On Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:32:55 -0400, "Joe G." wrote:

>I have an F3 HP and the finder is kind of defective or something. (I took
>out the eyepiece elements to clean them and one piece is clouded and
>un-cleanable) I can still use it but I have the chance to buy a used DA-2
>action finder in perfect condition for about the same price as a new HP
>finder. I do lots of fast action shooting but also lots of landscapes. I'm
>just curious to see if anyone likes this item or not.

I like mine a lot. Minuses: slightly reduced image magnification,
bigger-'n'-heavier. Plusses: great view of the whole frame in a big
black field makes overall composition a pleasure, it sits atop the
body like a pop-up TV screen which you can easily look past to view
"reality", it is great for difficult shooting positions since you
can be a couple of inches away and still see the whole frame. I
like it as a way to free me from the "glued-on" feel of using most
cameras - I have more direct connection with my surroundings
since my (left) viewing eye does not need to be jammed into
the camera for viewing. Mine stays on my F3 all the time, unless
I travel with it (the regular non-HP finder makes the body more
compact, and even that is still good with glasses...).