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Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN and OM-D Micro Four Thirds Digital Cameras

by Olympus
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

List Price: $99.99
Price: $82.99 & FREE Shipping. Details
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  • Optical viewfinder for use with the 17mm pancake lens VF-1

Frequently Bought Together

Olympus VF-1 Optical Viewfinder for use with Olympus PEN and OM-D  Micro Four Thirds Digital Cameras + Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Lens
Price for both: $372.98

Buy the selected items together
  • Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 Lens $289.99



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: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
  • ASIN: B002CGSYNA
  • Item model number: VF-1
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 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

  • Optical viewfinder for use with the 17mm pancake lens VF-1

Customer Reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
(17)
3.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
54 of 57 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
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.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Helen
Amazon Verified Purchase
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)
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37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Value and Precision
This is a very close copy of the Leica 35mm Brightline Finder. It functions accurately when used in connection with the proper lens. As such, it is a very good value. Read more
Published 16 days ago by DMM-NH
1.0 out of 5 stars Total Joke
Really you should not be selling this worthless product. I feel totally ripped off. What else is there to say?
Published 18 days ago by Claudia Strasser
1.0 out of 5 stars ITS A LAUGH
FOR 90 DOLLARS THIS VIEWFINDER IS A LAUGH... YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE A PIECE OF WIRE AND BEND IT INTO A SQUARE AND TAPE IT TO YOUR OLYMPUS CAMERA... IT WILL WORK JUST AS WELL.. Read more
Published 1 month ago by F. E. Belluso
5.0 out of 5 stars it is everything i expected - thanks
works great husband is so pleased - he said this is just great
worth all the effortand the time spent getting mailing in order
Published 3 months ago by rebecca ramsey
4.0 out of 5 stars Makes my Olympus E-P3 into a lean clean picture machine!
I was hesitant to buy the VF-1 as it was pricy for use with only a single lens (17mm). However, it was impossible to compose with the E-P3 LCD in bright light. Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. K. Frary
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent item; Not a perfect iPad solution
I bought this to mount on my IPad camera mount from makayama.com (which I love), so I could see more clearly when shooting video in bright sun. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sandra M. Jensen
1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste of Money!
This viewfinder may as well have been taken out of a Cracker Jack box! It is just a metal piece with an open hole! Ridiculous!!! i feel ripped off by both Amazon and Olympus.
Published 9 months ago by Claudia M. Strasser
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect partner for your 17mm f/2.8
The first 35mm camera I used was a Leica IIIc, and while I shot mainly Nikons for over 30 years, I missed the speed and convenience of a small rangefinder camera with an optical... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Michael J. Edelman
5.0 out of 5 stars Works on Olympus XZ-1, too
The VF-1 fits and works perfectly on my Olympus XZ-1.
Its optical field-of-view is very close to the XZ-1's default start-up 28mm equiv lens setting. Read more
Published 18 months ago by John Johnson
4.0 out of 5 stars A fun way to shoot, but not for everybody
There are many negative reviews for this item, and I think they're largely unwarranted.

No, this thing can't show your settings in-line, or provide for perfectly... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Jeremy Thornhill
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