Loupe for ground glass

[Peter Hruby]

Hello,

I believe this question was here before but any ideas about focusing loupe for ground glass?
Which loupes I might consider buying? What magnification is best for ground glass focussing?

Thank you for all your answers.

[Jim Rice]

http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/498843.html

[darter]

I use a Toyo 3.6x loupe which seems pretty optimal. Focusing precision seems limited by the grain of the ground glass, so greater magnification is not necessarily useful. In addition to being reasonably priced, the Toyo loupe has rubberized ends and an inset eyepiece that prevents eyelash contact. The Rodenstock 4x loupe is really nice, but costs about twice as much.

[Mark Windom]

I've been very happy with my Schneider 4X.

[Alan Davenport]

I'm a cheapskate, so I bought a 4X Fuji loupe. It's a bit large, but my photos are in focus.

[Mark Sawyer]

I've played with quite a few loupes. The best I've ever found is the front element and tube off a broken 70-210 zoom for a 35mm.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

I addition to a loupe, I now use an Optivisor with the #10 lens plate. It is about 3.5x, let's you use both eyes, and is hands free. Imagine your head under the cloth, both eyes open and focused, no squinting or facial straining or fatigue, while you have both hands free to work the gear. What a pleasure....

[KenM]

I've ordered a Silverstri Tilting loupe - I'll let you know when I get it :-)

[Ernest Purdum]

This seems to be a rather personal matter. I think as far as magnification goes you'll get answers over quite a wide range. Maybe some groundglass and fresnels work better with a particular magnification. There are some basic characteristics to look for, though. The loupe should focus easily and the focus should lock solidly once found. There should be no suggestion of the field being other than flat. No weird color effects should be present.

[Donald Hutton]

If you're going to be using very wide lenses, I highly recommend the Silvestri tilting loupe of the Ebony hand loupe - both allow you to look through the lens aperture at an angle from the corners. However, I do find that the 6X magnification if a littel higher than I would like. As others have said, it depends a fair bit on the GG and fresnel combination you have. For a cheap solution, I think the Toyo loupe is probably the best bet.

[Frank Petronio]

Just get a bloody 4x plastic loupe for a couple of quid. It's either in focus or out of focus, chaps, and if I had an assistant wank around about loupes so much, I'd fire his bleeding arse faster than Paris Hilton drops her knickers. Blimey, it's only a 5x4 camera, not brain surgery.

[Jim Rice]

Are you feeling okay Frank? Should we book a preist?

[John Kasaian]

Peter,

I'm with Frank on this one.

I've used an agfa loupe (about five bucks) for a couple of years with excellent results. Moved up to a Silvestri awhile back (about seventy bucks) Its a really nice loupe very high quality and a joy to use, and it has a handy cord to hang around my neck to foster the image of a macho LF'er but if I ever lost it(which I'm not likely to since its attached to a cord around my neck) I'd go back to the Agfa without missing a beat. I've heard of people using linen testers, and even a cheesy folding magnifying glass will work. Check out Edmund Scientific's Optical catalog for ideas.

Of course, if you're dealing with a camera thats got a viewing hood like a Graphic then maybe a physically longer sized loupe like the Toyo would be easier to use.

[domenico Foschi]

I can't wait for my old Pentax spotmeter V to break ( it will never happen ) to use the lens as a focusing lupe.

[Mark Sawyer]

I've found my work has improved greatly since I bought my gold dot apochromatic multi-coated loupe. Unfortunately, my viewing screen is made with low-aspiration glass...

[Darin Cozine]

I compared the Schneider 4x , Mamiya4x , Toyo 3.6x , and Horizon 4x loupes with slides on a light table. Honestly I liked the Horizon best, so I guess the best thing to do is drop by a local camera store and test some out for yourself. Though currently I'm using the rear element of a wollensak raptar 137mm in the end of a black plastic film can, and it works good for me! (insert fuzzy photo here)

[Gem Singer]

Hi Peter,

A range of magnifications from 4X to 6X is ideal for groundglass focusing (think of the Toyo 3.6X loupe as a 4X loupe). You may even be able to get away with using a pair of strong reading glasses, such as those half-glasses from Wal Mart or Walgreen's. When you use a loupe magnification stronger than 6X, and you may find yourself focusing on the lines of your Fresnel screen (if you are using one) or the rough surface of your ground glass.

