How to take a pic when the ground glass is too dark to see!

[Ektar]

Thanks for all the great responses. Think I'll get a torch and make sure the rangefinder is accurate. That seems easier than trying to focus via the ground glass.

[claystevens]

Useful discusstion. New to LF photography. Hope I can learn more on this forum.

[Rollinhofuji]

I am also a fan of composing aids like a wire-frame "finder" - recently acquired the Ebony Titanium Viewing Frame. As my dealer said:" It makes a non-upside-down, extremely bright, 3D viewfinder with unsurpassed flare resistance" ;-)
For composition under difficult conditions you can pre-visualize the final framing extremely well. On the ground glass, I then only check the corners if everything is "in place", which works quite well even in extremely dark conditions (of course I also check focus on the GG).

[premortho]

If you have an American press camera (Graphic, B&J, Busch) with a Kalart or other rangefinder, the technique of shining an LED flashlight through the viewing port on the rangefinder while focusing the subject on the ground glass works really well. How ever, in my previous life as a newspaper photographer, I simply set the the focusing scale at 12 feet, lens at f16 or 22, and blasted away with a number 25 Press Sylvania bulb. Bingo! 12 feet is easy to figure, as it is twice most peoples height, so you just move up until the subjects base (or feet) are at a 45 degree angle to your eyes. And you are in focus.

Useful discusstion. New to LF photography. Hope I can learn more on this forum.

[Tin Can]

Wasn't it common to use flashbulbs all the time, even in daylight?

I'm old enough to have forgotten seeing any Press cameras in action, but I am sure I should have seen them somewhere...

Those darn miniature 35mm shooters were blocking my view.

If you have an American press camera (Graphic, B&J, Busch) with a Kalart or other rangefinder, the technique of shining an LED flashlight through the viewing port on the rangefinder while focusing the subject on the ground glass works really well. How ever, in my previous life as a newspaper photographer, I simply set the the focusing scale at 12 feet, lens at f16 or 22, and blasted away with a number 25 Press Sylvania bulb. Bingo! 12 feet is easy to figure, as it is twice most peoples height, so you just move up until the subjects base (or feet) are at a 45 degree angle to your eyes. And you are in focus.