Is this the original Viewing Filter from Zone VI?

[schrollphoto]

Just found this in a box of film camera gear given to me from a friend. It was her dad's stuff (he just turned 100) and she thought I might find a use for it. I have never seen a Zone VI viewing filter this old. Thought I would share and see if anyone else had seen one like this. Just curious. Tim

 

[mpirie]

Yep, looks like it.

Mine is circular, but basically a tough plastic frame with a Wratten #90 filter.

Mike

 

[Alan9940]

Yep, just like the one I have used for years.

 

[schrollphoto]

Thanks! I've had the circular one for years and years I just had never seen a square one with the wrinkled wratten filter between glass. This must have been Fred's first attempt. There was also a Gossen Luna Pro with a Zone VI scale on it in the pile of stuff.

 

[mpirie]

The filter in my Zone VI viewer is unwrinkled, but my home made version (Wratten 90 in a cardboard frame) became wrinkled and unusable in a short time.

Sounds like the benefactor was "one of us"

Mike

 

[ChuckP]

Is that a viewer for 35mm film? Doesn't look like a 4x5 ratio.

 

[AgX]

A real "viewer" would also indicate the angle of view. But you neverheless could attach a respective format mask to such a filter.

 

[Alan9940]

A real "viewer" would also indicate the angle of view. But you neverheless could attach a respective format mask to such a filter.

The Zone VI filter was designed to aid in determining tonal mergers in grayscale. Angle of view can easily be figured out by setting up the camera with various lenses and moving the filter toward or away from your eye to match the groundglass view. Certainly not the most accurate, but close enough.

 

[AgX]

There are a variaty of finders of different construction that show angle of view in both directions. Adding such viewing filter would be easy.
Another aspect concerning a vieweing filter is, that there are more filterrs designed for such than the Wratten 90.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes