Angle finder

Does anyone have any experience of this angle finder ? Or do Pentax make their own dedicated one ?

Thanks.

I suppose it might help if I added the link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Angle-Finder-for-Pentax-K10D-K100D-Super-K110D-ist-DL_W0QQ...

The Pentax Refconverter M and the Refconverter A should both fit. The only difference is that the A version has a taller angle of view so you can see the readout in the bottom of the finder better. http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/misc/focus/refconverter-AM.jpg

I would tend to avoid the Chinese copies unless you want something quick and cheap. The Pentax ones do come up at regular intervals on eBay and elsewhere.

Kim

Thanks Kim. I didnt think to look on Boj's page.

Do you know for sure that these will fit the K10 D ?

I've bid on a couple of Pentax Refconverters lately but I'm refusing to pay more than £50 for one hence I'm being comprehensively outbid (the going rate seems to be about £75+p&p for the "A" and about £60+ for the "M".

Consequently, I've now raised the white flag and ordered one of the Chinese Seagull right angle finders - should be here in a week or so and I'll let you know then how it works with the K10D. The few reports I've seen on the web are quite favourable although all mention the interchangeable mounts as being a weak point - I'll see for myself when it arrives. Seagull, as well as making accessories like this, also manufacture Kodak's line of digicams along with their Schneider lenses so the quality of the optics shouldn't be too terrible! Their own branded medium format TLR cameras also have quite a cult following.

Also, there are many people selling the Seagull finder on eBay (not all of them quoting a manufacturer) and the cheapest I found (including p&p) was this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230159695631&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=013

As at today's exchange rate, the price equates to £27.08 including p&p - cheaper than the one you highlighted. They also have stocks of the earlier model which is near-identical except it offers 1-2x magnification instead of 1-2.5x - it is a couple of quid cheaper still though!

I doubt I'll be using it all the time but it's something I've felt on a couple of occasions would be handy to have. I think it'll probably prove to be 27 quid wisely spent...

For someone's mini review of one on an *istD have a look at: http://www.digicaminfo.btinternet.co.uk/rightanglefinder.htm

I know several people who use Seagull anglefinders, and they are all very happy with them. Mostly they have bought them here in the Netherlands, rather than from Hong Kong/China. The professional giving a couple of workshops I went on uses one with his Canon and finds it better than the Canon version.

gwyn and Hefty1

Thanks for the comments. As long as it is bright and clear enought o be able to manualy focus then it will do the trick for me.

There are times when I end up with a sore neck bending over and twisting my neck to peek through the viewfinder, and wearing glasses as I do doesnt help either. I think this will be a good investment for me.

At the prices on ebay I could get two for about the same price as one visit to the osteopath !

Well, my Seagull angle finder turned up today (just 7 days after I ordered it from Hong Kong) and I have to say I'm pretty impressed! I can't really add too much to what has been already said except that I feel the "brittleness" of the adaptor plates has been overstated in my view - the Pentax one (not checked the others) seems perfectly serviceable to me.

Build quality of the finder is excellent and the supplied case is as good as any I've had with lenses from Pentax, etc. The view through the finder is nice and bright, the 2.5x magnification makes MF a breeze and my only (minor) gripe is that you can't see the shooting info through it as even in 1x magnification it seems to crop very slightly - having said that, the info is always on the shoulder of the camera and can be brought up on the LCD if really needed.

All in all a very good buy I reckon - especially considering the giveaway price!

I retract my previous gripe - now I've got used to holding my eye "square" over the finder I can actually see everything - shooting information included!

After just a few hours play I'm wondering how I ever managed without one of these little gizmos...

I have a Chinese angle finder - not sure if it is a Seagull or of other manufacture but it looks like the Seagull. I found that the Pentax/Samsung adapter that came with it was a bit wobbly in use but the Nikon adapter fits my K10D very snugly. I use it occasionally and find it most useful for some macro work and also photomicroscopy as the magnification makes focusing easier.

Thanks for the info hefty i have been inclined to get one of these for a while now but wasn't sure if the seagull brand was any good.
So if you say they are ok i might take the plunge and order one

I just ordered a Seagull one for macro work and also for use in provided bird hides when the camera is on a tripod. Should help with the back pain I usually get trying to crouch/bend to the right height.

I have one of these Seagull Angle Finders, and they are remarkable value and work very well, and there's a bonus, the instructions are hilarious, here is a quote;-

Maintainance with maintain

* This product is a precise and optical instrument, pleasing watch for to defend the tide dust palliative, Doing not want to point to get in touch with the optical glass by hand, do not fall off to fall or hits.

* In case that the immodesty makes dirty the optical glass, please use first to blow , the breeze brushes use the dust clearance, then the soft and clean cloth wipes ligntly, if still not clean, can use the lens pure try the paper stained with a little amount lens the pure trying the liquid to wipe lightly. Besides pure try the liquid excluding, the other do not use all.

* The outward apperance pleases use the soft and clean cloth to wipe lightly, do not use the organism melting agent cleaning absolutely.

end quote.

I like the bit about immodesty making your optical glass dirty.

Mind you their English is a lot better than my Cantonese.

My only gripe with them is that there is no way to lock the diopter setting which means you have to adjust it every time you use it. Mine is the older model with a 2X magnified view, the later ones with 2.5X magnification might be different.

Cheers Chris

It all makes perfect sense to me

I must admit, I usually solve the problem with the FE-1 finder on the LX.

Kim