[Jeremy Moore]

I have a Fuji 4x loupe that I use only because I already had it for looking at 35mm slides.

[Alan Davenport]

I've found my work has improved greatly since I bought my gold dot apochromatic multi-coated loupe. Unfortunately, my viewing screen is made with low-aspiration glass...

--Mark Sawyer, 2004-12-16 14:10:51



http://home.comcast.net/~w7apd/public/rotflol.gif LOL!!!

Let's face it, guys: all loupes are, if not created equal, not very darn far apart. A more expensive loupe is not going to get you focused any better, because the best focus point will look "best" in any loupe.

[Jim Rhoades]

I've used the El cheapo Agfa for many years one with each camera. I then bought a Toyo, it mostly stays with the 4x5. It is nice but has not improved my shooting.

I overheard this in a workshop. " Hey, that's a nice loupe. Why don't you use it?

[Dan Fromm]

Ednalite Magnifinder. Cheap, cheerful, and probably historically appropriate for my dinky little Graphics.

After seeing so many recommendations here for using 50 mm taking lenses (for 35 mm, not larger) and ~ 100 mm enlarging lenses for looking at the GG, its occurred to me that I have some of each lying around and should try them. So I will.

[Peter Hruby]

Hi all,

it looks everybody has its own diferent approach. I look that I am going to buy it only once, so noe on ebay - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3860392325&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3860392325&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT) - is one interesting loupe there.
Does anybody has any experience with it?

Thanks.

[Struan Gray]

I use a 'wafer inspection' lupe I got as a gift from a visiting professor, but before that I used the lenses from my Pentax 110 SLR. 24 mm standard and 50 mm 'tele' are two useful powers for fine-focussing, and they're a lot more compact than similar focal lengths for 35 mm. KEH usually has a couple at low prices.

[Frank Petronio]

Well, if you can't afford to use a Summilux as your ground-glass loupe, then I guess that plastic Leica loupe will do in a pinch ;-)

FWIW, I actually do use a good quality Schneider (like the Leica above) for looking at slides and editing film. But it is far too bulky to carry into the field - I much prefer a smaller loupe that can hang around my neck or fall into my pocket - they tend to get banged around.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Peter,

The Leica 5X loupe is considered (in some circles) to be the Mercedes Benz of focusing loupes. If your budget will allow, go for it. Good luck.

[Donald Brewster]

I like the long tube Horseman 6x, the long tube being the most critical point for me. Like the others mentioned, this is a personal preference thing. For the most part, most any will do. It's just finding the most comfortable focal length.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

One issue was not addressed yet in this discussion : do you wear eyeglasses or not ?
I am short-sighted and suffer from astigmatism so I need to wear my ophtalmic glasses for precise focusing. So I have found that some loupes are not comfortable with eyeglasses, same problem with ordinary binoculars, you may loose and important part of the field if the eye-relief distance is not large enough.
A rule of thumb is that the exit lens element should be big. The Russian horizon 4x covering 6x6 is good for use with opthalmic glasses and not very expensive. This is my standard loupe for a 6x9 ground glass together with a Hasselblad RMfx reflex loupe which is also suitable for ophtalmic glasses. I have tested the 4x aspheric Rodenstock (actually it is a doublet with aspheric element(s)) which covers the 35 mm format only, it is incredible sharp and light-weight at a moderate cost (price similar to the 4x Horizon in France).
So if you need to wear eyeglasses be careful, all loupes are not made equal for you. Select in the range of magnifications 2x to 5x the one that gives you its full image field.
I agree that a pair of cheap reading loupes can be good. Remember that a "1X" loupe is not a joke, it is simply a loupe with a focal length of 250 mm, i.e. +4 dioptres, it will allow you to look at a 8"x10" ground glass comfortably from a 200-250 m distance without any strain to your eyes.

[Peter Hruby]

No, I am not, but I do appreciate you pointed it out. Way to go Emmanuel.
Pete.