view hood worth it ?

[gliderbee]

I'm looking at this auction :

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370470236775&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1660wt_1184

Does such a hood replace a dark cloth ? It seems a bit easier to work with, but if that's is indeed so, why doesn't everybody else use it ?

Stefan.

[BrianShaw]

These are usable if there are no other options avaiable. They are no replacement for a dark cloth.

[Sal Santamaura]

Depends on your lens, screen and eyesight. I've got a Maxwell screen with AR-Coated Beattie cover glass. Since I'm -6 diopters nearsighted, when using f/5.6 camera lenses, I can drop my eyeglasses on a neck cord, place my face right up to the open hood and work just as well as when under a dark cloth. Your mileage will almost certainly vary. :)

[rjbuzzclick]

I don't think it would replace a dark cloth, but I never use one (just my jacket sometimes). I use the hood on my Speed Graphic and most of the time it works well. The only issue is that it's too deep to use a focus loupe without taking the hood off. Luckily, I found an odd magnifier lens in a tube that is long enough to use with the hood on, so that's my usual setup.

[bobwysiwyg]

Makes it hard to use a focusing loupe also.

[Ari]

Yes, it's worth it, to me at least.
I really don't like using a darkcloth, especially in the wind and/or cold.
The viewing hood is a timesaver, and frees up at least one hand.
Get a longer loupe to put up against your GG; I have a Peak 5x plastic loupe, it's about 2.5 inches long, and it works perfectly with a viewing hood.
The only time the hood might be of no advantage is with very wide lenses; it's already difficult seeing the corners, and the hood doesn't help in that case.

Now, does anybody have a viewing hood for my Wista RF that they want to sell me? :)

[IanG]

Depends, it can easily replace a dark cloth in reasonably light, but not when lights poor.

Ian

[Frank Petronio]

I think they are great, they also fold up to protect the ground glass. Just get a loupe that is longer than 4" to fit.

Darkcloths are kind of dumb, if you want extra darkness just throw a dark jacket/towel/t-shirt over your head and the hood.

Although, sometimes a friendly woman will take off her shirt for you to use as a make-do darkcloth. In those cases I usually humor them.

[Alan Curtis]

Frank
Only you get women to their clothes off when there is a LF camera around. The rest of us have to look like the geek under the dark cloth.

[Tom Schaefer]

Although, sometimes a friendly woman will take off her shirt for you to use as a make-do darkcloth. In those cases I usually humor them.[/QUOTE]

Does it take longer to focus when they do that
Tom

[tautatis]

Not useful or need - additional clutter and unnecessary weight. Just use dark cloth. I have had a Shen Hao for almost 10 years now and works fine wothout one.

Tautatis:confused:

[jp]

Looks like the hood on my pre-anniversary speed graphic. I use it instead of a dark cloth, but I prefer the metal folding hood on my later speed graphic.

[Brian Ellis]

I used an Ebony hood on an Ebony camera. I didn't like it much. It reduced the pleasure of the large format experience for me because it felt more like I was looking through the viewfinder of a small camera than the ground glass of a larger one. I also often couldn't see the entire image on the screen from one position, I had to move around and see different parts. That may have been a function of that particular hood rather than hoods in general, I don't know because that's the only one I've used.

I too don't care for the old "horse blanket" type dark cloths. They're bulky, something of a pain to put on and take off, and in a wind they're impossible. The tube designs such as the BTZS hood was for me a good compromise. But obviously this is an area of PP.

[IanG]

Not useful or need - additional clutter and unnecessary weight. Just use dark cloth. I have had a Shen Hao for almost 10 years now and works fine wothout one.

Tautatis:confused:

Try using a dark-cloth when you're working with a hand-held LF camera. This is where a hood works very much better,

Ian

[Noah A]

I have one that came with my Wista 45vx.

At least with the Wista fresnel/gg, it's great with a 210/5.6, pretty good with a 150/5.6, kind of usable with a 110xl and unusable with an 80xl.

The main thing is that it protects the groundglass. Other than that I could live without it.

[Joseph Dickerson]

I use the Shen Hao folding hood, I bought it mostly to protect the GG, and rather like it.

The Shen Hao hood, don't know if the one you found is the same, hinges/swings to allow access to the GG for a loupe. I use +6 diopter glasses instead of a loupe so the combination works pretty well with or without a focusing cloth. As Noah pointed out it's better with longer/brighter lenses.

Try Badger Graphic Sales for a price comparison.

JD