Ditto
I do almost exactly the same thing except I select a point in the image positioned on or near one of the grid lines so I can see if the focus shifts at all when I tighten things up.
Once I have my focus set, first with +4 glasses, then checked with the loupe, I apply an iron grip on the right knob so it can't move, drop the loupe and tighten the left knob. My grip on the right knob seldom moves but the odd time that it does and I want to recheck the focus I just look at my reference point on the grid line. My hand is always in the same position and braced against the rail when it's time to grip the final focus knob set point so I must have subconsciously learned to move my hand into position when the focus was close.
It finally donned on me one day after using the camera for a while that this camera is built rock solid and needs to be handled with some strength rather than gentle finesse all the time. Squeeze down on your focus with some tension set as Eric mentioned, and grab that right focusing knob firmly with your hand braced when the focus is getting tightened. No problems here.
IMHO the camera seems to be nicely designed but just needs a little energy applied at times.
Hope this helps!
What works for me is to not hold a loupe in my hand. I like both hands free when doing photography.
I can do this because I've got a pair of glasses made for close work. Optimized for 5x4, just enough magnification so that the ground glass fills my field of vision -- about 2x magnification, and my eyes 17-18cm from the ground glass. Perfect for framing and rough focus for 5x4.
For fine focus, I've got a jeweler's swing-down loupe that clamps onto the temple of my work glasses. Donegan Optical Co. makes it. It's a 4x magnification, and magnifications add, so when I use it I get about 6x total magnification. I find this an excellent magnification to use for fine focus, and for judging tilts, etc.
So... both hands always free.
I don't expect this will work for everyone. But it's an option that happens to work really well for me.
Bruce Watson
Joanna's input is spot-on accurate. Is there some reason why everyone in this thread except Vlad has ingored it?
See the answer to question 3 in this list:
http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/FAQ.html
Tried the high mag glasses, but since I need reading glasses to adjust the camera, that meant juggling two pairs.
Bruce,
The jeweler's loupe sounds worth a try. How does it work with extreme movements? I use a Silvestra tilting loupe because I am often trying to focus with an extreme movement, and getting on the optical axis really helps.
Ed Richards
http://www.epr-art.com
I have the same problem as Ed with occasionally needing 3 hands to focus my Ebony. I haven't found a good solution but sometimes I will use my head to hold the loupe so that I can focus and lock. I press my glasses against the loupe and hold it against the ground glass long enough to focus. It is uncomfortable and the loupe usually slips off the glass after a few seconds but it is long enough to get my focus set.
Odd. I've never even thought about it. I use a handheld loupe with string attached,
use both Sinar and Ebony cameras, and don't seem to have any trouble focussing either. But I tend to set my tilt function without looking through the loupe, then refocus looking through the loop, then readjust the tilt as needed. The "yaw free" base tilt of the Sinar and the axis tilt of the Ebony are completely different in this respect. Maybe I'm not doing it the fastest way; but usually I'm dealing with complex
depth of field problem which require a bit of fiddling anyway.
I never think about it. I suppose that I tilt my head to line things up, but I don't know. That being the case, I'd have to say that it works well for me. I suspect that it depends on how extreme your extreme actually is, and whether or not you're using a fresnel lens for a ground glass, and if so, how good a fit your fresnel is to the taking lens in question. IOW, the easiest way to find out if it will work for you is to try and see.
I'm talking about a Donegan Eyeglass loupe. I use a single 4x magnifier with my 2x glasses. You may want more or less depending on your needs, and they have a nice variety to choose from. I bought mine from Otto Frei -- look part way down the page to find the single 4x loupe for $22.00. At that price it's not that much of a gamble maybe.
Bruce Watson
Tried tightening the rails. The bars with the screws seem to be flush on their supports and the screws are so tight that i am afraid that if I try to tighten them more I will either round the Phillips recess or strip the threads out of the wood. The rails are pretty loose and this is in hot weather with high humidity. Any suggestions? I have a 45SU of ebony wood. Are these screws in wood or metal?
Ed Richards
http://www.epr-art.com
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