak HC110b | www.JohnnyMartyr.com

Leitz Summitar 5cm f2

Typical lens cost = $200 - $600 | SOOPD = $50 - $100 | SOOFM = $50 - $100 | ITDOO = $30 - $250

The Summitar is the sweet spot between budget and performance for many LTM Leica photographers. Noticeably larger than the Summar but it is also noticeably sharper, more controlled and consistent in its renderings. The Summitar is the height of 50mm lens development prior to the popularization of Petzval field curvature correction that brought the Summicron into historical status and lens design into modernity. Where Summar images can look dated and soft, Summitar images playfully blend crisp subjects and flare resistance with painterly backgrounds and moderate fall-off at wider apertures. I'd venture to say that a good copy of the Summitar, used at closer distances at middle apertures will deliver that 3d pop that is more commonly associated with 1960's and newer M lenses. There are roughly three flavors of Summitar - uncoated with 10 blades, coated with 10 blades and coated with 6 blades. The coated 10 blade copies are most desired for the "best of both worlds" character noted above, but I am very content with the coated 6 blade copy that found its way into my life. Unlike the speed-restricting Elmar and somewhat quirky Summar, I've never talked to a Summitar shooter who didn't praise this lens as an all-purpose 50. (except for Jeremy Zorns) The Summitar is small, reasonably fast and competitively sharp. It's aperture control is closer to a modern lens than the Elmar and Summar with modern f-stop scale, but it is still void of click-stops. Hoods can be a hot topic with Summitar, so be sure to read about your options. To me, the main reasons you'd want the Elmar or Summar over the Summitar could only be about budget, haptics and/or being deliberately anachronistic! The Summitar leans more to an affordable Summicron than just a Summar variant.

Reasons to buy the Summitar - speed, sharpness, compactness, economy

Reasons to avoid the Summitar - you insist on the Summicron!

1930 Leica I/III | Leitz 5cm f2 Summitar 6 blade | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak HC110b | www.JohnnyMartyr.com

Leitz Summarit 5cm 1.5

Typical lens cost = $350 - $1000 | XOONS $120 - $200

If you know my work, you know I like to shoot in the dark, which is why I sought out the Summarit. The 50/2's noted above are absolutely lovely and get plenty of use but if I were to keep just one Leitz 50, it would hands down be my enchanting, inspiring and controversial little 5cm Summarit 1.5. There's some context one has to know in order to understand this weird lens. It was 1949 and Leitz was under some pressure to answer Japan's excellent LTM offerings. Rather than let Nikon beat them to the punch, Leitz licensed out a design by Taylor and Hobson, the 50mm 1.5 Xenon. T&H's design included an aperture ring that was marked opposite Leitz's but I guess there wasn't time or motivation to change it. This, and perhaps the lack of Leica glow and just a harsher character in general, gives away that the Summarit was not a true blood Leitz product. That being said, Leitz added their own sophisticated coatings, tight construction tolerances and heavy chroming, to bring the T&H product up to snuff. In early literature, the Summarit was touted as a top tier lens that could take ones photography into a whole new realm. And while I personally agree, it seems that many decades of shooters' negative opinions of the Summarit's wide open performance and it's un-pure DNA turned Summarit into a bit of a dirty word; now used to name Leica's line of budget M lenses. And look, I get it. The dreamy wide open character of the Summarit is certainly not for everyone or every shooting situation. But I still strongly endorse it because I have never handled a lens that has been so enjoyable, rewarding and just plain fun to use. I tend not to run the Summarit on my Barnacks as it's quite dense and, with the beautifully crafted XOONS hood mounted, viewfinder blockage is unavoidable. But on my Canon ViL, Voigtlander Bessa R2 or particularly Leica M6 TTL, the Summarit feels not only at home, but like an enhancement to the camera body. It is wonderfully dense but very small for a fast 50. Focus throw via the knob is on the long side as expected and damping is on the heavy side but very smooth. The variable distanced aperture click stops are a mechanical delight. Matt Osborne, in particular, lamented in his 2020 review, the veiling flare or "milky" look with this lens, but I don't think he was using the XOONS hood and maybe you should lose that UV filter, Matt! This hood is pure art, made of brass with a rare black crinkle finish. It looks great and it cleans up the Summarit's performance keenly. Stopped down to f4-f8 with XOONS mounted, the bastardly Summarit of 1949 can easily be confused with a modern lens. Sharpness is not clinical but is quite pleasing. Pop is not exactly 3d but there is an inexplicable depth to Summarit's treatment of in and out of focus areas. Now, as you open it up, Summarit begins to drift. Out of focus points of light become ovals and crescents and swirl. Full aperture is the furthest thing from sharp. A good, well calibrated rangefinder like the M3 or M6 TTL .85 might be called into question by this lens. Focus is not obvious at wide apertures but more of a casual suggestion that sends ones eye around the frame to get lost in smooth bokeh. I'm a b&w guy but the muted tonality and delicate rendering of the Summarit is quite nice for fanciful color portraits that I've seen. And for me, running the Summarit is like having two lenses in one - a strong portrait lens and a dreamy art lens. If this isn't for you, I get it. But if this duality at all interests you, I would urge you to give the 5cm 1.5 Summarit a try!

