External viewfinders compared: TTArtisan vs Lichifit
You get what you pay for with tiny Lichifit external viewfinders
When it comes to the tiny Lichifit external optical viewfinders, you definitely get what you pay for.
For the cost of a couple of fancy coffees from your favourite barista, you can have the tiny, all-plastic optical viewfinder on your favourite digicam setup.
The tiny Lichifit external optical viewfinder looks at home on the compact Lumix LX7.
Some photographers will definitely prefer to save their money to buy the fancy coffees rather than fork out the money for this viewfinder, but there will be plenty of photographers who are satisfied with this inexpensive accessory that fits into the hotshoe of their favourite camera.
Judging from the number of street photographers using these inexpensive finders on YouTube, the viewfinders’ quality levels are not a limiting factor to their usage.
The Olympus Pen E-PL2 with the TT Artisan viewfinder.
For more on using external viewfinders, check out my post on the Olympus PEN series of cameras. Go to the Olympus camera website for more information.
Their popularity may be the result of street photographers not needing the highest resolution in a viewfinder. Let’s face it, many of the images they create are shot from the hip and are not even seen until the photographers review their images at the end of the day.
It’s all about speed and getting the shot rather than taking the time to examine the details in the image.
These viewfinders are perfect, stealth accessories that work well if you are just grabbing a shot and need a quick framing of the scene.
Click on the link for my comprehensive post on the high-quality, TTArtisan 28mm viewfinder pictured below on the left.
The external optional viewfinders on these Pentax Q cameras show the significant difference between the TTArtisan 28mm viewfinder and the tiny Lichifit 28mm viewfinder.
How small are they?
These things are extremely small and super light.
The good news is that they are so small that you can easily slip a digicam with one of these viewfinders attached into a camera bag or the pocket of a jacket. The viewfinder itself (or several viewfinders for other prime lenses) could also be tucked into a pocket of your camera bag or pocket and pulled out when you need one.
The tiny Lichifit 28mm external viewfinder fits nicely on the miniature Pentax Q line of cameras.
It’s hard to imagine how small these viewfinders actually are.
In fact, I ordered the 28mm TTArtisan finder at the same time as I ordered the 28mm Lichifit finder. When the package came, I didn’t even know that the lightweight Lichifit finder was even included in a separate padded bag.
It wasn’t until I went to throw out the packaging that I noticed the tiny viewfinder tucked away in an envelope in bubble wrap.
Small and lightweight is an understatement.
A rear view looking through the viewfinder of the tiny Lichifit 28mm external viewfinder fitted atop the Pentax Q.
Are they good for landscape and garden photography?
I’m not sure these viewfinders work as well with landscape or garden photographers as they do for street photographers. Landscape photographers need to see a higher level of detail through the viewfinder than, say, a street photographer.
The slightly blurry image and distortion that these finders deliver would be, I believe, frustrating for some landscape, garden and travel photographers.
If given the choice, I would rather save my money and purchase the TTArtisan viewfinder even if it is probably triple the cost of these cheap, mini, plastic viewfinders.
For these photographers, investing in a higher quality viewfinder like the TTArtisan is something you may want to consider.
The good news is that the Lichifit finders are so inexpensive to purchase, that it might be worth it to try one out and decide for yourself if you can live with the slight blur and distortion caused by the plastic in the viewfinders.
This image shows the Olympus Pen system with the viewfinder attached.
Why you might want a Lichifit viewfinder
• If having an inexpensive, quick look is more important than seeing a crystal clear image through the finder, then one of these may work for you.
• If you are looking for a tiny, extremely lightweight viewfinder, then you might like this accessory.
• Or, if you need a large selection of viewfinders to match up with your many prime lenses, a set of these inexpensive finders may just work well for you.
• They are available in a range of funky colours that might work with your camera, especially if you are the owner of one of the Pentax Q custom coloured cameras.
It’s important to note that, like the TTArtisan viewfinders, no information is transmitted from the camera to the viewfinder. There is no f-stop, shutter speed or focus confirmation in these viewfinders. They are used to get a view of the image at times where you either don’t want to use the camera’s LCD or are unable to use it because of excessive glare on it from the sun.
Two Pentax Qs show the size and style differences of the optional external viewfinders.
If the TTArtisan line of optical viewfinders are exquisitely made, stylish accessories with high-quality optical glass, these Lichifit finders can almost be described as the exact opposite.
In other words, the Lichifit finders are tiny, cheap and not very sharp.
They also lack the highly-desirable vintage look that the TTArtisan finders exude with confidence.
Add to that, there is much less of a coolness factor using one of these whether you are out in the field or at the coffee shop reviewing your images.
I do like the tiny footprint, especially when I use it on my miniature Pentax Qs and the equally small Lumix LX7. They look good on these cameras and I can live with any parallax problems that might occur.
The company says the viewfinders are “small transparent and bright, and are very coordinated to install on various side axis cameras.”
They advertise the finders, which come in 28mm, 35mm and 40mm options, are good to “replace an old, broken or non-working optical side axis viewfinder, easy to use and stable performance.”
The company does not recommend they be used with high SLR cameras because of the potential for parallax problems.
Unfortunately, where these quick-and-dirty viewfinders fall far too short are the optical qualities. Looking through the viewfinder’s results in a slightly blurry image that is probably just a little too soft for my liking, even considering the price.
Does that mean I can’t or won’t use the little 28mm? No, not by a long shot. It’s usable, but it won’t be anywhere near as enjoyable to use as the TTArtisan viewfinders.
If given the choice, I would rather save my money and purchase the TTArtisan viewfinder even if it is probably triple the cost of these cheap, mini, plastic viewfinders.