Scheimpflug Calculations

[Dave Schneidr]

Has anyone written a simple calculation program that could operate on a palm pil ot or similar machine that does all the calculations? Can you point me to an onl ine resource that has all the necessary formulae? It seems like it would be usef ul to be able to enter lens focal length, distance to subject and relative angll e of desired focus plane and have a program caluclate the angles to preset into the camera. I'm sure there would have to be adjustments made but this would be a useful tool to get "in the ballpark" before putting your eye to the glass.

[al]

www.zonevi.com

look for exposure calculator

[Ron Shaw]

Well...since all 3 planes need to converge at the same point (such as ground, film plane, and lensboard), just eyeballing it seems to get you into the ballpark.

[tim atherton]

You might want to check out:

http://www.darkroom-innovations.com/Software/ExpoDev/expodev.html

http://www.darkroom-innovations.com/Software/FX-795P/fx-795p.html

I have no experience of them though.

Tim A

[Ben Diss]

I checked out the Darkroom Innovations software in detail. Its purpose is to control emulsion density on B&W film. Pretty sophisticated stuff and very impressive if thats what you want. It does not, however work as a general purpose exposure calculator.

I have considered writing such a program for PalmOS. Input would be:

1. Film (including reciprocity data) 2. Lens (available/preferred apertures) 3. Filters (filter factor) 4. Distance of nearest object to be in focus (actual or extension) 5. Distance of farthest object to be in focus (actual or extension) 6. Several meter readings with desired zones

It supplies:

1. Aperture (for depth of field) 2. Distance to focus (hyperfocal for aperture) 3. Shutter speed, accounting for: a. aperture b. bellows extension c. filter factor d. film expansion/contraction to achieve desired zone placement e. reciprocity correction

I suppose there ought to be a way to calculate Scheimpflug movements, I just haven't figured out how yet.

Anybody interested in a program like this?

-Ben

P.S. Thank you Quang-Tuan Luong for teaching me how to spell "aperture".

[Howard Slavitt]

"Scheimpflug Calculations" Has anyone written a simple calculation program that could operate on a palm pilot or similar machine that does all the calculations?

Doesn't Rodenstock sell a "calculator" that does what you're asking? Midwest Photo sells it for about $30. I've seen it. It's a paper "calculator," for which you select the lens, angle of focal plane, etc., by moving the circle paper cutouts and then line up the points and it will theoretically give you the best angle to preset the camera and necessary f stop.

[Alan Gibson]

http://fox.nstn.ca/~hmmerk/ (by Harold M. Merklinger) has all the formulae.

With your surname, Dave, don't you have it all already in the family?!

[Lukas Werth]

Try Harold Merklinger's book "focusing the view camera" or his website (forgot the address, but you should find it through the search engines Lukas Werth

[james mickelson]

I use the Dan "The Shooter" method of swing/tilt cypherin'. The ground glass doesn't lie. 99% of swings/tilts are very small so if you need to "calculate" these angles take up painting. Just kiddin'. Most of your swings and tilts are quite small unless your're shooting still lifes and even then you can guesstimate pretty closely just by "lookin' at the glass". Calculating this stuff in the field takes all the fun out of it. Just point and shoot.

[QT Luong]

Check out Bob Wheeler's free software, just installed on the LF page.