Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 1 x 1.4 inches ; 0.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002CGSYNA
• Item model number: VF-1
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 15, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Optical viewfinder for use with the 17mm pancake lens VF-1. This externally-attached optical viewfinder supports shooting with the pancake lens. It uses a bright 17mm frame to enable comfortable picture composition.

Product Description

While the Olympus PEN -- like many digital cameras these days -- features a large LCD screen for easy composition, some photographers prefer the feel and clarity of an optical viewfinder. Plus, by using an optical viewfinder to frame shots, battery life can be substantially extended.

With the Olympus VF-1 detachable viewfinder, it is possible to enjoy the use of an optical viewfinder with an additional weight of only 20g (0.7 oz). The 3 multi-coated glass elements ensure a clear view through the finder with a magnification of 0.47x. Mounts quickly and easily to the camera's hot shoe.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The VF-1 optical viewfinder is specifically designed for use with the Olympus PEN digital camera and the M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:2.8 Pancake lens, as shown here (camera & lens not included). Longer lenses may block the finder's field of view.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best viewfinder for the E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1, May 14, 2010

By 

Richard Drdul (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Electronics)

I purchased the VF-1 viewfinder as part of a kit including an E-P1 camera and a 17 mm pancake lens. I wear glasses and have never been able to use a viewfinder (the experience was either like looking through a toilet paper tube, or I couldn't see the whole area of the viewfinder), so I didn't bother using the viewfinder, instead composing photos with the LCD screen.

I recently had the opportunity to try a Voigtlander viewfinder on my camera (lent to me by another photographer couldn't believe that I was taking street photos using the LCD), and was amazed at how well I could see though it. So I dug out my unused Olympus viewfinder, and discovered that (on my E-P1 at least) it's even better than the Voigtlander viewfinder (which costs four times as much!).

First of all, the rectangular bright lines in the VF-1 viewfinder match the 4:3 aspect ratio of the E-P1 sensor. Other viewfinders (like the Voigtlander I borrowed) are intended for use on film cameras and digital cameras with a 3:2 aspect ratio, so the bright lines crop the top and bottom of the image that the E-P1 records, and extend beyond the right and left edges. If you care about accurately framing your image, other viewfinders won't do.

The VF-1 viewfinder has a high "eye point," which means that it works well for someone wearing glasses. I can see the area outside the bright lines without difficulty, which is something I can't say for most other viewfinders (including the ones built into Leica cameras, amazingly enough).

Even if I had an E-P2 camera instead of my E-P1, I would use the VF-1 viewfinder rather than an electronic viewfinder. The optical viewfinder displays an area larger than the image. I can see what is just outside the bright lines, and recompose as necessary. With an electronic viewfinder, all you see is what will be in the image, and nothing more. For my kind of photography (street photography), being able to see an area larger than the image makes a big difference.

In bright light I often have difficulty seeing an image on the LCD screen, and have to shade the screen with my hand while I'm photographing. It's awkward and it looks a bit furtive, which isn't how I want t appear when photographing in the street. The viewfinder, on the other hand, works in all light. I also find that I am faster with the viewfinder than when composing with the LCD screen, and I can move around easier with the camera at my face.

Bottom line: If you have a E-P1, E-P2 or E-PL1 and a 17 mm pancake lens, you owe it to yourself to give the VF-1 viewfinder a test run, even if you wear glasses.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Retro-styled optical finder for the PEN E-P1 with 17mm "pancake" lens, September 17, 2009

By 

Michael A. Duvernois (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Electronics)

This accessory optical finder mounts on the Olympus PEN E-P1 retro-styled (and retro-marketed, "Olympus PEN Since 1959") camera specifically for use with the thin "pancake" 17mm lens. With the fast optical finder and that wide-angle lens, the camera evokes memories of rangefinder cameras, perhaps Leicas and Canons of the 1950s and 1960s. With this setup, I took a bunch of street images, quick clicks of sidewalk scenes. It's an excellent camera, lens, and viewfinder setup. It's especially powerful with digital imagining since only a small fraction of such shots turn out "perfectly" (no fault of the camera, more of the casual picture taking).

If something akin to a 35mm rangefinder, but with modern technology, is of interest to you, you should try it out in the camera store. The whole setup E-P1, 17mm, and this viewfinder are too expensive to buy on a whim, but it is a solid setup with retro appeal but all of the modern features.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good value & I prefer it over the digital viewfinder!, May 24, 2010

By 

Helen "lotsofkids12345" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Electronics)

I bought this and returned it as I was told that the Digital viewfinder was so much better and worth paying $250 for.....well, I wish I kept this optical and saved a lot of cash too. I returned the optical and bought the digital and now regret having paid big $$$ for a bulkier viewfinder that basically shows a somewhat pixilated poor image quality that when moving has lag! (quite annoying) I have an e-pL1 and use both the kit lens of 14-42, the 17mm pancake and a zoom lens of 150mm. This optical viewfinder basically will show you your image as if you are looking through a "17mm" lens. If you change lens, then you may find yourself switching between your viewfinder and your LCD for an accurate depiction of what you are seeing. But I actually preferred the quality image with the optical over the digital! And it has a much smaller/neater profile! (just my opinion)