What are the best external viewfinders for Leica M bodies?

Question

I have a shoot this Saturday and my M4-P 28mm lines are impossible to see with my glasses on. I checked out the Leica brightlines but they're like $500 used which is crazy and I heard the Voigtlander metal ones can be a bit dim. I'm in NYC so I can grab one tomorrow but I'm torn... what is actually the brightest one?

Ethanwrine · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, Voigtlander 28mm Metal Viewfinder is dim.

Ricoh GV-1 21/28mm Finder: flimsy plastic.

Zeiss 28mm ZM Brightline Viewfinder: 0.5x magnification, 20mm eye relief. Zeiss is basically the only clear choice.

Moose1867 · Answer

So I ran into this same headache with my M6 last year. Wearing glasses and trying to find those 28mm lines is basically a workout for your eyeballs. I first tried the metal version but honestly, it felt kinda cramped. I ended up picking up the Voigtlander 28mm D Brightline Plastic Viewfinder instead. Everyone says metal is better but the plastic D version is surprisingly bright and since it's plastic, I dont worry about it scratching my glasses. It's way lighter too. I also briefly messed with an MS Optical 28mm Mini Viewfinder but it was way too tiny for me to see anything clearly... just felt like a toy. Been super satisfied with the plastic CV for street stuff. TL;DR: The Voigtlander 28mm D Brightline Plastic Viewfinder is the sleeper hit. It's light, super clear, and way friendlier for glasses than the metal versions.

tqlezufiqn · Answer

Commenting to find later