Adapting Cambo Viewer to Ebony

[mark_tucker2]

I've been working on this prototype for modifying this Cambo

viewer to this Ebony body. I want to be able to move the hot spot

around, and also not be forced to carry a loupe around. (In my

weird view of the world, if I add enough duct tape to this Ebony, I'll

finally get it to work as easily as my Hasselblad).

 

The are instructions and photographs on this page:

 

http://marktucker.com/temp/viewer.html

[david_goldfarb]

Just for inspiration, here's a picture of the Linhof bag bellows viewer:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh5.sph/FrameWork.class?FNC=ProductActivator__Aproductlist_html___30811___LIBFM45___REG___CatID=85___SID=F273D7D9A10

[henry_a]

Mark, What you are making is already made. (see David Goldfarb's post) I've seen others that are similar, a loose bag with a loupe that you can move around. Have you asked any camera dealers? They make them already! Really! No duct tape required.

[david_goldfarb]

Here's a used one at half the price of a new one:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1946736784&category=15247

[mark_tucker2]

Thank you both.

 

I will contact the ebay guy today. I think I know him.

 

I didn't know they made this already. I guess I can now also give

up my plans to start a carbon farm to make my own tripod from

scratch, and probably too could let go of that idea to make my

own plastic, for film base.

 

My workroom was getting a little crowded anyway...

[david_goldfarb]

You could still put some duct tape on it to deter thieves.

 

I always put two heavy rubber bands around my Bronica S2A with my adapted Kiev Spot TTL prism, if I'm walking around outdoors with the camera on a strap, just because I don't trust my own machining abilities enough to believe the heavy prism finder won't come loose and crash to the pavement. Pink rubber bands from broccoli stalks add a certain charm to the whole setup.

[michael_mutmansky1]

Mark,

 

Arca Swiss makes a bag viewer that I think may be substantially better than the Linhof. It uses a binocular viewer on the back, rather than a single peephole. I'm not sure there are any pictures out there on the web for it, but it does exist, and is a current item.

 

You can contact any A-S dealer for more information, (including Quality Camera).

 

---Michael

[tim_atherton2]

it really wouldn't take too much to make one of those out of some neoprene and a spare back (mind you, what does that run to on an Ebony? = 2 new lenses?) and an old loupe.

[mark_tucker2]

Yes, the one I'm making is out of thin gauge Neoprene. And, of

course, duct tape.

 

Here is the Arca Swiss solution. Top left row: 161001, and then

the binocular viewer. Looks like about six hundred dollars total,

but then you've gotta rig it to fit the Ebony too.

 

http://thefstop.com/equipment/new/arca/sds3.html

[mark_tucker2]

I have given up on incorporating the Cambo viewer. Below is a

photo of the semi-final version. It works GREAT. It's basically

some neoprene scraps, some contact cement, a magnifying

glass, and this metal collar to hold the glass. The goal is to

remove all duct tape, so that it's "pretty".

 

http://www.marktucker.com/temp/newview.jpg

 

PS. If anybody forwards this JPG to the Ebony creator, they're in

big trouble. He's got enough to worry about, without the

knowledge that idiots are out there messing with his fine

craftsmanship.<div></div>

[henry_a]

Why thats real purty.

; >)

 

 

I think I saw somewhere some factory made bag style viewers like yours. I'll scout around and see if I can turn them up. Actually you've gotten me wanting one as well.

 

Maybe: <a

href=http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/seconds.htm > http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/seconds.htm </a>

And did you see this:

<a href=http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0033ng> http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0033ng </a>

[mark_tucker2]

Henry,

 

Purty, it ain't. But functional, it IS.

 

I talked to Jeff Wheeler today at Quality Camera in Atlanta, (can I

recommend him any more highly?), and he's sending me (free)

an old Linhof bag bellows viewer, like that one on Ebay now. He

says they tend to "flake off" inside the viewer as they get old, and

that foam stuff just falls everywhere and makes a mess. My

thought is to get an alterations person to sew some fabric over

the inside cover of it to stop the stuff from falling out.

 

I decided against the Arca brand because of the mass and the

weight of it. I want it tiny, and weighing nothing. And I don't want

to commit a hand to hold it in place; if I did that, I might as well

use a loupe. The one I made holds perfectly in place, but if you

grab it, and want to move the hot spot around to a corner or

something, no problem at all. Then it just kinda pops back into

place (kinda like when you were in high school...). Plus, with the

neoprene, it weighs nothing.

 

My Linhof arrives tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll just take mine on the

trip, and deal with Jeff's once I get back.

 

This LF bug has bit me, and bit me bad. I'm having much fun

with this. Readyload holder and TMAX 100 arrives Monday. The

only big downside of the T55 is the amount of dust that collects

on my negs. But I've got these two ceiling fans in my building to

keep the heat off the ceiling, and I know that's bad for the drying.

It'll be nice to be shooting real film, processed by a real lab, and

have it nice and clean.