Reasons to buy the Summarit - speed, character, hand-feel

Reasons to avoid the Summarit - you want a sharper/smaller lens or a more modern rendering

Leica M6 TTL 0.85 | Leitz 5cm f1.5 Summarit | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak HC110b | www.JohnnyMartyr.com

Voigtlander 50mm Nokton 1.5

Typical lens cost = $300 - $600 | hood usually included

If nothing above impressed you because you want a more modern look and are less concerned with the tiny sizes and the haptics for which Leica is known, Cosina Voigtlander's first version of the popular 50mm 1.5 Nokton might be for you. This lens is the largest in this list and is a bit silly looking on a Barnack but reasonably balanced on an M. The Nokton will make you forget about flaring and delivers generous micro-contrast and tone-accurate rendering all day, throughout its range. It's remarkably sharp at full aperture, minimum distance as many fast 50 shooters want. The Voigt 50/1.5 is a shockingly high-performing lens and makes a great go-to for someone who never wants to buy another 50mm again. That being said, my copy failed on me with fairly heavy use, not once but twice. You simply cannot expect the same Leica build quality with Cosina products but results are absolutely stellar, rivaled only by much more modern/expensive Leitz and Zeiss glass.

Reasons to buy the Nokton - speed, sharpness, micro-contrast, almost no flare, economy

Reasons to avoid the Nokton - size, build quality

Leica M6 TTL 0.85 | Voigtländer 50mm 1.5 Nokton LTM | Kodak Tri-X 400 | Kodak HC110b | www.JohnnyMartyr.com

You know, as I look at all my sample photos, I'm reminded that the major differences between these and pretty much all lenses of the same focal length are really only seen in very particular situations and in their physical handling - both of which are very subjective in regards to what and how one shoots. And hey, there are probably thousands of 50mm LTM and M mount lenses to choose from, and they are all probably pretty great in their own right. So don't be like me. Don't buy 5 different 50mm lenses expecting any truly significant difference! But hopefully, my journey can help inform your next purchase.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting!

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

#filmphotography #leica #lensreview #martyrmusings #portraits #reviews # #300 #400 #500 #15 #35 #35mm #35mmfilm #5 #50mm #5cm #accuracty #age #analog #aperture #bw #blackandwhite #cheap #compact #condition #cost #economy #elmar #ergonomics #f2 #f35 #fast #feel #fikus #film #fision #five #flare #focusthrow #haptics #itdoo #leicalens #leicathreadmount #leitz #leitzlens #lens #lenshood #lensshade #ltm #m39 #niftyfifty #nokton #old #portrait #screwmount #sharp #sharpest #size #soofm #soomp #soopd #speed #summarit #summitar #throw #valoo #value #vintage #voigtlander #voigtlanderlens #xoons

Shining a Light on Bright-Line Viewfinders

Over the years, many different manufacturers have offered many different types of accessory viewfinders that have taken on numerous forms. I have tried only a handful but am pretty committed to what are known as as "bright-line" accessory viewfinders. Unlike early viewfinders that consist only of wire frames of appropriate sizes or even simple optical viewfinders that contain a magnifying lens element, bright-line finders are tiny optical treasures.

Dutch designer L.E.W. Van Albada came up with bright-line viewfinders in the early 1930's while working with Zeiss. He developed several types of viewfinders that were made both as accessories and built-into Contax cameras of the period. Albada's bright-line finders contain multiple glass lens elements in order to replicate the focal length of the taking lens. They also feature a concave mirror that focuses light onto printed or etched frame-lines. The result is viewfinder that is often at least as bright, or brighter than most newer built-in finders, as well as frame-lines that are projected onto the scene and are easily visible wherever there is ambient light. The latter being of particularly important historical note.

