Attaching a mm scale to a wood field camera

[Ed Pierce]

Hi folks,

I have a Zone VI wood field camera and I wish it had a mm scale on the bed. The front and rear standards both move. Any advice on how to go about adding a scale?

In an ideal world, I'd really like it if I could read the scale from behind the camera, and not have to step around to the side.

At present I use a small retractable ruler. This works but it's one more piece of gear to deal with out there...

[Ralph Barker]

Being as both standards move, it would be necessary to have the scale move with the back standard to arrive at useful readings, I'd think. While possible, I'm not sure how practical such linkage between the scale and both standards would be. Your metric tape measure is probably more convenient.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Ed,

I'll email you what I use (a home-made scale with corresponding aperture requirements) that may be helpful. As long as you make note of where the one standard is and then how much the second one moves, you should be fine. You can print the guage out on glossy stock and use ATG tape to attach it to the camera.

[Brian Ellis]

I've put mm scales on all my LF cameras (including several with back movements, I don't understand Ralph's comment). I first find a mm paper or cloth ruler, cut it to fit along the wood rail in which the front and back standards move, then tape it down with Scotch tape. You have to make sure the tape is thin enough so that the front and back standards can move over it. It's quite simple to do, takes about two minutes once you have the ruler. Many tape measures have mms on one side and inches on the other so the ruler shouldn't be hard to find.

[Hans Berkhout]

Get metric graph paper, cut a strip like Brian suggests. I use matte surface Scothc tape so I can mark it as needed with felt pen. Tape it on the edge of camera bed, eg the non moving part when you focus.

[George Stewart]

I'm assuming that you need this for close-up/macro work. For my 4x5 and 150 G-Claron I made my own tape measure with a graphics program and some inkjet canvas. Instead of a specific mm scale, I had marks set for 0, +1/4, +1/2, +1, and +1.5 stops. This allows me to measure standard to standard (taking movements into account). This is very quick and accurate and requires no calculations in the field, where one might be tired and prone to errors. For intermediate f-stops, I just interpolate-works very well. I have the lens that it is printed for labeled right on the tape, and it folds down flat taking virtually no space. If one had several lenses, it would be easy enough to have several different scales (in different colors) on the same tape.

[Michael Alpert]

Ed (and others),

In what situations do you find a scale on a field camera helpful? I am asking because I have worked with a field camera for years without ever feeling that I needed one. My work has included everything from macro to architecture and landscape, using a wide variety of lenses.

[Lars Åke Vinberg]

On the same subject, is it possible to buy a DOF scale somewhere? I've been making my own but they're not pretty...

Lars

[Ralph Barker]

FWIW, I'm interpreting Ed's description to mean that the entire rear standard moves forward on the base (as with a Tachihara 8x10), along with the usual motion of the front standard. Ideally, the 0 point on the attached scale would stay constant in relation to the film plane within the back standard, so a direct measurement from the position of the front standard could be taken. Otherwise, you'd have to subtract the two standards positions, or reposition the scale for each (or many) measurement(s). As such, a tape is often just as convenient.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Michael,

Though I know some photographers that get by just fine with the "focus a third of the way into the scene," I find my scale indespensible for critical hyperfocusing when I am the limits of my lens capabilities. Fast. Sure. Happy to use it as a crutch.

Lars, I'll send you my version for free. Of course, if you feel like sending me bunches of money, I wouldn't object. ;-)

[Dan Jolicoeur]

Again; A $20 digital caliper from harbour freight. I chopped off the jaws, but not necessary for this application. You can use it from behind the camera as a depth gauge. Focus on the near press zero. Focus on the far, reposition half the distance, and select your f stop from the focus spread. It is not over kill, it is fast accurate, and indispensable once you get use to using it. With the jaws off it fits anywhere in you pack and weight is little. It can be used mounted to the side or hand held from the front or from the rear.
Give it a try,

[Brian Ellis]

Ralph Barker said: "Ideally, the 0 point on the attached scale would stay constant in relation to the film plane within the back standard, so a direct measurement from the position of the front standard could be taken."

Ed should perhaps tell us why he wants to put the scale on his camera. I assumed the reason he was doing it is that he wanted to use it as an aid in focusing and in determining the optimum aperture, i.e. to focus on the near, look at the mm scale, focus on the far, look at the mm scale, position whichever standard you're using midway between the two positions, etc. etc. (a common method discussed in greater detail in Tuan's article on this site about focusing the view camera). If that's the purpose there's no need to start at a zero point because all you're interested in is the difference in mms between the near and far focusing positions. The actual numbers don't matter , i.e. it doesn't make any difference whether you start at 0 or 10 or 85 or any other number, all you care about is how many mms there are between the two focusing positions and where the midpoint between them lies.

[David Karp]

I use a mm scale for the reason Brian describes. I made one for my Crown Graphic and for the back focus on my Walker Titan SF by printing a mm scale that I found on the Internet and laminating it using Avery self adhesive laminating sheets. I attached this to the camera using double sided carpet tape. Works great so long as there is space on the camera and a reference point available for measuring the movement when you focus from far to near. I keep the f/stops that correspond to the various distances on a laminated note card that I can print out from my computer. I keep a couple in my backpack in case I lose one. It would also be possible to stick this information to your lensboards so that it is always available.

[Ed Pierce]

Thanks all for your helpful responses.

Brian, you are correct in that I'm looking to use the scale for determining optimum focus point and aperture.

Ralph, thanks so much for your insightful comment. It makes a lot of sense to attach the scale to the rear focusing rail with the zero point under the film plane, and mark a reference point on the front focusing rail. That way I can always get a direct reading of bellows extension if I want it. Now why didn't I think of that??? Of course, any tilts will throw off a direct reading but it will still work for my main purpose.

I'm hesitant to tape or glue anything to the camera as it does get wet. Ideally I'd like to find a metal scale and attach it with screws. Any ideas on this?

For bellows extension factor, I have a cloth tape which I've marked up with the required changes in exposure for my various lenses. One side of the tape is for the 4x5 and the other is for the 8x10. To use it I just hold it up from the film plane to the front standard- works well.

[Andy Jones]

I made something like you are describing when I got started in LF . I don't always use it, only in "limit" situations. It has distance scales for the three lenses I have as well as hyperfocal distances at several apertures. My main use, as others suggest, is focus spread readings and sometimes bellows extension (My notebook has the tables for factors)

This will take you to a pic - it is on an Ebon45S.. http://www.fototime.com/185EE92499CA845/orig.jpg

[Andy Jones]

Ed, This ruler just slides under and between the standards as necessary but slips out when not needed and goes in the bag, it's not much longer than the QuickLoad back. Obviously it would be too long to attach permanently but the bent up end makes it easy to positively align with the film plane. (In case you were wondering, yes I still use the loupe to confirm focus and don't rely on this :-) )