View Camera Sharpness

[Michael Kadillak]

Picked up the latest issue of Photo Techniques (May/June 99) and after reading a n article about view camera sharpness, curosity got the best of me and I proceed ed to check my 8 x 10 Kodak Masterview metal camera. Well, like the author, I wa s more than surprised to find that the ground glass is being held closer to the lens than the film in the film holder. I would have thought that I would have no ticed the lacking of sharpness and pursued a solution for a problem that I would have noticed myself. Because of the fact that it is a metal camera and can be m anufactured to high tolerances, I am more than a little bummed that I did not ve rify this relationship earlier.

I use new Fidelity film holders.What suggestions would anyone have on who would be able to more accurately assess my situation and rectify it ? Would they need to add a shim ? Anyone local to me in Denver ?

Thanks in advance.

[Bill Glickman]

Mike,

A few months back I just went throught this entire scenario with both 4x5 and 8x10. Go down to the older threads under film holders, I started one called, grond glass and film plane alignment... it has execellent discussion on this exact topic... I am sure it will answer a lot of your questions and demonstrates and excellent test I developed to be sure you are correct in the measurements.. Good luck, Bill

[pat j. krentz]

Question for Bill, what is the test?

[Patrick Raymore]

The best article I have seen that addresses your question was written by Robert Zeichner (Nov/Dec 1996 issue of View Camera Magazine) on ground glass testing. Via simple testing his method takes all the different variables into consideration without going to elaborate methods of measuring this or that. I am particularly grateful that I came across this article and I am sure you will find it informative.