suggestion for the TOYO focusing hoods

[john_679]

hi everybody,I am using TOYO AII large format right now.I am interesting TOYO mo nocular loupe magnifier(1.5) focusing hoods.but it will cost me about $200 dolla rs.before i buy it, I went to make sure it the right one for me.so is anybody us ing it,please give me some suggestion.by the way, I am taking landscape photo an d using wide angle lens on my work.thank you.

[Bill Glickman]

I tried the monocular loupe... my first problem is the size, its big and hard to lug around... although it can be somewhat collapsed... second problem, with wide angle lenses, its hard to see much on the gg from that far back... you need to get towards the gg edges to see the whole scene...so if anyhting, I would say this product is most effective for normal to long lenses, not wide angle. I would try one out if you can before you buy it...

[John Hicks]

The monocular has its limitations; it's ok for normal and long lenses but not ve ry good for wide lenses...plus it's really not enough magnification for accurate focusing. Although it's huge it can be mashed relatively flat.

All in all, it does what it's designed to do just fine but it's not a good sol ution. I recommend a Darkroom Innovations darkcloth and a good loupe.

[Paul Schilliger]

John, you should perhaps also consider the Horseman folding binocular viewer. It takes very little space folded and should fit your Toyo. I modified one to use it on my Technika and it is one of the best investment I made in recent years. It stays attached to my camera and can be ope ned when lupe focussing is required. The reversing mount is handy for vertical takings. Though , there is an easy modification of the lock that makes it safer. I talked about it in a previous tr ead, somewhere in the forum.

[Edie]

Another sweet accessory is the Toyo Balloon Focusing Hood. It is far more effective at shielding light than the standard focusing hood that comes with the Toyo 45AXII. It is more packable than the monocular or binocular focusing hoods. And it is more convenient to use than a dark cloth. I really like mine.