Up until now I have always used the standard viewfinders on all of my Subals. But I am off to the Red Sea at in less than 48 hours and I am facing a choice of Subal's GS vs WS viewfinders for my Red Sea trip. GS is straight enlarger. WS is 45 degree - same as Inon.

Click to view attachment

Luggage allowance is very tight - so I don't think I can take both. At present both sitting on table - hole in back of housing!

Any advice. Shooting mainly wide angle scenics?

Alex

Hi Alex,

I have the GS viewfinder - in fact is very good, I think better to use than the standard.
For now, I'd like know the real comparation between both (GS and WS) from the same user, because the most part of the information we have until now are from peopple have used one or other, but not both devices.
It's fantastic if you can carry both, test and give us your opinion.

Best regards,
Tigershark

Hi, Alex

I do have both the straight and angled Seacam viewfinders and I am happy with both. I guess Subal´s are comparable.

For macro and general wide angle, I´ll rather stick with the angled one. If you are shooting moving targets, the straight one is absolutely the only way to go (this is the one I took to Bahamas )

Therefore, nothing really new to add to what has been said in the forums before, but my first hand experience with both...

In the Canary Islands I would say I use the angled one 80% of the times...

Enjoy the trip...

I've always used the straight ahead. Looked at the angled for my D300. Multiple sources talked my into sticking with the straight ahead. Can't remember why now though.

Thanks guys.

I will try and take both. But luggage allowance is going to make that hard. 30Kg (60lb) total (that is hand luggage and hold combined).

I think if I can only take one it will be the WS-45. I reckon forcing myself to have to get used to it over a whole trip might be the best way to adapt.

Alex

hello

came back from the red sea 2 weeks ago, used the straight finder with my subal d300. Realy liked the straight finder, big and bright and easy to switch between landscape and portrait photograpy, no need to rotate the viewfinder. Only in situations where I wanted to point my housing up towards the surface in Wide angle I sometimes thought "here the angled finder would be nice". Would love to hear some user reports from the angled viewfinder though...

good luck with your choise

Robin

Do you not have space in some pockets Alex , I put about 5Kg of batteries in a jacket pocket and some other bits and pieces in some combat pockets to try and keep the "weighable" weight down. If you have a reporter style jacket you can easily get a couple of lenses in there somewhere along with ots of other bits and pieves.


Have a great trip.


Tristan

$5 on you being able to do so. My guess is you probably do not need any view finder based on how you do what you do so well

Will be interested as to how you get on Alex. When I looked through the GS my first reaction was that I preferred the standard finder.

My wallet agreed.

Paul C

I plunged and went for the WS on my ND30. I've not had a magnifying viewfinder before. Awesome! I love it. As Pedro says it is a bit tricky following fast-moving objects especially travelling horizontally. Although I suspect I'll get used to that. For objects on the reef or near the bottom, its brilliant. It was a tough call choosing between the GS and the WS. However the experience of using a Coolpix5000 in a Subal housing - with its 45 degree viewing option - some years ago persuaded me to go the WS route. I don't regret it. Phew!

Hello Alex,

I have both inon 45 and 180 and would choose the straight one, specially in Subal´s case where the off-center 180 viewfinder gives you more room for close to the ground macro shots.... Anyway, enjoy the trip!!!