Inon 45 degree viewfinder

[mintaka]

I'm using the Inon 45 degree viewfinder with my Sea and Sea housing for the D300.
I've made 10 dives with this rig and am fairly comfortable with it. I have no problems with the viewfinder for wide angle (12-24mm) , but I find that pointing it using a 60mm macro is kind of challenging, eventually I get it where I want it, but often I miss the shot because I am not initially pointed at the subject and have to hunt around to get it in the field of view. It seems considerably more difficult than pointing a straight through. I like the 45 degree because you can get the camera lower than your body but the pointing is sometimes frustrating. Any advice or comments ?

 

[Mariozi]

Most of the time I shoot WA I shoot with a 10.5mm and almost 85% of the shots I am not looking through the viewfinder, just stretching my arm placing the housing in the right position, and trying my best not to be in the shot!!!

This way I feel I can reach a better point of view and I am more aware of my surroundings making sure I don't brake or touch anything.

I have considered buying it, it is a great product, but most of these shots not even the 45deg viewfinder would help me... and when I do macro (and I love macro/supermacro) it is not there to oppose me.

 

[Eskasi]

I have used one for a while.... if you find the 60 hard, try it with a 105VR and diopter! I am fairly competent now with it.... I find if you frame your shots a little further then move in it helps a lot.... no problems at all for WA too... its the hunting with the 105 that I hate... I once took 15 mins to frame a pygmy seahorse... I just could not find it even through the viewfinder though I could see it clearly with my own eyes....

 

[mintaka]

Thanks all.... I figure the 105 is going to be a lot more challenging. Mariozi, I've used your technique a couple of times with a 12mm--works pretty well !

 

[danclem]

I have an Inon 45 degree on my Subal rig and shoot with both a Nikon 60 and 105 on my D300 and D70s. I also have the Subal magnified eye piece, but like the Inon 45 for the kind of shooting I do (much of it macro).

My experience is that the 45 is harder to use with wide angle shots than it is with macro subjects. There is a tendence to initially aim too high, so try dropping tilting the camera down slightly. Berkeley White of Backscatter had some great advice when I purchased the Inon 45 degree: follow the subject and aim with your wrists. He used this technique on fast moving sail fish.

I really like the Subal magnified viewer, but the nice thing about Inon is that you can swap view finders without having to use a spanning wrench: it is a snap to pop in a straight view finder if you are shooting fast moving pelagics.

The Inon 45 is also a great eye pice for over/under shots. The biggest down sides I have noticed are: 1.) I had the bifocal area raised in my dive mask a year or so ago, and its current location cuts across the Inon eye piece. I have had to adjust my viewing. 2.) The bottom of the Inon 45 covers the upper part of the camera view screen. Minor issue.

Have fun shooting!

Dan

 

[Warren_L]

I'm using the Inon 45 degree viewfinder with my Sea and Sea housing for the D300.
I've made 10 dives with this rig and am fairly comfortable with it. I have no problems with the viewfinder for wide angle (12-24mm) , but I find that pointing it using a 60mm macro is kind of challenging, eventually I get it where I want it, but often I miss the shot because I am not initially pointed at the subject and have to hunt around to get it in the field of view. It seems considerably more difficult than pointing a straight through. I like the 45 degree because you can get the camera lower than your body but the pointing is sometimes frustrating. Any advice or comments ?

To a great degree it's probably just a matter of getting used to using it. I have always been using a straight on viewfinder and I had an opportunity to try the INON 45 deg finder last year and I really did not like it at all. Probably because it really took some getting used to, and as others have mentioned about using it with macro, spotting your subject I found quite difficult.