According to the Leica Accessories Guide, bright-line or Albada-type viewfinders were originally called sports finders due to the benefit of being able to see a subject enter the frame-lines within the viewfinder. Prior to the Leica SBOOI of 1951, bright-line viewfinders were just one of many types of finder designs. But Leica made an entire line of them with similar encasements that solidified bright-line finders as a particular accessory in and of themselves. Indeed, the Leica IIIg and M3 cameras contain the same bright-line viewfinder design, built-in.

Leica's adoption of Albada's viewfinder cemented the projected frame-line feature as standard in all subsequent rangefinder camera designs and ignited competition for brightest viewfinder as a benchmark for assessing the quality of a camera.

Each accessory bright-line finder is dedicated to just one, or sometimes two, focal lengths. This makes them less versatile than simple, multiple length wire frame finders or finders that contain basic magnifying optics mounted in a turret. If you choose a set of bright-line finders in favor of a turret finder, you are committing yourself to changing finders out and storing them appropriately each time you change lenses. Or are you?

For me, I typically only use one or two different lenses per body during a shoot. Therefore, I don't make a habit of swapping out my bright-line viewfinders mid-shoot, I simply use the built-in finder and leave the accessory finder atop the body at all times. So for example, my M6 TTL supports multiple frame-lines. I use one of these built-in lengths, such as 50 or 90 but I leave my 15mm bright-line finder in the accessory shoe, ready for whenever I mount my 15mm lens. On my 1930 Leica, I often prefer to use the 50mm bright-line SBOOI instead of the built-in finder and keep it mounted at most times.

If you like to swap lenses more frequently than I do, or use multiple lengths that require an accessory finder, you may want to get one of those turret finders. But personally, despite being what I consider a pretty fast photographer, I prefer the viewing quality and smaller physical size of bright-line finders than the speed of a larger turret finder, because my workflow doesn't require anything faster.

I particularly enjoyed using my Voigtländer 90mm bright-line viewfinder recently while practicing street photography. The ability to see slightly outside of the frame-lines and to concentrate strictly on composition made shooting this genre with this set-up fun and effective.

I wrote about bright-line finders a few years ago and got a number of questions about them that I thought deserved another blog. Below are some topics that came up - I hope you find my thoughts on each, useful. And if you have more, I'd love to hear them in the comments!

LEICA vs VOIGTLÄNDER vs ZEISS

I'm going to concentrate on just two noteworthy manufacturers of bright-line accessory viewfinders as they're discussed here; Leica and Cosina. Nikon of course made their own compliment of viewfinders and some Canon viewfinders even feature automatic parallax correction when used with some Canon rangefinders. I'm going to exclude these brands simpIy because I find that they are less available I don't use these brand cameras, though they also appear to be very nice. I'm also not going to include those early Zeiss bright-line viewfinders that Mr. Albada originally designed because each model does not fit into a model line as we know them today. No disrespect to the originators!

Cosina, of course makes products under the Voigtländer namesake and for Zeiss. Leica really embraced bright-line finders in the 1950's and they still make several which have a rectangular rather than the classic round silhouette and are a bit larger. Cosina began selling bright-line finders in the early 2000's. Voigtländer issued plastic finders that were black and metal finders that were a conventional satin silver chrome or gloss black paint. Modern Zeiss finders have a squared off housing and came only in black painted metal. Modern Leica bright-line finders are squared silver chrome or black painted metal.

I prefer the metal finders because I don't trust the rigidity of the plastic "foot" of the plastic finders. And practical concerns aside, I just don't like the idea of plastic. I like classic, metal and manual cameras and don't have any desire to top them off with glass encased in cheap, modern plastic. I appreciate the quality of paint filled etching on the metal finders and their general feel and cosmetic look. Sorry if that makes me vain or superficial! [ UPDATE: several readers have noted that they prefer plastic viewfinders because the metal versions scratch their eyeglasses. I don 't personally press my eyeglasses directly against my viewfinders so I don't find this to be a problem. I have some other solutions for glasses wearers too though, it may warrant a whole other blog!]

Where I'm not superficial though, is on brand. I believe vintage Leica and modern Voigtländer metal barreled bright-line finders are of totally equivalent build quality. And both are beautiful, jewel-like masterpieces of design and execution. Since neither company continues to sell these style finders (Leica's current bright-line finders support only a few focal lengths and are larger), we're not supporting or hurting either company by purchasing these products.

