Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 15mm Heliar viewfinder
From: Christer Almqvist <christer@almqvist.net>
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 09:57:22 +0200
References: <004301c09567$22144de0$bbc191d8@computer>

The 15mm Heliar finder is excellent, I would say better than the lens ;-)

When I first got it, I made a couple of test shots to see how the 
finder coverage corresponded to the actual picture and my conclusion 
was that if you want something better you would have to get not only 
a SLR, but one showing 100%. The Heliar finder does not show frame 
lines as my Leitz 21 mm finder does, but this is no real disadvantage 
for the type of pictures I make. In fac, t I prefer to work with the 
Heliar finder. Bad luck I prefer the picture quality of the non-asph 
21 mm Elmarit lens to that of the 15 mm Heliar lens.

Best use for the 15 mm Heliar IMHO is the normal pictures where you 
would otherwise use a 35mm, a 28mm or a wider lens. Do not try to 
exaggerate perspectives. Just take normal pictures. They get 
exaggerated automatically. Make sure there is nobody at the edges of 
the picture that will see the picture. They get a bit distorted. Last 
week I was at a Portugese café, about 12 feet wide but very long and 
with high ceiling. I took a picture standing with the back at one of 
the long walls, shooting a picture of the female owner standing 
behind the bar in front of her sundry coffee making and other 
hardware (HP5 at 800, natural light, Rodinal 1+25). Yesterday I 
brought her the pictures. She was really baffled. Black and white! 
And that perspective.  .....I think this was the first time in her 
life she realized that the border between wall and ceiling had very 
nice stucco. That lens sees more than you see.

Chris

>If any of you have the 15mm Heliar and the finder, how accurate is the
>finder compared to what really gets on the film.  Is it fairly close, or is
>it looser than what the finder lets you know.
>
>gck

- -- 
Christer Almqvist
D-20255 Hamburg, Germany and/or
F-50590 Regnéville-sur-Mer, France

In reply to: Message from "Gary Klein" <leicaman_99@yahoo.com> ([Leica] 15mm Heliar viewfinder)