Sean and Phil,
I would love to try an SWC. Do you both shoot handheld, or are they better on a tripod? I've never been comfortable using a tripod for most of my stuff, but if it's mostly a handheld piece I'm going to have to start saving up my money, or selling off some other camera gear, or both.
Thanks for any info you have...
Mark
I've only shot a couple rolls through it so far. I'm a 99.9% handheld shooter. And i'm used to shooting super slow speeds with my polaroid 190 (8 to 15 regularly). I don't have the patience to pull out the tripod, set it up, etc. i'm usually on the move when I shoot.
That being said, the one weakness i've discovered with the SWC, at least with my current viewfinder, is that it is almost impossible to get a horizontal line if you are shooting straight on. Even with the built in level, trying to aim, and then level the bubble, without losing our composition, is tough. That and the slightest jiggle, like when you are pressing the shutter button, throws off your "balance". And then even when i think it is straight, it is still crooked on the negative. Since you don't really see what you are shooting in the finder like you would with an SLR, i can see the advantage to using a tripod and ground glass if you really want a level horizon or line. Plus, the hassy finder is not a tight fit. it wriggles, so you completely can't rely on what you see with your eye as being level.
The voightlander finder that phil uses may remedy this a bit.