One difference between brands is that the Leica finders were mostly made during the 1950's vs Cosina being more contemporary. So some Leica bright-line finders have either been heavily used or improperly stored for decades and will require service. I have yet to see any examples that exhibit de-silvering of the mirror but it would only follow that this should be a concern. And particularly when choosing longer focal lengths such as 90 and 135mm that feature parallax correction, these finders contain a small, simple mechanism and vintage copies will likely require service. Voigtländer finders appeared in the early 2000's and were made for about ten years. So even the most heavily used and poorly stored Voigt's are likely to be in better shape than similarly used/stored 70 year old Leica's, all things being equal.

Zeiss viewfinders seem to sell for $300+, used or new. Leica finders, of which there are few modern models, sell for $900+ new. So that leaves now-discontinued Voigtländer and vintage Leica finders for reasonable prices. "Reasonable" is still in the $50-$150 range used, depending on focal length, condition and included packaging/accessories. There are some rarer finders such as the Voigtländer 40mm or Leica 85mm that command higher-than-average prices; more in the $250+ area. Since I've been purchasing and using bright-line finders though, for about ten years, they appear to at least hold their value. Used prices on metal Voigtländer finders seem to equal vintage Leica. I guess that if you wanted the look/specific function of the current Leica M type bright-line finders, the Zeiss versions provide an economical alternative. But even if you don't care about price, there are just more focal length options available for vintage Leica and Voigtländer than modern Leica and Zeiss.

FOCAL LENGTHS AND MODELS

I would like to catalog every single focal length bright-line viewfinder that each manufacturer has put out but I'm sure there will always be something missing. I'm going to list what I know from my research and experience and hope that I get most of them! If you know of others, please go ahead and let me know in the comments!

Leica's vintage bright-line finders were available in the following lengths and of course, correspond to some silly five letter words: 21mm (SBKOO), 28mm (SLOOZ), 35mm (SBLOO), 50mm (SBOOI), 85mm (SGOOD), 90mm (SGVOO) and 135mm (SHOOC). These were all brass (I presume brass) and finished in satin chrome with black and red paint-filled etched text. Earlier vintage Leica bright-line finders are marked in cm instead of mm and all versions that I've seen are marked in both metric and standard focus measurement using different colors of paint. Earlier Leica finders came in classic red boxes with gold lettering. Newer copies were sold in beige boxes with printed graphics. Leica's current bright-line finders are available in just 18mm (12023), 21mm (12002) and 24mm (12026) with a solid milled brass enclosure and finished in satin chrome or black paint with a rubber eyepiece. They feature a printed Leica logo but etched and paint-filled focal length text. In the 1980's the 21mm 12002 finder was also made in black plastic and there was a similarly constructed 28mm (12017) for some time that is no longer available new.

Voigtländer finders were sold both plastic barrel (Version I) and metal barrel (Version II) finders. I am not 100% certain that each of the following lengths were available in both plastic and metal and which metal were available in black or chrome, nor do I feel it necessary to go into specific years of production for each model. But sizes by Voigtländer included 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm, and 135mm. Voigtlander also made a 12mm D 1.5x finder for the Epson RD-1 and it's crop-sensor, as well a mini versions of the 28/35mm finders and a Heliar 101 anniversary 50mm finder that is not 1:1. All plastic barreled finders were black in color with the logo and text printed on. Voigt metal finders came in satin chrome or black paint finish. The Voigt satin chrome very closely matches vintage Leica in terms of color and weight. I don't know if the barrels themselves are made of brass or something cheaper but I can report that as the paint has worn off my Voigt 15mm finder, it has revealed a brass-colored metal. 12 and 21mm Voigts have two-piece housings with a silver chrome front bezel and the rear hemisphere is finished in black crinkle paint. The 12mm finder has no frame-lines and technically is not among Albada's design but does contain four elements of glass! The only way to tell an older Voigt finder apart from a newer one is the box. Older boxes were green and newer ones are black.

[ UPDATE: Thanks to Dagmar E. Baechli for providing image above and the following clarifications: "The 15 and 25mm black plastic don‘t have bright frame lines. Neither do the two big 12mm metal." He also pointed out that the Fujifilm VF-X21 bright-line finder which shows 21/28mm frame-lines also appears to have been made by Cosina.]

