What is my weakest link?

[Greg Gibbons]

What's the biggest contributor to fuzziness on a Crown Graphic?

My understanding of the elements of sharp pictures is, focus, camera shake, film flatness, focus, lens sharpness. Have I left something out?

So, searching for the weakest link - is the standard Ektar lens something I should replace?

[Robert Hughes]

Any old Ektar is going to be sharper than its user. Don't worry about it.

Make sure your tilt and shift mechanisms don't have any play in them. I've got a Busch Pressman that has excessive play in the front shift, which plays havoc with my short lens. One moment everything's in focus - the next, it's all a little fuzzy.

[Gem Singer]

A solid tripod and tripod head.

A clean lens and filters.

Film holders that are capable of holding the film flat.

A compendium lens shade.

All of these are elements that are needed to prevent fuzziness.

[Lynn Jones]

The late Herb Boggie, teacher at Brooks Inst. would occasionally say, "The loose nut a few inches in back of the camera is the real problem".

Lynn

[cjbroadbent]

Internal reflections. Curable with a compendium. A lens hood is only half way there.

[Ben Syverson]

Christopher, you think that would cause softness? I always figured internal reflections would just cause irregular exposure issues... But I've never worked with a lens that had such excess coverage that it was an issue, so I'm not too familiar with what the problem looks like.

[Bob Salomon]

Christopher, you think that would cause softness? I always figured internal reflections would just cause irregular exposure issues... But I've never worked with a lens that had such excess coverage that it was an issue, so I'm not too familiar with what the problem looks like.

It would create flare and that would reduce contrast and that would effect the sharpness. In addition the alignment between the front standard and the rear standard is also important. Everything should start off aligned. If you want to introduce a tilt/swing/rise/fall then do it. But if the camera's alignment is off to begin with then it will effect the end result overall.

[William McEwen]

The late Herb Boggie, teacher at Brooks Inst. would occasionally say, "The loose nut a few inches in back of the camera is the real problem".

Lynn

I wish Boggie had written HIS tao of photography.

[Mike1234]

The Ektars are excellent lenses but just as with any other lens... if the cells are mismatched or there are severe scratches, etc. this will affect performance. The biggest issue with the Ektars is coverage. If you don't need movements then you can use a 127mm of the standard variety and an 80mm of the wide field type on 4x5 film. Neither of the two listed allow for much movement on 4x5. Obviously you can use the shorter Ektars on the smaller formats.

The most common "fuzziness" issue is maladjustment of the rangefinder or use of the wrong cam. Of course, this doesn't affect ground glass focusing.

[kkeller]

I have a crown graphic and am curious how you focus. Are you using the range finder or the frensel with a loupe. When I got mine I was using the range finder and checking the fresnel and it would be soft. I found the instructions and got it calibrated, now it is tack sharp when focusing from the range finder.

[Bob Salomon]

The most common "fuzziness" issue is maladjustment of the rangefinder or use of the wrong cam. Of course, this doesn't affect ground glass focusing.

Unless the gg placement is incorrect!

[jnantz]

make sure everything is locked down after you focus and stop down,
and then be careful not to unfocus a tiny bit when you put
the film holder in the back. sometimes a filmholder
wiggles things enough to unsharpen sharp focus ...
your lens sounds fine to me

good luck!

[cjbroadbent]

Christopher, you think that would cause softness? I always figured internal reflections would just cause irregular exposure issues...
Not irregular, but softer. I sometimes lay a white card inside the bellows shooting chromes in harsh light. I won't insist though, the right answer was probably the seating of the film-holder with respect to the gg.
Greg, let us know. Our reputation is on the line.

[Greg Gibbons]

Wow, great responses everyone, thanks. I already knew about the loose nut behind the camera, but I had no idea about a compendium. I thought it just reduced flare and/or exposure variance.

I do focus using the ground glass. I would only use the rangefinder if I were doing press photography. :)

Nice to know the lens is ok, especially with the limited movements of the Crown.

By the way, I didn't mean to say my shots are especially fuzzy, I'm just on that quest for as much detail as I can get.

Also, good tip about moving things when I put on the film back, I think I hadn't considered that sufficiently.

I assume flatness is pretty good with a new fuji quickload holder?

[Mike1234]

Unless the gg placement is incorrect!

Hi Bob... Yes, but he did ask about the "most common" fuzziness issues. :)

[Ben Syverson]

I sometimes lay a white card inside the bellows shooting chromes in harsh light.
Brilliant! I have to try it.

[PBrooks]

Isn't the quickload system slightly less sharp than a standard film holder?

[Frank Petronio]

All of the above plus...

What apertures are you usually shooting these 'softer" images at? At either end of the scale you may see a little compromise compared to the (most likely) optimal apertures in the middle of the scale (ie f/11-16-22).

Another thing that often catches students is that they've loaded the film wrong, like over the rails, but with Quickloads that would be hard to do. Check the fit of the holder when it is inserted into the camera back though... it might be riding up on something?

Also try critically focusing at the shooting aperture, not wide open. It would be highly unlikely for that Ektar to have a focus shift dependent upon aperture, but it does happen with some lenses, especially wides. Focusing on a bright light bulb's filament will make it easier to do when the lens stopped down.

[jbenedict]

Any old Ektar is going to be sharper than its user. Don't worry about it.

*If* it's clear and bright. The old Ektars had a first generation coating that was a little on the soft side. Cleaning it with a dry cloth numerous times over the years could cause microscratches and fuzziness in the results. Also, if there is fungus in the lens (it lives off the natural cements used to glue the elements together), it could be fuzzy. If you look in the lens and see what looks like spider webs, you have fungus.

[Greg Gibbons]

[QUOTE=Christopher Broadbent;521647]Not irregular, but softer. I sometimes lay a white card inside the bellows shooting chromes in harsh light. QUOTE]

Internal reflections are mitigated by a white card inside the bellows? I don't understand - wouldn't that exacerbate the problem?

[Donald Miller]

[QUOTE=Christopher Broadbent;521647]Not irregular, but softer. I sometimes lay a white card inside the bellows shooting chromes in harsh light. QUOTE]

Internal reflections are mitigated by a white card inside the bellows? I don't understand - wouldn't that exacerbate the problem?

Not mitigated...exacerbated. In harsh high contrast situations the induced flare will tend to soften the contrast.

Donald Miller

[Jack Dahlgren]

[QUOTE=Greg Gibbons;521899]

Not mitigated...exacerbated. In harsh high contrast situations the induced flare will tend to soften the contrast.

Donald Miller

It would seem that reducing the contrast in harsh high contrast situations would be a good thing, thus a mitigation. Unless you like inky shadows...

-Jack

[Robert Hughes]

... or you could just use a non-coated, pre WW2 lens to increase flair and lessen shadow depth. AA even recommends them in "The Camera".