Your method for matching lens to landscape composition

[Brian Ellis]

Hmmm

Put in the first lens, see the ground glass…if it sucks, change it for another lens.

For some reason whenever I tried that method the good light always disappeared while I was changing lenses. : - )

[Armin Seeholzer]

Oh I do it the dangerous way, look at what I want take a picture from and now I just take the right lens out of my car put it on the camera and make the picture.
If I'm on the way by feet its not alway as easy, many times I had not the right lens in my Rucksack, so I got pissed on my self and look out for an other possiblity.
If I'm on the way for a payed shooting I take my Linhof viewfinder with me and I make some notes! But I very seldom use the viewfinder anymore, most of the time I just know what is needed.
I think after 20 years with LF it should like this!

Cheers Armin

[MIke Sherck]

Viewing card, with string marked for each lens' focal length. my card is 5x7 with a 4x5 hole.

[emo supremo]

Hmmm, no one made any real disparaging remarks with their hand and/or fingers. Excellent for the craft! Here's another one that I used to use before the tape measure: put my thumbnaills face to face extend my arms and spread finger as wide as they'll go. When I have a 250 Ektar WF on the 8x10 I know that at infinity everything between the tips of my pinkies can fit the ground glass.

I like this method of using my anatomy because I ususally bring my hands along. Problem is the ink keeps washing off.

I wish there was a club to shoot with. It's really, really swell being able to associate with you Forumites.

[Vlad Soare]

I wish I had one of these.
Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow for this right now.

[Mike1234]

I wish I had one of these.
Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow for this right now.

Buy one of the inexpensive Chinese versions with zoom and ability to switch masks... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=330393738197

Or a director's viewfinder like this... http://cgi.ebay.com/Directors-Viewfi...item2a03be1ff5

[Lon Overacker]

Although there are times I wish I had a viewing card, I simply look at the scene and can decide what lens I'm going to use. It's not too hard when I only have 5 lenses and I can narrow it down pretty quick without any tools or gadgets by determining if I want wide angle, normal or long. Years of shooting the same focal lengths helps too and there is something to be said about an educated/experienced guess. Every once in a while I'll have to zoom in and out with my legs if there's room.... but for the most part I can pull out the lens I need without too much thought.

The less I have to think about, the more I can enjoy the moment...

Lon

[Donald Miller]

Although there are times I wish I had a viewing card, I simply look at the scene and can decide what lens I'm going to use. It's not too hard when I only have 5 lenses and I can narrow it down pretty quick without any tools or gadgets by determining if I want wide angle, normal or long. Years of shooting the same focal lengths helps too and there is something to be said about an educated/experienced guess. Every once in a while I'll have to zoom in and out with my legs if there's room.... but for the most part I can pull out the lens I need without too much thought.

The less I have to think about, the more I can enjoy the moment...
Lon

I agree. My experience is that I can choose a lens without much thought. That comes after repetition. I have the Zone VI viewing frame/filter but rarely use it today.

Donald Miller

[Mike1234]

Right on, Van, if one needs a little help composing then a director's zoom finder with adjustable mask is the way to go. See post #16 for links to a decent one and for a cheap zoom viewfinder alternative.

[Lon Overacker]

Guessing can cause you to miss your shot.

So can fooling around with a tool just to select your lens. If time is of the essence and you could miss your shot, then your best friend is usually experience. Hopefully you would agree that there is a difference between pure "guessing" and an "educated or experienced guess." Or "repetition" as Donald mentioned. But even more basic than that is for me personally, I have 5 lenses. Am I "guessing" if I know that I want the 300 instead of the 75? Hopefully I already know whether I'm going wide or long. So am I really guessing when I only have 5 lenses to choose from?

I also said there are many times that I wish I had a viewing tool/aid. I think it would be valuable. I just happen to be comfortable without one and the OP was just asking folks what their method for choosing was. We all know that for the most part LF is a slow and contemplative process right? So many times we find ourselves wandering around an area looking for comps and having a viewer would be quite helpful. For some, it may work just as well just using "seeing" the scene and visualizing what a 210 would look like. No biggie.

Lon