viewfinders question

"scenic_man" wrote in message
news:OwSgi.15499$oo5.3845@trndny09...
TomCat999 wrote:
I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really rely on
my
right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make right angle
viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.

While there are right angle finders for the 645 series camera I don't know
of one for the 7, which is a range finder system.

For candid medium format photography you really can't beat a
TLR, a TLR has a waist level finder, and does not have any
mirror slap, the mirror is fixed and a quiet leaf shutter.
You look down at the focus screen. Very quiet and discreet.
And since modern folks are not accustomed to photographers
with waist level cameras most will not even realize that you
are shooting their photo.

your head
V (your eyes)
|
|
|
your camera
mirror \----------------- your subject



darkroommike

TomCat999 wrote:
I am thinking about getting a medium format camera but I really rely on my
right angle viewfinder thats on my nikon. Do they make right angle
viewfinders for medium format cameras? Thanks.

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:04:07 GMT, "TomCat999 via PhotoKB.com"
u35419@uwe wrote:

thanks but thats still not it. I use it so that I'm looking through the view
finder at one angle and my lens is pointed towards people in front of me,
that way I take photos of people when they think my eye is pointed towards
something else. got it? I'm not photographing anything on the ground. Yes, it
was on my nikon.

If you want to take candid pictures then a waist level finder is
precisely what you need, even if it doesn't work in exactly the
same way as the right angle finder on your Nikon. You can face north,
point the camera east, and look down into the finder. Not only will
the people you're photographing think you're looking in a different
direction, but chances are hardly anyone will even realise you're
taking a photograph. These days people are so used to cameras being
held at eye level (or, with cheap digital compacts, at arms' length
in front) that if you're looking down at the finder you're likely to
have passers-by standing right in front of you, completely unaware
that they're in your way.

--
Matthew Winn
[If replying by mail remove the "r" from "urk"]

TomCat999 wrote:

You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?

yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists
for
medium format. Thanks anyway though.

You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

In article ,
shinjin datsu raku wrote:

In article 746258339b825@uwe, "TomCat999" u35419@uwe wrote:


You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?

yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists for
medium format. Thanks anyway though.

Let me try one thing here. The phrase "90 degree finder" means different
things in 35mm and medium format equipment.

A bare medium format camera like the Hasselblad 503c come equipped with
a folding waist level hood. Hasselblad's description: "The foldable
Hasselblad focusing hoods shield the focusing screen from stray light
and show the full image even with the camera at hip level. The built-in
magnifier enlarges the image 4.5X. The magnifier is interchangeable with
correction magnifiers ranging from -4 to +3 diopters."

This hood allows you to look straight down -- vertically -- while
pointing the lens horizontally in any direction. While this in fact is
90 degrees view, it is never referred to as a 90 degree finder.

Prisms are available in 45 and 90 degrees. This refers to the direction
your eye is facing to see the focusing screen. A 90 degree prism allows
you to point your eye parallel to the lens. A 45 degree finder has your
eye looking halfway between horizontal and vertical. Neither prism
allows you to pretend to be looking one way while shooting another way.

Rollei prisms for the SL66 and the 6xxx/SLX series rotate 360° and click
stop every 90° so if one wanted to you could point the camera in any
direction and then rotate the prism while you are facing in another
direction.

The 90°, 45° and the 90° high viewpoint prisms for these cameras all do
this.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

In article ,
"Q.G. de Bakker" wrote:

TomCat999 wrote:

You mean you want to point the camera in one direction but have it
take the photo at 90 degrees to where it is pointing?

yes, but I want a real right angle viewfinder. It doesn't seem it exists
for
medium format. Thanks anyway though.

You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00FrcJ


Renting a waist level finder camera for a day and shooting with it would
be able to satisfy any questions about his style and shooting with MF.

I would watch the lens if anyone had a camera up to his face and suspect
that a waist level TLR would be more discreet.

Rebecca Ore wrote:

You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.

I think he's talking about a waist level finder.
But no matter what: you get it too with MF cameras. Everything!
;-)

"Q.G. de Bakker" wrote in message
...
Rebecca Ore wrote:

You get more options with MF then with your Nikon.
90 degrees, 45 degrees, 'straight-down', frame viewfinders. Everything

He's talking about something that I've seen for Leicas where the eye
piece is parallel to the body of the camera, I think.

I think he's talking about a waist level finder.
But no matter what: you get it too with MF cameras. Everything!
;-)

What he is talking about is the type of right angle finder that fits over
the eyepiece frame of a 35MM camera EXcept the finder is made for a Mamiya
7; which is a rangefinder camera rather than an SLR like many other MF
systems. As far as I know there is no such animal.

Michael wrote:

What he is talking about is the type of right angle finder that fits over
the eyepiece frame of a 35MM camera EXcept the finder is made for a Mamiya
7; which is a rangefinder camera rather than an SLR like many other MF
systems. As far as I know there is no such animal.

What he's looking for is a way to be looking in a different (90 degrees
different) direction from where the camera lens is pointing.
There are very few MF cameras (the Pentax) that do not (!) offer that.