I need a third hand!

I think I have mastered the basics of view camera focussing and

movements now. One question I have regards the practicality of

focussing when operating camera movements at the same time. I often

find myself tilting the front standard and looking through a loupe at

the same time, one hand operating the front standard, the other

holding the loupe to the focussing screen. I could really do with

something to hold the loupe and allowing me two hands to operate the

front standard and locking knobs (especially in windy conditions).

Any ideas on technique would be appreciated, camera is Wista 45SW.

Part of the fun of using a view camera. I only need one hand to focus but I have been doing it a long time. Maybe that is all you need. Is your camera set up with base or axis tilts and swings? Axis movements are easier to use at least in my experience. Focus on the center of the ground glass (if axis movements) and adjust the out of focusness the same on top/bottom or left/right. After you do this s few times it will become easy. Also don't loosen the knob all the way. Keep just a slight amount of pressure from the knob on the standard. You should be able to quickly get the other hand around to lock the knob. Practice makes perfect.

There have been previous posts about loupes that can attach to glasses. I have seen surgeons wearing these. They free up the hands.

 

Another alternative is to get reading glasses with a fairly strong correction. The result will be similar to that of a loupe. With mine, I have found that I rarely need or use my loupe. I use the old-fashioned kind, which allow you to peer-over the top, so that you can look into the distance without removing the glasses. The cost is around $10 or 15 dollars at a local chain pharmacy. Add a neck-strap, and you're golden, as they say.

Tony try to focus and operate the movements without the loupe and then use the loupe to control your focusing and take care of fine adjustment. Most of the time I´m not using the loupe at all but viewing the screen from a litle distance under the darkcloth, when checking now and then with the loupe afterwards I´m normally spot on.

Personally, I take a deep breath, put the loupe to my eye socket and push it against the GG, then use my head to hold the pressure to the loupe so it doesn't drop. This frees up both hands to do the tilt/swing and focusing. Just remember to get it all done before exhaling and fogging up the loupe/GG.

 

Just kidding. (Although I've actually used this approach.)

 

I find that for most situations, I can focus and change the tilts in an iterative fashion while using the other hand to hold the loupe. That works for me. I've seen jewelers loupes tied to a simple spring that wraps around 3/4 of your head. That might help. Also seen hood shaped flip-up jewelers glasses but never tried either.

I've been tempted by a loupe I saw that has a suction cup to hold it against the GG.

I've used a number of different magnifiers with good results. As a machinist, I need to see what I'm doing from a safe distance, so have many toys to chose from. I've used all of the above methods but my favorite, which hasn't been mentioned, is still the old optical visor; the kind that straps to your head and flips down when you need it. My second choice is the two power optical loop that clips on the glasses. They won't clip onto wire frames though. Third choice, the highest power reading glasses I can find. I use the glasses out in public, the visor really looks dumb on the street.

 

I've looked at the optical magnifiers that doctors use and fond them hard to use unless you get the expensive ones. The set that I saw in the rock shop for $80 was hard to keep aligned. It would probably be a pain in the field. The $800 set my dentist uses is very nice and works well.

Try BALCO in Burlingame, Ca. and see if they have developed a pill that will cause you grow a third arm. Local rummor is that they were working on such for the 49er's.

 

Joking aside, I took my 8x10 with 12" lens to the store with me, set it up on a counter and picked a pair of optical reading glasses that would allow me to see fine detail on the ground glass(trees across the parking lot, about 100 feet) from about 12 inches without a focusing cloth.

I use a jewelers loupe clipped to my glasses.

 

I bought it from Rosenthal Jewelers Supply.

 

http://www.rjsintl.com/

 

Look under "Magnifiers - Spectacle"

 

I bought the 10X one, but I think I probably should have bought the 7X. The 10X requires me to almost touch my nose to the GG before I'm in focus. Also, the lens itself is small. I think the lower powers have larger lenses (diameter).

 

Mine has a universal clip which is intended to work with wire or plastic frames. They clip conveniently and solidly to my wireframe glasses.

 

I did have one that I got for WAY less money from eBay, but that one was made in India; and though the lenses were fine (two 3.5X lenses) the clip didn't work well and the fit/finish was poor.

I apparently didn't have the adjustments on the lens arms screwed down tightly enough one day, and while clipped to my shirt pocket, both lenses fell out.

 

IF you wear glasses, I would recommend a 5X or 7X jewelers' eyeglass loupe.

Hi, Tony,<br>

<br>

I know Wista sells a special loupe with Graflock attachment. This loupe is mounted on tiny rails and can be displaced up-down and left-right.<br>

Reference of the item :<br>

Wista Sliding Magnifier<br>

- No. 1005 for 45 camera<br>

- No. 1006 for Field 45<br>

- No. 1007 for Linhof<br>

I found a <a href="http://www.wista.co.jp/show/acces/acce_img/s9_4.jpg">photo </a> on their website.<br>

<br>

Best regards,<br>

JLL

Many thanks for all the ideas, I'll work through them and see which works the best.

I wear glasses and the following work well with me. I am fairly spoiled with a fast lens - f/4.7 - so I do most of my focusing without a loupe and then when I think I have it right I take off my glasses and check focus with the loupe. With the fast lens the image really pops when it comes into focus. The problem that I have is that when I use the loupe I let light in where my arm goes under the dark cloth.