compendium

Hi - As some of you may know I have a Wista Field camera that I have started to (try to!) learn how to use it.
With my other cameras I have always used a lenshood when shooting.
I would like to equip the Wista with one. I understand that I should use a 'compendium' rather than an ordinary lenshood.
Can anyone tell me who can supply one and how do they fix to the camera?.

Also are there any with built in filter mounts similar to the Cokin filter system or do I have to purchase a set of filters for each lens.

Thanks in advance

nn

Lee offers a nice lenshood, you can get one with one or two slots for Lee filters. However, I really haven't found one of much use.

numnutz said:

With my other cameras I have always used a lenshood when shooting. I would like to equip the Wista with one. I understand that I should use a 'compendium' rather than an ordinary lenshood.

Click to expand...

You can use a compendium bellows, but it's not required. I would think that on the Wista it would add significant bulk and complexity in field work, and perhaps be a bit much to hang off the front standard/lens. You can get rigid or collapsible rubber lens shades with filter threads that would do fine if you take the angle of view of your lens into account when choosing the shade.

There are also gelatin filter holders (one model made by Voss) that have adjustable metal "barn doors" that can be used for shielding the lens, but I haven't seen them for sale lately. These use a rubber padded spring metal band to grip the lens barrel.

I frequently shade the lens with the dark slide when I'm shooting in the field, even if I have a lens shade on.

Lee

A compendium hood is normally a bellows type that can be varied in depth: Lee's self-supporting ones are especially fine. They are made to take different sizes of square/rectangular filter, including all or almost all the sizes currently made. They fit on the lens via a standard filter-thread-fitting adapter ring that clamps or clicks into the hood, so that the hood can rotate on the ring.

I think Wista has the option of a compendium hood that flips up like the Toyo hood. These are very convenient. Most LF hoods like this will take square filters (4x4" usually) on the rear standard, and some will take additional masks on the front standard.

A cautionary tale:

I've recently acquired the basic Lee (no filter slot, as I have a full set of screw in ones). What has happened -- twice, as I am a slow learner -- is that when in portrait format and employing front rise to a generous degree, but well within the lens image circle. that I have recorded an excellent, though soft, image of the lens hood at top of frame.

The Lee is, BTW, square.

This occurred with a 5x7 Shen Hao, also a recent acquisition, which has, relative to my 4x5 Wista, a not so bright ground glass image (and a less than bright operator!). I did sight the clipped GG for vignetting through the lens, then fitted the lens hood at an extension which I had figured when playing with it before shooting and at ZERO front rise -- to be OK.

Fortunately my subject ain't going anywhere fast, so it's back for another try when the light is right.

The Lee hood seems to work fine, is compatible with their slip in filter systems which are likely easier to use than screw in filters, and rather more economical than a number of the other brands.

Regards - Ross

The sophisticated, double purpose, dark slide that Lee (LWL) mentioned has the added advantage of being progressively more useful as it is progressively more needed. As the sun brightens you can easily see where it's shadow falls. You can hold it far enough away that it shape does not become part of the image. It gives you something away from the camera to do while opening the shutter so you are less likely to bang into the camera. If there is a “she who watches over the expenses and must be obeyed”, there is no additional purchase required. Enjoy what you already have and then buy another lens. You deserve it for summing such excellent advice.

John Powers
Severer Sufferer of GAS

There is a nice little gadget made by Ebony that fits into a flash-shoe (a useful thing to have on a camera, though not usually for flash!) and has an adjustable arm with a bulldog clip on the end. This can hold some convenient piece of card, darkslide, or similar light-blocker in more or less whatever position is needed to shade the lens.

I do use a compendium hood - either a Lee one or an Arca-Swiss - when weight and bulk are not an issue, but the little Ebony gizmo is an excellent alternative when travelling light. Holding a darkslide or whatever in position by hand works just as well, but sometimes I need a free hand to hold a reflector, hold foliage back, or whatever.


Peter