Ground Glass focusing Loupes

[Brian Ellis]

I used a Peak 4x loupe for years but saw so many people raving about the Toyo loupe that I figured why not give it a try for $30. I really didn't like it, only because it is round. The Peak loupe was square so that you could get right up into the corners, which is often where your problems, particularly vignetting, will show up. With the Toyo I couldn't see in the extreme corners. I quit using it and went back to the Peak loupe. The Peak loupe was a little more expensive - around $50 or so as I recall. Personally I wouldn't use anything except a square loupe for ground glass focusing. The folding focusing hood on my Linhof Technika is totally useless except as a ground glass protector so I don't use it and use a dark cloth (Darkroom Innovations) instead, so length of the loupe wasn't a consideration for me. The Peak is short and probably would be difficult to use with a folding focusing hood.

[Emil Ems]

Listen you guys out there lucky enough to own a Toyo Field camera. There is an accessory folding hood from Toyo, which is really a modified wide angle bellows which replaces the ordinary popping up viewing hood. With this folding hood, it is a piece of cake to put in the Toyo loupe. No problem with fitting it within this flexible arrangement. Just wanted to let you know.

Best regards, Emil

[Bob Salomon]

<Listen you guys out there lucky enough to own a Toyo Field camera. There is an accessory folding hood from Toyo, which is really a modified wide angle bellows which replaces the ordinary popping up viewing hood. With this folding hood, it is a piece of cake to put in the Toyo loupe. No problem with fitting it within this flexible arrangement. Just wanted to let you know. >

Makes it similar to the Linhof Focusing/Metering Bellows which fits the back of the Linhof. Has 2 screw together 2x magnifiers. With just one you get a 2x view of the entire screen with both 4x of any part of the screen. And, if you use one you can add a light meter with a microscope adapter to read the entire ground glass or any part as a spot about the size of a quarter for spot readings.

Looks something like a beret and is very flexible.

It is actually available for 23, 45, 57 and 81