SmallRig has announced two external optical viewfinders — a 28mm and a 35mm — both mounting via a standard hot shoe. Neither is electronic, meaning no power source or data connection is required; they function purely as optical framing aids, with engraved frame lines corresponding to the respective focal lengths in a 3:2 aspect ratio.

The 28mm viewfinder is the more obviously useful of the two. The Ricoh GR III and GR IV, among the most commercially successful compact cameras in the premium segment, use a built-in 28mm equivalent lens and omit an electronic viewfinder by design — a trade-off Ricoh makes deliberately to preserve the camera’s minimal dimensions. Ricoh produces its own external viewfinders for exactly this use case, including the GV-1, which covers both 21mm and 28mm frame lines, and the GV-2, priced at $246.95. The SmallRig unit offers a substantially cheaper entry point for photographers who want a viewfinder without the cost of Ricoh’s own accessories. Compatibility extends to any camera with a standard hot shoe, regardless of manufacturer, since there is no electronic communication involved.

The 35mm viewfinder addresses a narrower use case. No current mass-market digital compact with a fixed 35mm equivalent lens omits a built-in viewfinder in the way the GR series does, making the primary audience either interchangeable-lens camera users who pair the viewfinder with a 35mm prime on a body without an EVF — such as the recently announced Nikon Z5 IIC — or photographers working with older film cameras whose built-in viewfinders are damaged or optically degraded. The Chinese company also positions both viewfinders toward photographers who prefer the experience of an optical frame to an electronic one even when an EVF is available, though the size of that particular market is difficult to quantify.