Building out my theoretical LF kit.

Larry the sailor · Nov 20, 2016

With a little luck and depending on if I can find the gear that suits my "want" I hope to be pulling the trigger on some LF gear within the next couple of weeks.
I've pretty well decided on a metal field camera. Not completely settled on a brand or model yet but long the lines of Toyo 45A, Wista 45D or similar. I am leaning towards Toyo but not set in concrete yet.

One of the things that keep coming to the fore is the need(?) for a focusing loupe of some sort.
I'm a middle aged guy with the typical middle aged need for reading glasses for close work.
I've seen loupes priced from "bubblegum machine toy" quality to " I could buy another camera for that much".

What is really needed? and what would be a ballpark price on the used market for a decent useable loupe?

Arklatexian · Nov 20, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
With a little luck and depending on if I can find the gear that suits my "want" I hope to be pulling the trigger on some LF gear within the next couple of weeks.
I've pretty well decided on a metal field camera. Not completely settled on a brand or model yet but long the lines of Toyo 45A, Wista 45D or similar. I am leaning towards Toyo but not set in concrete yet.

One of the things that keep coming to the fore is the need(?) for a focusing loupe of some sort.
I'm a middle aged guy with the typical middle aged need for reading glasses for close work.
I've seen loupes priced from "bubblegum machine toy" quality to " I could buy another camera for that much".

What is really needed? and what would be a ballpark price on the used market for a decent useable loupe?

Have you ever heard of or used what we called a professional photographer's bifocal glasses? The "close-focus" part of the glass lens was above the main glass instead of below. This allowed you to look at the ground glass without "tilting' your head back and made it more comfortable when focusing a LF camera. I knew two professional photographers who used mostly view cameras in their work and they swore by them instead of at them which is what they did when wearing regular "reading-glasses"........Regards!

Larry the sailor · Nov 20, 2016

Hadn't heard of such. Interesting possibility. I only need glasses for close up. Possibly could use strong enough reading type glasses.

Doc W · Nov 20, 2016

You can spend a LOT of money on a loupe. Here is what I use for 4x5 to 8x10. It was under 10 bucks brand new. If you don't like it, you haven't wasted a lot of money. My eyes are not good and this works for me.

https://coinstampsupplies.com/product/waltex-8x-magnifier/

Matt Fattori · Nov 20, 2016

I have very good eyesight and don't find that I need to use a loupe unless I'm in tricky lighting conditions. But one tip I picked up from an older LF photographer is to use a 50mm lens from a 35mm kit. These work very well indeed and can be had virtually for free from many thrift stores if you don't happen to have one.
Btw, I use a Toyo 45 too...it's a great workhorse camera and hard to beat the 'bang for buck' value. Cheers!

Ai Print · Nov 20, 2016

I use an inexpensive Peak 10X loupe and a pair of -3 reading glasses, the latter to see the whole ground glass at once. My correction for reading is -1 so the -3 is really great for under the dark cloth.

dpurdy · Nov 21, 2016

My favorite, having used a lot of different loupes, is the Fuji 4x for ground glass focusing. For focusing on a negative on a light box you probably are better with an 8x loupe. Mine is a Peak. Both loupes are reasonably cheap.

Alan Gales · Nov 21, 2016

Both the Toyo and the Wista have fold out hoods that shade the ground glass. You will probably want a loupe that is long enough to use with the hood extended.

You may be better off with a pair of cheap "readers" from the drugstore as mentioned above. Some prefer them over a loupe anyway. Also if you decide that sheet film is not for you then you are not out much money on the readers.

Arklatexian · Nov 21, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
Hadn't heard of such. Interesting possibility. I only need glasses for close up. Possibly could use strong enough reading type glasses.

After I wrote about the "photographers' glasses, I remembered that many pharmacies/grocery stores have uncorrected, inexpensive, close-up/reading glasses for sale which probably will do the job. If going this route, buy the ones with regular sized lenses, not the half glasses that are sometimes sold.........Regards!

Larry the sailor · Nov 21, 2016

Typically I buy cheapo readers from wally world that serve me well enough. +1.5 for normal day-to-day stuff and a couple pairs of +3s fro delicate close, work.

I appreciate the input folks. I'll probably pick up one of the more inexpensive options to try first..

Ian Grant · Nov 21, 2016

If the camera has a good screen with a fresnel then focussing is quite easy, a loupe is better with a plain GG screen not so useful when there's a fresnel. The Wista's usually have a combination screen which is excellent and very easy to focus with, with my 45DX I rarely need to use a dark-cloth (there's no focus hood) and I can't remember when I last used a loupe.

My experience with other LF cameras is ease of focussing is down to the screen, I added a new much brighter screen to my Crown Graphic also a fresnel, the difference in brightness and ease of focussing is quite staggering. I use it hand held focussing on the screen (with the focus hood), My other Graphics Speed and Super have new screens as well.

