Help Me, My Memory Is Gone!

I recently read an article somewhere that described a simple tool

for deciding what lens to use, and from what position to take the

picture. It was a simple rectangular cut-out that you would peer

through. The size of the cut-out depended upon the negative size

(e.g., 4x5) and the distance away from your eye you held the cut-out

(e.g., a hand's width) helped you determine whether to use a

standard lens, a wide-angle, or a long lens. The more I thought

about it, the better the system sounded, but now I can't find the

article. Any LF members who know what I'm talking about and can

steer my toward the article?

well, you can either buy the Ebony Titanium one and add your own string... or buy a plastic one from here:

http://www.summitek.com/easel.html

 

 

Or make your own out of matt board and knotted string.

Heck, you could make one yourself in less time that it would take to find one online and order it. Cut out a piece of thin cardboard to match the dimensions of your film. (If you shoot using different aspect ratios you might want to make more than one.) Since you're posting to the lf user group I assume you shoot 4"x5" so make the hole in the center that size. (You can use your groundglass as a guide if it has markings.) Once you've done this, take out your camera and put on a lens and look through it noting what's in the image. Now hold up your cardboard viewfinder and adjust the distance from your eye until the view matches what you saw through the camera. Make a note of this distance and then do the same with the rest of the lenses you own. Spend half of the money you saved by not buying another gadget on film and send the other half to me. =)

 

By the way, these are also great for composing and their use as such is documented in many references. I use them all the time so that I can figure out how the shot will look (and if it's worth pursuing) *before* lugging out all the equipment. I can also move around quickly using the card to determine which perspective is most desirable. Anyway, have fun.

Ansel Adams describes it in his book The Negative complete with pictures. Pat.

Basic composition card - 4x5 in cutout in a scrap of mat board. What you see peering through the card approximates what a lens sees when the separation between your eye and the card equals the focal length of the lens.

As others have suggested, all you have to do is cut out a 4 x 5 opening is a piece of stiff cardboard. If you want to be more accurate make it 95 mm by 120 mm, which closer to the is the actual size of the frame. Put a small hole in one edge and tie some twine to it. Mark off distances equal to the focal lengths of your lenses and put knots in the twine at those distances. In use, you hold the frame up to view the scene and use the knots to position it at the appropriate distances from your eye.

 

Another twist I find useful is the following. I put marks on two sides to help me locate the center of the frame. I then put marks on either side which indicate the maximum shifts that my camera is capable of in either dimension. That way I can first center the frame on something at eye level and then determine if I can get what I want in the frame by shifts. Before I did that, I kept finding after I set my camera up that I couldn't in fact frame the scene as I intended because of limitations in movements.

 

When used with wide angle lenses, the frame can be misleading. You have to look carefully to see how much of the scene is actually included in the frame. It may be significantly more than you think.

 

One final twist is to use a larger frame and put the knots proportionalte further away. For example, for a 90 mm lens, you could make an 8 x 10 frame and hold it 180 mm from your eye.

The actual commercial device you are talking about is probably: Visual Departures Visualizer for 4x5 and 8x10. It is a large black plastic card with a cut-out window and a tape measure to measure the distance from the opening to your eye or cheek. One side of the tape is for 4x5 and the other for 8x10. The lens focal lengths are marked on the tape that match the angle of view based on the distance. B&H product #VIV45Q $16.95.

<p><a href="http://www.rbarkerphoto.com/misc/FramingAid1-500.jpg">Mine</a>, made from matte board (96mm x 122mm opening to match the actual image area of 4x5), with nylon cord knotted sequentially for various focal lengths.</p>

Or a slightly more expensive option is to use the the detachable

"rangefinder" off the top of a Linhof folding Tech. It extends from

90mm to 360mm...I carry mine with me on my belt in a small belt

bag. Swivels from horizontal to vertical. They can be found used

from time to time. There was one on ebay over the weekend.

Small and portable!!!!

I find I just look 'through' a frame and don't see previsualise a 2D

image at all. I need a ground glass or viewfinder doodad to

really get a feel for composition.

 

I have carried various small-bodied 35 mm cameras for

scouting, but my favourite viewing tool is a Pentax 110 SLR.

Cheaper than the Linhof and Horseman viewers, and it can take

record shots too.

If you're shooting b&w, the Zone VI viewing filter is really great. The cutout is small, so it is used closer to the eye, which is better IMO than a full size 4x5 cutout. The filter reduces colors to thier relative shades of gray, helping to see forms and spot unwanted mergers. I hold it up against my eyeglass to see what my 120 lens will do, and the width of my hand away to see what my 210 lens will do.

 

But as Struan said, the action really happens on the ground glass.

Thanks for all the infor. In fact, the article I was looking for described a home-made "viewer", and now I know how to make and use one.

Ben

 

Make a viewer from a 4X5 card. put a 2" X 2 1/2" hole in it (works for both 4X5, & 8X10), then put a Wratten 90 monotone viewing filter in it. Then you can add the knotted string. I have my student make one in all my B & W negative classes.

You can compose, get a rough idea of lens needed, and view for needed color filtration for tonal seperation, all at one time.

 

www,doncameron.com