Reflex Viewers

Folks:

Does anyone know if these Sinar reflex viewers will work with the
Graflok back?

Ebay item number: 260009882357

Thanks!

======

I really like shooting with a fisheye lens and wanted to try a larger
format than 35mm and medium format, but couldn't find a lens which will
give me fisheye effects on large format.

I built this with a lens that I had in a drawer.
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-Fisheye-L.jpg

It's a 4x5 Fisheye camera with an 85mm image circle.

I used an old beat-up Speed Graphic which I stripped down to just the
box and the focal plane shutter.

Then I killed an ailing Kiev 60 to harvest its body parts.
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Kiev60.jpg to get a lens mount for
the 30mm fisheye lens which I then installed on a piece of wood which
fits tightly into the camera box.
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-FisheyeMount-L.jpg

This is what it looks like from the side:
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/4x5-Fisheye-side.jpg

Here's some of the first photos from the week before last:
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/BackPorch-with-Ears-Ektachrome.jpg
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/FrontYard-Right-with-Ears-Ektchrome.jpg

You can see that the "ears" of the built-in lens hood, interfere with
the 180 degree sweep of this lens when used with this "camera".

So I used a pair of tin snips to remove them:
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Fisheye.jpg

These photos are from this past week without those pesky "ears":
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/FrontYard-Right-Ektachrome.jpg
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/BackPorch-Ektachrome.jpg
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/TwistedTree-Polaroid.jpg

I had forgotten just how much "real estate" is seen at 180 degrees, so
this is me, not part of the lens hood at the top:
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/TwistedTreeandMe-Polarod.jpg

I've just received a Graflok bought on ebay to replace the decrepit
existing spring back. I've already installed it and now I don't have to
use heavy duty rubber bands with the Polaroid back.

Now I have to do some shooting with it to determine how to get the best
photos out of it, versus a square or rectangular fisheye format. Maybe
someting like this:
http://www.half-fast.com/Fisheye/Photos/AtTacoBob's-Polaroid.jpg

A reflex viewer would make thigs easier.

Jim

"Jim Hemenway" wrote

Does anyone know if these Sinar reflex viewers will work with the Graflok
back?

They don't, but with a bit of work with a hacksaw, some sheet PVC and
some glue they can be grafted on. It is not uncommon to see a reflex
viewer attached to a Speed Graphic.

The Sinar viewer attaches to the bellows/lensboard frame fittings,
one of which is present on the back of the gg holder/back. It won't
fit a non-Sinar style camera.

The Sinar gg/back doesn't interchange with a Graflex Graflok back,
though they are close.

Nicholas:

Thanks, that's what I needed to know.

Now I wonder if there were ever any reflex viewers made for a
Graflok/Universal back?

Jim

Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:

"Jim Hemenway" wrote


Does anyone know if these Sinar reflex viewers will work with the Graflok
back?


They don't, but with a bit of work with a hacksaw, some sheet PVC and
some glue they can be grafted on. It is not uncommon to see a reflex
viewer attached to a Speed Graphic.

The Sinar viewer attaches to the bellows/lensboard frame fittings,
one of which is present on the back of the gg holder/back. It won't
fit a non-Sinar style camera.

The Sinar gg/back doesn't interchange with a Graflex Graflok back,
though they are close.

In article ,
Jim Hemenway wrote:

Nicholas:

Thanks, that's what I needed to know.

Now I wonder if there were ever any reflex viewers made for a
Graflok/Universal back?

Calumet has one made. I disliked mine enough to sell it. Pathetically
dim even with my Maxwell bright screen. I wouldn't go with any that
incorporate a mirror, because they make focusing more difficult than a
darkcloth. I like the idea however (since I hate darkcloths) Calumet
has a straight through viewer so, maybe I be buying it as a replacement.
--
Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

Thanks Greg:

I'll go visit them, they're not too far away in Cambridge.

Jim

Greg "_" wrote:

In article ,
Jim Hemenway wrote:


Nicholas:

Thanks, that's what I needed to know.

Now I wonder if there were ever any reflex viewers made for a
Graflok/Universal back?


Calumet has one made. I disliked mine enough to sell it. Pathetically
dim even with my Maxwell bright screen. I wouldn't go with any that
incorporate a mirror, because they make focusing more difficult than a
darkcloth. I like the idea however (since I hate darkcloths) Calumet
has a straight through viewer so, maybe I be buying it as a replacement.

Greg "_" wrote:

Calumet has a straight through viewer so, maybe I be buying it as a
replacement.


I have one.

-- It has only 2x magnification (I think ... maybe 2.5) so I wind
up taking it off and using a loupe under a dark cloth to focus.

-- It doesn't attach real firmly and it will drop off if you move
the camera without taking it off.

-- It does not give a great view of the edges/corners of the image.

-- It's bulky (though not heavy) and does not collapse, so it's a
bit clumsy to carry around. This is really the worst fault.

OTOH

-- It's fine for doing initial composition and focus; while it
may not eliminate under-the-cloth time, it /does/ greatly
reduce it. This is really nice when rel humidity % and temp F
are both well into the 90s (and it's been a hot, wet summer
here).


On the whole and despite the PITA aspects, I use and plan to keep mine.

In article , Mike Kent
wrote:

-- It does not give a great view of the edges/corners of the image.

Thanks Mike, I'll avoid it for this very reason.
--
Reality-Is finding that perfect picture
and never looking back.

www.gregblankphoto.com

"Greg "_"" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Jim Hemenway wrote:

Nicholas:

Thanks, that's what I needed to know.

Now I wonder if there were ever any reflex viewers made for a
Graflok/Universal back?

Calumet has one made. I disliked mine enough to sell it. Pathetically
dim even with my Maxwell bright screen. I wouldn't go with any
that incorporate a mirror, because they make focusing more difficult
than a darkcloth. I like the idea however (since I hate darkcloths)
Calumet has a straight through viewer so, maybe I be buying it as a
replacement.

The old Arca-Swiss monocular viewer might be worth looking at for you as
well (not the current, binocular, one). It would need adapting to fit a
non-Arca back, but sometimes can be found with a sort of frame that lets you
hinge it up out of the way - one with such a frame might be easier to adapt
(or not...) It doesn't fold up, so is bulky.

This viewer has a sort of 'swivelling' eyepiece that can be used at about 45
degrees, in which case it works as a reflex viewer with a (very bright, I
think front-silvered) mirror, or turned down to the straight through
position in which case the mirror hinges out of the way. I still use a
loupe for fine focus, but this gadget is very nice to save me from spending
so much time under the darkcloth if it is hot, or windy.



Peter

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into it.

Jim

Bandicoot wrote:



The old Arca-Swiss monocular viewer might be worth looking at for you as
well (not the current, binocular, one). It would need adapting to fit a
non-Arca back, but sometimes can be found with a sort of frame that lets you
hinge it up out of the way - one with such a frame might be easier to adapt
(or not...) It doesn't fold up, so is bulky.

This viewer has a sort of 'swivelling' eyepiece that can be used at about 45
degrees, in which case it works as a reflex viewer with a (very bright, I
think front-silvered) mirror, or turned down to the straight through
position in which case the mirror hinges out of the way. I still use a
loupe for fine focus, but this gadget is very nice to save me from spending
so much time under the darkcloth if it is hot, or windy.

Jim Hemenway spake thus:

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into it.

You'll "look into it"? Har, har, har! Hee hee.


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