Is there a compendium that works for this situation?

[John Latta]

Do any of you have a good suggestion for a compendium shade that would work with a Wista DXII field camera, Cokin P filter holder and Singh Ray SND filters? Apparently Lee offers SND filter that work with their holder and compendium shade but I am trying to see if there is a way to do this without having to buy a new system.

[neil poulsen]

Lee also has a hood with a single filter slot that works directly with their adaptors. With this hood, it's not necessary to get their filter holder. The same type hood also comes with places for two filters. I've been checking. Their adaptors are reasonably priced. The least expensive of their adaptors are plastic.

[Bob Salomon]

"work with their holder and compendium shade"

I don't see a compendium shade on the Lee web site. I do see bellows hoods. These are not the same as a compendium.

For instance the Wista Compendium clamps to the top of the front standard and follows the lens in any movement done with the front standard. it also pivots up and down, compresses and swings up to clear the lens. The opening in the compendium is 3 x 4"

Other compendiums may be even more adjustable. For instance the compendium used by Linhof for the Master Technika, TechniKardan and Kardan cameras moves towards and away from the standard on rods. It also mounts to the top of the front standard to follow the lens movements and has rise and shift built in. You can add a filter holder behind the compendium (on the rod) that accepts 4x4" gells and 95mm screw-in filters. So anything like you are trying to add would work with it with the proper adapter.

The problems though are that it is an expensive system, would not mount directly to the Wista without modification and is not as readily available as the Wista Compendium. However it would appear to do everything you want if you can adapt it to the camera.

Why wouldn't an actual compendium allow you to do what you want?

[sanking]

What exactly is the essential quality of a compendium lens hood? I understand that there are functional differences between the Lee bellows hood and the "compendium" bellows hoods for the Wista, Master Technika, and Kardan cameras, but what exactly is the quality that allows us to call the latter hoods compendiums but the Lee lens hood simply a bellows hood? Is the distinction based exclusively on the fact that one mounts to the camera and and the other to the lens? I am confused by the restrictive use of the term compendium because there does not appear to be anything in the meaning or etymology of the word itself that would not apply to a bellows lens hood such as the Lee, which accepts filters and can be pivoted in many directions to follow the orientation of the camera back.

[Bob Salomon]

"What exactly is the essential quality of a compendium lens hood"

A compenium is an adjustable bellows hood that is attached to the front standard so it moves when the lens standard moves, it can be moved up or down as the lens tilts and, most importantly, can be adjusted when doing back movements so it does not cut off any image area while still providing the maximum shading for the lens.

A bellows lens hood adjusts for length to compenstae for changes in focal length but does not have the movements or versatility or practicality of the view camera compendium.

While the bellows hood is very versatile with cameras without movements like 35mm and MF the compendium hood is more useful on adjustable cameras.

[sanking]

"A compendium is an adjustable bellows hood that is attached to the front standard so it moves when the lens standard moves, it can be moved up or down as the lens tilts and, most importantly, can be adjusted when doing back movements so it does not cut off any image area while still providing the maximum shading for the lens.

A bellows lens hood adjusts for length to compensate for changes in focal length but does not have the movements or versatility or practicality of the view camera compendium."

From your response it would appear to me that the essential difference between the two is that the compendium hood is attached to the front standard and a bellows hood is attached to the lens?

However, even though the Lee bellows hood is attached to the lens and not the front standard it performs as a compendium hood in most important functions. It is can be adjusted (because of its flexibility) from side to side and from left to right to follow the orientation of the back of the camera and takes full advantage of the shading potential of the hood and not cut off any image area, which you suggest is the most important feature of the compendium hood.

I use both a Lee bellows hood and a compendium hood (Canham that attaches to the top of the front standard of Canham cameras) and frankly I don't see much difference at all in function. The compendium will swing out of the way, which can advantageous in certain situations, but the Lee hood is other respects easier to us and has its own advantages, primarily the fact that it always stays centered on the lens, which I find to be a real plus in comparison to working with a “real” compendium.

[John Hennessy]

"A bellows lens hood adjusts for length to compenstae for changes in focal length but does not have the movements or versatility or practicality of the view camera compendium."

This is not unnecessarily true. A Lee shade might attach directly to a lens (with or without the shade having its own integral filter slots) OR it might be attached via a filter slot adapter to a lens. In the latter case, if the front standard is raised the shade is simply raised in the filter slot. No problem and faster than a shade that attaches to the standard to remove, replace and store because nothing needs to be assembled, (i.e., rod to standard and shade to rod.) I admit one cannot simultaneous shift and raise the Lee shade but who cares? Also, with very wide-angle lens there are limitations unless you use the Lee wide-angle shade but the compendium type shade has similar limitations. Another advantage of some standard-attached shades (but not shared by Linhof though) is that they swing or flip out of the way to change or adjust lenses; the Lee on a smallish lens like a M300 tends to block one's view of and access to the lens adjustments.

As for the Linhof shade itself, it costs more by far and is far more fragile than the Lee gear.

This does not answer the original question but does address the "what is a compendium" question. My guess is that a compendium shade is flexible as to focal length and movements. For all practical purposes the Lee is just as useful in that regard than a Linhof or similar shade and faster too.

[Graeme Hird]

Bob,

With the lens hood from Lee attached to the filter thread of the lens, doesn't it also move with the lens in any movement made? If the only difference is where it attaches to the lens assembly, why is a compendium hood any better than the Lee hood?

Cheers

[Bob Salomon]

"With the lens hood from Lee attached to the filter thread of the lens, doesn't it also move with the lens in any movement made? If the only difference is where it attaches to the lens assembly, why is a compendium hood any better than the Lee hood?"

How does it compenstae for back movement rather then front movements?

[John Hennessy]

"How does it compenstae for back movement rather then front movements?"

Easily. If you use back fall, raise the shade. If you use front rise, ditto. Same as a shade attached to the front standard.