My perfect fixed lens LF camera - decision 1, the lens.

[Pfsor]

I’m going to test out the 105 on my sinar first and make sure I’m right as far as it’s field of view goes.

For that you can use a viewing frame without your sinar and without a lens. In fact, you could use it to determine if you like the 105 or else before you even buy it.

[adrianlambert]

those Angulon 90's are very small and cover

maybe just buy one of those travelall cameras.. they seem like what you want

Thanks but I’ve used 90mm lenses and know they’re too wide for me. You might mean the travelwide cameras? I got the impression that the focussing system wasn’t very durable. Agreed though, they do come very close to fitting the bill. I saw one sell recently on eBay for a surprisingly large amount of money though. Although maybe it had a lens with it now I think about it! They didn’t seem to have any kind of shop to buy them from when I last looked. It could be worth looking into more closely though if I can establish a reliable focusing strategy.


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[adrianlambert]

For that you can use a viewing frame without your sinar and without a lens. In fact, you could use it to determine if you like the 105 or else before you even buy it.

Thanks Pfsor. Is that where you take a matte and hold it near your eye? If so how do I accurately establish that you I’m not looking at a representation of a 90mm or a 120mm? I’m being pretty pedantic with this lens selection I know but I want to get it right.

Edit: to clarify I know I could do some maths and measure a distance from my eye but in practical terms how can I be accurate on the hoof. I thought those were better suited to deciding whether you should pull out a 65mm a 90mm or a 150mm rather than for fine tuning those selections.

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[Tin Can]

Thanks Pfsor. Is that where you take a matte and hold it near your eye? If so how do I accurately establish that you I’m not looking at a representation of a 90mm or a 120mm? I’m being pretty pedantic with this lens selection I know but I want to get it right.

Edit: to clarify I know I could do some maths and measure a distance from my eye but in practical terms how can I be accurate on the hoof. I thought those were better suited to deciding whether you should pull out a 65mm a 90mm or a 150mm rather than for fine tuning those selections.

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There are Apps for this question. I had them on my last iPod, but not now. They work well and show many lenses and formats. Just now I found one for movie cameras and iOS. No LF. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/came...890528993?mt=8

If you are App type guy, you may find them.

[adrianlambert]

There are Apps for this question. I had them on my last iPod, but not now. They work well and show many lenses and formats. Just now I found one for movie cameras and iOS. No LF. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/came...890528993?mt=8

If you are App type guy, you may find them.

Yeah that struck me too. I found this: The Photographer's Transit by Crookneck Consulting LLChttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-photographers-transit/id668449546?mt=8
It uses google street view rather than the camera and it doesn’t crou


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[Tin Can]

Yeah that struck me too. I found this: The Photographer's Transit by Crookneck Consulting LLChttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-photographers-transit/id668449546?mt=8
It uses google street view rather than the camera and it doesn’t crou


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That's a nice one. Same people made one I was using. There are simpler ones that use your iPhone camera.

[Pfsor]

Thanks Pfsor. Is that where you take a matte and hold it near your eye? If so how do I accurately establish that you I’m not looking at a representation of a 90mm or a 120mm? I’m being pretty pedantic with this lens selection I know but I want to get it right.

Edit: to clarify I know I could do some maths and measure a distance from my eye but in practical terms how can I be accurate on the hoof. I thought those were better suited to deciding whether you should pull out a 65mm a 90mm or a 150mm rather than for fine tuning those selections.

Yes, you understand. And don't worry, they are as precise as precise needs to be. Take my word for it. You measure a string of the length of your desired focal length and you see precisely what you get. The advantage is you can make the viewing frame the exact film frame dimension, not just the nominal 4x5.
And the viewing is very precise. I know because I was walking with a viewing frame each time before I constructed a new camera. If the viewing frame has a larger frame you can very easily judge even the aesthetic composition, it's a real eye opener in such a case.

[adrianlambert]

Yes, you understand. And don't worry, they are as precise as precise needs to be. Take my word for it. You measure a string of the length of your desired focal length and you see precisely what you get. The advantage is you can make the viewing frame the exact film frame dimension, not just the nominal 4x5.
And the viewing is very precise. I know because I was walking with a viewing frame each time before I constructed a new camera. If the viewing frame has a larger frame you can very easily judge even the aesthetic composition, it's a real eye opener in such a case.

That sounds like a really useful technique to grasp. I’ll look into it. Thanks Pfsor.


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[EdSawyer]

forget the travelwide, it's a piece of crap and way overpriced on the secondary market. the Cambo Wide is the one to have in that type of camera. (fixed cone, helical focus).

[Jac@stafford.net]

For a viewfinder consider a Graflex top mounted sports-finder. The view frame can be masked to suit, if necessary, some have parallax correction on the rear sight, they mount nicely into a long flash shoe, and they fold out of the way.