michael_kravit Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 I recently purchased from Robert White in the UK their own version of the Ebony viewing bellows. This is a very rigid bellows attached to a plate that attaches to my Ebony 45SU ground glass back. When extended it is very rigid and stays in place. The neatest part is that it also has a plate attached to the viewing end and installed in the plate is a 49mm B&W 3x magnifier. When compressed, the bellows stays compressed. When extended, it does not sag and stays extended. Just thought I would share this item with others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_jones2 Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Michael, Please upload a picture of this wild device so that we can all see it in action.... <p><a href="http://www.scottjonesphoto.com" target="_blank">ScottJonesPhoto.com</a></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam_crater Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Also, have you tried it with wide lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_baggett Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Here's the link for the device Michael was referring to. Attached is the same image from their page. <br> http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/ebony.htm#Labelvbell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_tolcher Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Michael, I bought one of these recently also and find it excellent. I have used it with a 90mm and 65mm lens and it does get progressively less easy to move your view around to optimise the focussing especially in the corners. That said, as you rack the bellows out you end up with a very nicely magnified view and I no longer need a loupe or glasses to focus. The only very minor downside for me is packing the camera where I dont feel comfortable taking the weight of camera and lens on the back so store the camera resting on the lens panel. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james phillips Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Thanks for the review Michael. One question though... Does the back panel easily remove from the bellows so that one might be able to use the hood to view the corners of the ground glass? Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_tolcher Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 The bellows fit in the same manner as the protective plastic cover over the gg. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_owen Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Hi I think Grey Wolf is asking a similar question I asked Matt at Robert White, ie does the panel housing the magnifier detach from the bellows so that the ground glass can be viewed without it - the answer...unfortunately not! This was a drawback IMHO, as I like to view the screen entirely. Michael, how easy would it be to "remove" the panel containing the magnifier?? I appreciate that it would mean that the panel could not be reattached! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kravit Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 Paul, As you noted, the panel that has the magnifier lens attached does not detach from the bellows. The panel appears to be glued to the bellows and removal would be quite easy. However, I can easily swivel the bellows from side to side and top to bottom in order to view the edges of the ground glass when I tested the viewer with a SS110XL. In addition focussing was a breeze. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kravit Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 Dave is right, by varying the distance of the viewing lens from the ground glass (compressing or extending the bellows) One can adjust for eyesight. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_ellis3 Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Michael - Can you tell us how wide this thing is when it's fully compressed for back packing. In other words, how convenient is it to carry around with you? I used to look at these kinds of things for a Linhof and even the newer two piece version from Linhof seemed to be bulky and inconvenient to carry around so I never pursued it. This one looks like it might be pretty compact when the bellows is fully compressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_tolcher Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 It compresses to about 1 and 1/2 inches from the wooden body of the gg holder so its a shade over 1 inch extra depth. To answer one other question with another - looking at the deisgn I seen no reason why you couldnt have a bigger aperture at the back and just use a larger +3 diopter filter. As these are cut to order it may be worth a converstaion with Matt at RW. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emrys Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 I just got my hands on one of these yesterday and tried it out in my back garden with an 80XL and 110XL. I have to say it's bloody excellent. The fact that the bellows are quite rigid and capable of staying where you put them allows you to view either the whole gg or parts thereof quite easily. I also found it very straightforward to use as a focussing aid (no loupe required at all). Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd_caudle Posted August 2, 2003 Share Posted August 2, 2003 Another pertinent question: How much does the thing cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george_hart1 Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 I'm a bit late coming to this thread but I'd just like to know how easy it is to use the magnifier if you wear specs. I guess that in order to see the whole of the gg, it's necessary to take your specs off and put your eye up close to the lens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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