Zeiss finders were designed to follow the styling of modern Leica finders and are rectangular rather than round. They are also made of an unlisted type of metal and feature a raised blue Zeiss logo as well as etched and paint-filled focal distance text. Zeiss finders have been produced in the following lengths: 18mm, 21mm, 25/28mm, and 35mm.

CARE AND USE

This was probably the Number One topic of direct messaged question that I got the last time I posted about bright-line finders. People are nervous about how to store and protect a hunk of expensive, delicate glass sitting atop their camera or tossing around in their camera bag.

As I previously noted, I typically keep my finders mounted to the cameras, even when not actively using them. Certainly I leave them at home if I don't expect to use them at all but during a shoot where I'm using both 50 and 90mm lenses, I keep the 90mm viewfinder mounted while shooting the 50 and then I don't have to make any further changes to the rig when I switch to my 90 or back to the 50. Doing this not only allows for faster use but represents that much less time that the viewfinder needs to be tucked away and safely stored in ones camera bag.

When shooting my 1930 Leica III, I seldom remove the 50mm SBOOI finder and this is my daily or near daily carry rig. I have been using it this way for about three years and, knock on wood, the glass has yet to be damaged. I guess that concerns over outward facing glass is always a concern with rangefinders. But unless one is shooting in harsh conditions, where you may prefer an SLR anyway, I don't worry much about adding yet more outward facing glass to my rangefinder!

Leica bright-line finders sometimes come with an accessory leather button case for storage. I personally wouldn't recommend using these. Leather fitted cases, while attractive and properly vintage, seem to have a habit of causing oxidation or chemical reactions with chrome and painted surfaces. I tend to see vintage Leica finders on eBay that have a turquoise corrosion around the black paint part of the finder. I have seen this crud appear on vintage cameras that were stored in their case and likely in humid conditions also. So I just don't see any value in the risk. But admittedly I don't know or care to research the science on this. Your mileage my differ!

Voigtländers came in a blue velveteen pouch with a gold "V" printed on it. They open and close via a red draw-string. I keep Leica finders in similar jeweler's drawstring bags that my wife's ear rings etc. have come in. These are great for tossing into ones camera bag and keeping the bright-line finders safe and clean.

When I purchased a 135mm Leica finder recently, I had to use a cotton swab to apply lighter fluid to the focus ring in order to free up its movement. I'll still need to mail this out for service to ensure that it is properly lubricated long-term. But I wanted to mention a safe way to free these vintage finders up in case you com across one also. Thanks to Jay Javier, Leica photographer and professional repair technician for this tip.

Finally, I should note that not all bright-line finders fit all accessory shoes perfectly. I place a little bit of cardboard from a film box on the accessory shoe of my 1930 Leica in order to secure a tight fit. For the cost of these little guys, you certainly don't want them coming lose and disappearing!

CONCLUSION

Built-in and accessory viewfinders have evolved to offer light years more comprehensive information and feedback to us. Today's viewfinders are often either fully electronic or hybrid optical/electronic previews of scenes. They no longer let us see our subjects and scenes directly but, have turned into representations and speculations by, of and for computers. Bright-line viewfinders offer photographers something that has become an unusual luxury; a gorgeous, unencumbered view of the scenes that we're photographing. Sometimes you just don't need to see exposure scales, focus points and confirmation, to know if a flash is ready, how much power is left on your battery or contrast in a scene.

Believe it or not, there are times that all you want or need to do is see your subject!

And this is where one comes to appreciate bright-line viewfinders - beautifully crafted devices that, quite literally, get the camera out of the photographer's way.

Thanks to L.E.W. Van Albada for creating these little gems and thanks to you for reading. Happy shooting!

_Follow, Favorite, Like, Add, Insult, ContactJohnny Martyr _

#accessoryreviews #filmphotography #leica #martyrmusings #reviews #tipstricksadvice #voigtlander #10mm #12mm #135cm #135mm #15mm #21mm #28mm #35cm #35mm #40mm #50mm #5cm #75mm #85mm #90mm #9cm #accessoryviewfinder #albada #brass #brightlineviewfinder #cosina #film #filmcameras #frameline #framelines #glass #lewvanalbada #mirror #opticalviewfinder #optics #photography #projectedframelines #rangefinder #rangefinderaccessory #sbooi #shooc #spiegelsucher #sucher #viewfinder #voigtlaender #voigtländer #zeiss