Focusing cloth vs Folding Hood- Thoughts/ recommendations

[Grafmatic]

A while back, I bought an Intrepid 4 x 5 and assembled a system thanks in good part to excellent advice and guidance I received on these forums.
Unfortunately, I was greeted shortly after finishing assembling my system with a leukemia diagnosis so I’ve done very little with this system. My prognosis is fairly good, so I hope to be back behind the glass before too long.

Partly just because, and partly because of my condition, I always seem to be on a quest to save weight wherever possible. One option I am considering is buying the focusing hood accessory so I can shave off a couple pounds compared to carrying around a focusing cloth. But I am noticing that, while the fresnel screen makes the screen look brighter and more even, it actually makes focusing a little ambiguous. I was just wondering annyone has experience with focusing hoods versus focusing cloths, and whether the hood makes it harder to see the corners properly without a Fresnel screen.

I see the hood more on press type cameras, and I had a crown graphic when I started out, but it is long gone. So I am reaching out to the helpful folks here, of which there are quite a few!

 

[BrianShaw]

Best wishes for a strong recovery from leukemia!

I've used the pop-up hood on a couple of Speed Graphic cameras. They are good for quick-and-dirty but don't really provide a lot of shading. So the viewing quality depends upon both the amount and angle of ambient lighting. Plus, they often make getting a loupe onto the glass more challenging. For most LF camera usage a darkcloth might be better since it can be wrapped to eliminate more extraneous light. And the good part is that they really don't weigh much. Actually, neither really weighs much.

Some folks have reported using focusing viewers like this. To me, that's often overkill and weighty.

Fotodiox Pro Arca Swiss 4x5 Right Angle View Finder Hood - Collapsible Focusing Monocular, Reflex Hood & Groundglass Cover with Magnifying Eyepiece Viewer for Arca Swiss 4x5 Large Format View Camera

Fotodiox Pro Arca Swiss 4x5 Right Angle View Finder Hood - Collapsible Focusing Monocular, Reflex Hood & Groundglass Cover with Magnifying Eyepiece Viewer for Arca Swiss 4x5 Large Format View Camera

fotodioxpro.com

 

[Chuck1]

Glad to hear it's a good (relatively) prognosis
hope you get back out soon
A dark cloth is probably the lightest solution
I have the linhof mirrored focus device,
It's not heavy but it is bulky,
The folding device mentioned above also tend to be pricey (as well as heavy and overkill)

 

[grahamp]

A nylon focus cloth for 4x5 is going to weight 8-12oz at most. A double sided cotton one is going to weigh several time more.

I need to be able to get a loupe calibrated for my eyes onto the screen, so a hood does not really suit. A really dark surround makes focusing so much easier.

 

[Franswa]

Are you using a loupe as well? Personally I find the cloth to be more effective over a hood in most of the situations I shoot in. Happy to hear your prognosis is fairly good, and will hopefully continue to improve.

 

[blee1996]

When I go out ultra lightweight with my 4x5 or 8x10, I just carry a lightweight REI raincoat. It is black on one side and silver on the other, and water proof while breathable. It is both multi-functional and very lightweight. It packed down very compact as well.

 

[Grafmatic]

When I go out ultra lightweight with my 4x5 or 8x10, I just carry a lightweight REI raincoat. It is black on one side and silver on the other, and water proof while breathable. It is both multi-functional and very lightweight. It packed down very compact as well.

Great idea!

Are you using a loupe as well? Personally I find the cloth to be more effective over a hood in most of the situations I shoot in. Happy to hear your prognosis is fairly good, and will hopefully continue to improve.

Way back when, I used a loupe with adjustable focus which turned out to be a really bad idea. I have an eye doctor appointment not far off and I’m gonna explain him what focusing distance I need and get a pair of magnifying eyeglasses for my eyes and that distance. Either way, I think the fresnel will go. I tried it with a high-powered laser pointer as a focusing aid, and got a lot of reflections.

 

[Chuck1]

A bight focusing screen might be another option
I have a beattie I'm very fond of