Peak grain focuser: what's SOOO special?

DanielStone · Dec 7, 2009

what is it that causes the Peak(and Omega) grain focusers so darned expensive? I've been using a microsight for a while, but is the Peak going to be THAT much better?

some I've seen lately on the auction site have a blue filter, supposedly for b/w film(makes some difference supposedly).

can you let me know? I like to have the best if I can get it, especially since I plan on using it for years to come.

thanks

-Dan

ic-racer · Dec 7, 2009

The one with the large mirror (Peak 1) lets you see if the edges are sharp before you make a print, therefore worth the money in my opinion.

pentaxuser · Dec 7, 2009

DanielStone said:
some I've seen lately on the auction site have a blue filter, supposedly for b/w film(makes some difference supposedly).

-Dan

"Experts' opinion seems to vary. Gene Nocon was convinced that the blue filter made a difference. Tim Rudman is more sceptical. Nocon gives two examples in his book on printing. One print focused with the blue filter and one without. I couldn't see any difference in the two but that may have been the fault of reproduction in the book.

I am sure he saw a difference otherwise he wouldn't have said so but did he? If the difference was that clear then why do others who have tried the blue filter seem less convinced?

The jury would seem to be out here but that true of quite a lot of things about photography.

pentaxuser

df cardwell · Dec 7, 2009

"Experts' opinion seems to vary."

Well, Nocon and Rudman ARE experts, for starters,
but because they have a different view on the matter doesn't mean the Peak is no good,
and the blue filter worthless. Don't preach the controversy, dig down to how they work,
and try to understand what they are talking about.

For me, the Peak is good VALUE for four reasons.
First, it is expensive. I coddle it, and have done for decades.
Second, it is wonderfully made. Even if I DIDN'T respect it, it would still be in good shape.
Third, it has an accurate, adjustable eyepiece and excellent reticle. Most problems with the Peak come from folks who haven't focussed it !
Fourth, the big mirror is very good.

DWThomas · Dec 7, 2009

Don't own one (yet), but wonder if the effectiveness of the filter might relate to the spectral sensitivity of the paper? I believe the old traditional stuff was pretty much blue sensitive, but VC papers might alter that situation. Just a thought that popped into my aging brain!

Trevor Crone · Dec 7, 2009

For me it's absolute clarity in grain focusing.

DanielStone · Dec 7, 2009

case settle. I'm going for it!

I'm saving my pennies .

blessings,

-Dan

pentaxuser · Dec 7, 2009

dfcardwell, I wasn't saying that these two experts' opinion varied on the Peak. Merely their views on the blue filter which is why I only quoted that part of the OP's thread. I am sure you are right about the Peak's quality and attributes.

pentaxuser

ic-racer · Dec 7, 2009

DanielStone said:
case settle. I'm going for it!

I'm saving my pennies .

blessings,

-Dan

Occasionally they come up used. My friend just picked up the Peak 1 on the LF forum for $70 USD. A few scratches on the mirror but nothing to alter performance. If it were worse a new mirror is only $20.

DanielStone · Dec 7, 2009

greg,

i will still print until I can afford to get one ! just at a reduced rate, one being paper cost( pringting mostly rc right now, expired or free 'given' paper mostly).

works for me.

thanks

btw, ebay is where my focus lies for these

thanks

-Dan

Tim Gray · Dec 7, 2009

I found one on largeformatphotography.info I think. For cheap. Great shape, the top of the line model, for somewhere between $50-75. I forgot. I watched ebay for awhile for one. Should be able to get it for <$100 there.

Sirius Glass · Dec 7, 2009

DanielStone said:
case settle. I'm going for it!

I'm saving my pennies .

blessings,

-Dan

A very wise man ... being able to see the grain at the edges, not just a small area in the center makes it worth it.

Steve

moouers · Dec 7, 2009

I'm going to be picking up a device to help with focusing as well. What's the difference between a Peak and a Bestwell Microsight? I was looking at a Peak 3 or Microsight 25x...Peak is only 10x but costs more. Is there going to be a big performance difference?

DanielStone · Dec 7, 2009

are there multiple version of the peak? is the omega one the same as the peak?

thanks

Dan

Tim Gray · Dec 7, 2009

There are 3 versions of the Peak. 2000, 2020, or 2030. Also known as I, II, and III. The 2000/I can look 30 degrees off axis. The II does 20 degrees and the III does 10.

The Omega is a rebranded Peak I'm pretty sure. Don't know which model though. The I has about a 3" long mirror.

peak focusers

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 7, 2009

Tim Gray said:
The Omega is a rebranded Peak I'm pretty sure. Don't know which model though. The I has about a 3" long mirror.

peak focusers

I'm not sure what the history is, but I'm fairly sure these were sold under the Omega brand long before there was a Peak brand of photographic optical accessories, though it may be that the manufacturer has been the same all along.

Tim Gray · Dec 8, 2009

Very well. The designs are similar (the same?) so I assume someone is rebranding someone.

I have to admit, Omega/LPL/Saunders/whoever is very confusing to me. What's the history there?

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 8, 2009

Tim Gray said:
Very well. The designs are similar (the same?) so I assume someone is rebranding someone.

I have to admit, Omega/LPL/Saunders/whoever is very confusing to me. What's the history there?

It's all pretty confusing. Maybe someone like Bob Salomon, who has had a long career in the business as a photographer and as a wholesale rep for various photo companies can sort it out, but he isn't active on APUG (try the LF forum), or perhaps Henry Posner from B&H might respond, if he sees this thread. Omega has been around since before WWII and is now part of OmegaSatter. Saunders is postwar, I think, but bought up various other companies along the way, and I think now they are part of Tiffen, or at least parts of Saunders are distributed by Tiffen. LPL is more recent, and then there are enlargers that are Omega/LPL and Saunders/LPL. I think I noticed Peak Loupes sometime in the 1980s, but it's possible that they manufactured other things before that or maybe they were a company that OEM'd products for Omega.

henryp · Dec 11, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
...perhaps Henry Posner from B&H might respond, if he sees this thread.

I wish I knew. I recall noticing that it seemed the same grain magnifier was available from more than one brand, but at the time I don't recall I ever really knew who mad what.

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 11, 2009

It's all a deep mystery, I guess.

Mick Fagan · Dec 11, 2009

LPL Co., LTD. is in (or was) Tokyo Japan, as I understand it they effectively sold their enlargers as either LPL in countries like Australia, but in some other countries as in the USA, they used a local distributor who had their enlargers branded with the USA name, hence Saunders/LPL

We had a few visits from LPL Japan people in the eighties to Australia for photographic industry trade shows, which were held less sporadically then, than they are of late in this country.

Peak loupes and associated equipment is, to the best of my knowledge, a small Japanese private company that manufactures some quite interesting optical equipment. One sphere of their business is magnifiers, of which the enlarging, or grain magnifiers, form part of that business. Their name is Tohkai Sangyo Co Ltd, they are in Tokyo Japan.

I believe that the Peak equipment is/was also distributed in countries like the USA in the same manner as LPL did with their enlargers.

Mick.

luxikon · Dec 12, 2009

The web address of Tohkai Sangyo Co Ltd is www.peak.co.jp. May be this is the proof.

Peak grain focuser: what's SOOO special?

DanielStone

ic-racer

pentaxuser

df cardwell

DWThomas

Trevor Crone

DanielStone

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ic-racer

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Tim Gray

Sirius Glass

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Tim Gray

David A. Goldfarb

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Peak grain focuser: what's SOOO special?

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