Keen photographers might remember the approaches taken by camera manufacturers when cost and technology forced them to use simple engineering solutions, like the Minolta Press with the full-size pop-up framing guides. The Ikodot is a small (fits in a 35mm film canister) framing guide mounted on a hotshoe, and is marketed for rangefinder or digital compact cameras primarily. Whilst an existing product, many enthusiasts found it a pleasant match for the DP1, and with the introduction of the DP2 the ability to use one viewfinder between the two cameras makes having an Ikodot quite appealing.

It isn't a replacement for the VF-11 or VF-21, and requires a bit of effort to learn how to use it properly, but if - like me - you have to wear glasses and find you cannot see the framing lines in the official optical viewfinders, this simple solution is worth taking the time required to learn how to use it well. As an added bonus, it works quite well with DSLRs for candid shots too, as long as you remember that it is a framing guide, not an absolute.

 The trick is simple enough. Having fitted the Ikodot, you establish a reference point between your face/hands and the camera - 1st, 2nd knuckle for example. We always hold the camera in roughly the same way so as a framing tool, it's reasonably reliable - the two dots allow you to maintain the correct alignmen as sights, as well as providing a guide to centering.

At $99, it's a little cheaper than most optical viewfinders, though it's also much simpler. If you're considering one of the non-Sigma viewfinders for your DP1 or 2, this will cover both models and also allows the pop-up flash to work with having to modify the viewfinder.