Vintage Canon Viewfinder

[chicks]

Any ideas which Canon rangefinder / lens this was for? Google isn't finding anything.

 

[2526]

Is it a multi focal length viewfinder? It looks like it may zoom as you index the various focal lengths indicated on the chrome ring. Not sure what the "feet" indicator accomplishes. I'd like to play around with that to see what it's about.

 

[blhagstrom]

My guess it that it is a generic range finder made by Canon to work with any camera with a flash mount.
You set the front ring to the size of lens on the camera and using the device, determine the distance.

So...its intended to be used on a camera that does not have a range finder???
Was there such a thing?
Perhaps a non-35mm rig.
Medium or large format ranging?

 

[chicks]

Is it a multi focal length viewfinder? It looks like it may zoom as you index the various focal lengths indicated on the chrome ring. Not sure what the "feet" indicator accomplishes. I'd like to play around with that to see what it's about.

Oh, I hadn't noticed at first, but it has click stops at 35/50/85/90/100/135. Lenses coated in grime, difficult to see through. I'll clean it up after work.

 

[Pio1980]

I'm guessing it's a factory accessory item for something like the Canon 7 series rangefinder. Once had a 7S that was also comfortable with screw mount Leica lenses.

 

[cubby01]

Universal zoom finder circa mid 50s. Google finds many examples that look just like yours but the specific model number was not determined.

If that marking is a price of 2.19, you got a heck of a deal I think.

 

[chicks]

Yeah, I figured it was worth a bit over $2.19, lol. Very well made, hopefully will clean up nicely.

 

[chicks]

 

[Old Ears too]

How's the view once it's cleaned up?
That's a pretty nice looking view finder if you ask me.

 

[chicks]

It's still a bit foggy, but usable.

So, the lens length selector resizes a rectangle that shows the FOV that each lens would have. The longer the lens, the smaller the rectangle. The Feet adjustment on the back is for parallax correction; it moves the rectangle up and down, correcting for the fact that the viewfinder is slightly higher than the lens. Pretty basic, not needed on an SLR camera, but yes, it does look pretty cool!

 

[Old Ears too]

It's very similar to one I have for a Leica rangefinder camera.
I believe my Canon VI-T has a pin that raises the back end of an add on view finder as the focus is changed, but I'd have to look at it again to be sure.
Did you open it up to clean it?
I cleaned mine up and it really is clear now.

 

[chicks]

No, might try cleaning it inside at some point.

 

[Old Ears too]

Post 1254 of the vintage camera thread shows my viewfinder.
Yours is way cool being multifocal length and all.

 

[frperdurabo]

Yup - this is for Leica thread mount or Zeiss/Nikon interchangable lens rangefinders that didn't have frame lines in the viewfinder that change when you mount different focal length lenses - as the Leica "M" cameras and later Canon rf's did.

 

[chicks]

It just looks cool, no matter how useless on more modern rangefinders, lol.