How to frame a shot at night?

[GPS]

If you're serious about the picture and you have some extra time for it you can go there while the light is still sufficient, focus the scene, mark the standards position and come back another time in the night.
If you know you need to focus at infinity you can focus the camera during daylight to anything at infinity, mark the standards, etc.
Other methods are similar - measure the scene during daylight with a rangefinder and focus the camera at whatever during daylight with the same distance, etc.
It doesn't work with spontaneous pictures but even there you can help yourself - you can use a simple measuring strip for a given lens with pre set distances and use your estimate for the scene in night etc.
The framing is easier - a frame viewfinder is easy to improvise.

[rdenney]

I've been eying a Cambo SC II R with a GRANDAGON N 65 F4.5. I think I'll pull the trigger on it a trade in my other parts.

I found the Maxwell Precision Optics page but how much are they? It just replaces the ground glass?

Putting a 65 on an Cambo SC is a lilttle tricky. Doable, but tricky. For me, it required both a recessed lens board and a bag bellows. The 47 was not doable at all, but that lens is quite extreme for 4x5 and beyond where most people will go. The 90 is fine with the bag bellows. Sounds like you are looking in the right direction.

The Maxwell standard 4x5 screen is in the range of $300. But before pulling that trigger, try out the Cambo as it is. It might already have a Fresnel, but even if it doesn't, there are cheapies on Ebay that work well enough. They just need to be put under the clips, between you and the ground glass. I only decided on the Maxwell after struggling with the Sinar accessory Fresnel with lenses shorter than 90. If you end up going that way, then, yes, the Maxwell comes as two sheets that replace the existing ground glass.

Rick "who has been down a similar path" Denney

[Trub]

On the phone with KEH to place my order. I'm going to get the Cambo SC II and a lens board for the 90mm I already own and see where I'm at after I shoot some frames.

Chris "Thanks Rick Denney for his help" Burt

[rguinter]

I've never had any trouble focusing at night. Although I've done mostly city scenes where there are discreet light sources that can be focused.

Anyway there are two things you can do:

1) allow your eyes to dark adapt for about 10-minutes before attempting to focus. Complete dark adaptation takes about 40-minutes but the adaptation curve approaches an asymptote.

2) whether you're my age and need them, or not, buy yourself a pair of cheap reading glasses at the pharmacy. I bought a pair with +2.75 add and they work wonders under a dark cloth... especially at night.

Cheers. Bob G

[ki6mf]

Ditto what Cyrus said. When the foreground subject is really dark putting a light on it gets your focus right! Remove before shooting!

[wfrascher]

If your subject doesn't have eyes, try a laser pointer for focusing. I've use the pointer clipped to the base with longer lenses. Great for tagging the side of a structure in a picture. ;-)

[Bill_1856]

Wire finder.

[rguinter]

If your subject doesn't have eyes, try a laser pointer for focusing. I've use the pointer clipped to the base with longer lenses. Great for tagging the side of a structure in a picture. ;-)

Probably OK for Texas.

But out here in the East near NYC, one is truly begging for some very serious trouble by shining a laser anywhere outdoors at night.

I highly don't recommend it. Bob G.

[Frank Petronio]

Not that the camera should matter, but a Newton is about the most painful camera ever made and any $100 Cambo or Calumet you get is going to be so much nicer!

With a 90mm on 4x5 you could pretty much guess at the framing, use a 28mm on a 35mm camera to guesstimate. Prefocus on a flashlight 50 feet away and at f/8 or 11 everything from infinity to 20 feet should be tight.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I go to the location just before nightfall. Set up and wait.