Chamonix Reflex Viewer Alternatives

[ultimatte]

Hi!

Has anybody used another reflex viewer on the Chamonix 45n-x than the original one?
Do you recommend it?

Thanks a lot!

[ultimatte]

Really no one?! :(

I'd like to use the Horseman binocular reflex viewer, but I don't know if it fits:
I'm just a beginner...

[Lars Daniel]

Does anybody use reflex viewers? What are the pros and cons? Are there any 45 degrees reflex viewers? (Could not find any).
Obviously you can not use a loupe, but on the other hand that might not be necessary if the viewer is good.
Any input is welcome!

[D. Bryant]

Really no one?! :(



That should tell you something ...

[wager123]

i use a cambo T-20 on both my wisner and my ebony. here in the deep south in the summer it realy hot under a dark cloth and the reflex viewer works like a charm. several of my friends use them also.
mitch

[shadowleaves]

Does anybody use reflex viewers? What are the pros and cons? Are there any 45 degrees reflex viewers? (Could not find any).
Obviously you can not use a loupe, but on the other hand that might not be necessary if the viewer is good.
Any input is welcome!

They are bulky. I heard that Chamonix is working on a folding design, but don't know when it will be completed and released...

Many reflex viewers come with an integrated loupe around 3x.

As for 45-degree viewfinders, my guess is that a prism is necessary, which will make it insanely heavy - just think about a prism at that size...so possibly there won't be a 45-deg in the foreseeable future.

[John Koehrer]

Don't need a prism, just a front surface mirror. It wouldn't be that hard to cobble one up from 1/16" aircraft plywood. put a hinge along each edge that goes to the GG & you can fold it. Think in terms of a modified Graflex viewing hood

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

Hello from France !

I am very happy with a binocular reflex viewer, the main objection is that it is quite bulky. It is not very difficult to attach one brand of viewer to another brand of camera
For example I've seen Arca Swiss viewers re-fitted to a Linhof Technika.

A reflex viewer is not really something new, adding a mirror
at 45° behind the ground glass was already proposed 150 years ago for daguerreotype cameras.
Regarding a binocular viewer, there is a nice one described in the ICA catalogue in 1913
ICA Einstellbrille http://ludens.cl/photo/ica/misc.html

A do-it-yourself binocular viewer is a nice project
As a front surface mirror, if you combine it with a binocular loupe, you'll probably need something quite large, 5"x7" of mirror surface in order to be able to view in portrait or landscape without rotating the viewer
First surface mirrors of flatness 4-6 lambda (4-6 wave) as sold by Edmund are the way to go.
http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productid=2077&StartRow=21&PageNum=2
The cost of such a 4-wave, 5"x7" mirror is about $40.

regarding the binocular loupe, one can have a look at jeweller's loupes
http://www.telesightmagnifiers.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/GlasMagHeadBinocularMagnifier.jpg
You do not need the head strap, except if you want to re-enact the 1913 ICA device (moustache is optional);)
the required magnification for a camera viewer is quite low, something between 1x and 2x i.e. a focal length of lens elements between 150 and 250 mm.
reminder : commercial magnification of loupes = 250 / (focal length in millimetres)
1x : f=250
2X : f=125

[dsphotog]

I have the Toyo binocular reflex finder,
it's kinda bulky, but lightweight. It is hinged to flip out, allowing screen access.
It's nice having an upright image. Great in the studio!