If you're prepared to pay extra Beattie or Maxwell screens are even better but they are expensive, I have a Beattie screen on one of mt Agfa Ansco 10x8 cameras and it's great to focus with, so easy. It came NIB with the camera luckily it was included in the deal with the whole kit.

My eyesight isn't brilliant these days but with the right glasses as you already appreciate focussing an LF camera is quite easy.

Ian

mdarnton · Nov 21, 2016

I use a 4" Kodak slide projector lens. I drilled a hole in the plastic skirt for a string. Because the mount is plastic, you don't need to worry about it scratching anything; it's large enough that you can get a good grip on it, long enough that your fingers don't get in the way. The magnification is around 4X, which is perfect for me (too much makes it harder because of the GG texture). They cost about $10 and I have them spotted all over the shop.

Jim Jones · Nov 21, 2016

While a quality loupe lets one see the image better, a single element magnifier like the map magnifier I used for many years lets one focus accurately. A stronger magnifier that clips onto eyeglasses and swings out of the way for normal vision should be handy for glasses wearers.

ransel · Nov 21, 2016

I use a chimney finder from a Mamiya RB67 - the ocular is adjustable for my tired old eyes and the opening at the bottom is about 3" square, covering a nice section of ground-glass. It is about 5" tall and has a rubber eye cup. I just removed the metal mounting hardware from the bottom and glued strips of black felt to it. I use it for my 4X5, 5X7, and 8X10 ground-glass viewing. Looks like they can be had for about $50 on ebay but I think I paid about $30 for mine a few years back.

John Koehrer · Nov 21, 2016

mdarnton said:
I use a 4" Kodak slide projector lens. I drilled a hole in the plastic skirt for a string. Because the mount is plastic, you don't need to worry about it scratching anything; it's large enough that you can get a good grip on it, long enough that your fingers don't get in the way. The magnification is around 4X, which is perfect for me (too much makes it harder because of the GG texture). They cost about $10 and I have them spotted all over the shop.

Me too!

esearing · Dec 4, 2016

I like these readers from Clic brand which have magnetic front clasp. I use them for fly fishing and 4x5 work. http://www.orvis.com/p/convenient-fumble-free-magnifiers/97xe

Ari · Dec 4, 2016

I spent $90 on a used Schneider 8x loupe; best money I spent on LF, after years of futzing with cheap loupes and other halfway solutions.

Larry the sailor · Dec 4, 2016

I picked up an inexpensive little 5X Peak to see how it works and see what direction I want to take.
So far I think 5X would be adequate magnification for use on my 4x5 Toyo but the jury is still out on the loupe itself, haven't played with it enough to form an opinion yet.

removed account4 · Dec 4, 2016

i use a toyomonocular viewer

Newt_on_Swings · Dec 7, 2016

So I have a camera that is similar to one of your two choices, a Wista SP. It does have a fairly bright factory fresnel screen that is useful for rough focusing with the folded focusing shade out. For fine focusing you can swing that folding shade out of the way quickly. So I have used many loupes in the time that I have been taking pictures and looking at negatives, to focusing on ground glass. I have used the cheapie 8x loupes, flipped 50mm lenses, dome type magnifiers, reading glasses, and multi element loupes. What did I end up settling on? A silvestri tilting loupe. It can focus not just on the glass but where the image appears the rough side of the glass, and also tilts where you can shove it into a corner to check. Its also small and not so heavy as some other loupes I have used, so i just hang it around my neck with a half inch wide lanyard. For the negatives, I still stick with the big dome magnifier, its very nicely sized and doesnt strain my eyes on the light box/table. But if you are on a budget, any of these loupes I mentioned will work.

Neil Poulsen · Dec 23, 2016

I think that one can expect to find a 4x to 8x loupe for $50-$90. (Or so?)

I used an inexpensive loupe for a few years, until I purchased a 4x Rodenstock loupe intended for a g.g. I learned that day what a difference a good loupe can make. I'd never go back.

locutus · Dec 23, 2016

I used a 50mm prime lens first as a makeshift magnifier and found it to be impractical (large, heavy, chance to scratch the screen, low magnification)

Bought a Horseman 7x magnifier (~50$ from Kumar) and its so much better in every aspect, optical quality is great and makes very precise focus a breeze even with the not that great Shen Hao screen.

At 50$ that's the same as 10 sheets of colour film, I am sure i would screw up focus on more then 10 sheets without a decent focus magnifier.

k.hendrik · Dec 23, 2016

With my Cambo 4x5 i use this:
https://www.loepenshop.com/Juweliersloep/Loepbril-met-Horlogemakersloep-en-LED

I don't use the LED light.

mark · Jan 10, 2017

Most of the time all I have to do is take my glasses off. The only bonus to being as near sighted as I am. I have a calumet loupe for other times and as a back up cheap reading glasses. Lots of options. I compared my little calumet loupe to a schneider one for a LOT more money and honestly I could not see the difference. That was 20 years ago though. My eyes have gotten quite a bit worse so maybe the difference is noticeable now.

Building out my theoretical LF kit.

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