Shooting into a mirror

[480sparky]

On occasion, I've had need to shoot LF looking straight up. I got thinking about using a mirror at a 45° in front of the lens.

So I thought I'd ask if anyone has come up with a solution that 1. works, 2. is compact and portable and 3. durable enough to last more than 1 or 2 uses.

[Kirk Gittings]

I'd think you would lose some image quality unless you had a really expensive optical quality mirror?

[cowanw]

There are process lens mounted on mirrors for looking at 90 degrees. I have a 10 inch velostigmat like this.

[LabRat]

There are also prisms that were used on some process lenses, and in copiers... But they can get a little heavy, and are for longer FL's...

Steve K

[Jac@stafford.net]

A locking gimbal along with a 90 degree ground glass viewer is another idea. If you are handy you could make a sky camera as I did from a research project.

[480sparky]

I'd think you would lose some image quality unless you had a really expensive optical quality mirror?

That's a given, but I have access to quality glass. So the iq loss would be minimal.

[Stephen Thomason]

A process lens 90 degree viewer. I have one if you are interested - my 14 inch Goerz Red Dot Artar was mounted to it. It's too heavy to just hang off the end of your lens, I would think. It would last forever, to answer part of your question. It IS compact. In use, it was mounted to a VERY heavy metal lens board about a foot or so square.

I really don't know how practical that would be for you. If you could mount it to a lensboard and use a separate standard to support it, it might work. It is indeed a nice piece of optical glass.

Another solution might be to use a mirror from a medium format parts body (or just buy a replacement mirror from eBay) and mount it in a PVC elbow (a three incher or so, black PVC). Drill and tap it and use nylon bolts to tighten the elbow to the lens. THAT I think might just work.

[480sparky]

A mirror on the back side is going to be rather problematic.......... how do you focus, for one thing?

[480sparky]

..........mount it in a PVC elbow (a three incher or so, black PVC). .........

....................................................

Think about that for a moment................

[Drew Bedo]

I found a Spiratone mirror attachment and used it on my 4x5. I was trying for an overhead view of a still life arrangement. It worked well but was awkward for up-close use.

If you are imaging a ceiling I would think it would work fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPIRATONE-CI...wAAOSw9mFWGGX5

That's one of several on e-bay right now.