Ebony Focusing - the three hands problem

[Ed Richards]

Everything about my Ebony is well thoughtout - except the focusing. Clearly the camera was either designed by a photograrapher with three hands or an engineer who does not take pictures. Unlock on one side and focus on the other means you are constantly changing hands with the loupe. Front tilt/swing is even more maddening. I have taken to grapping the front standard with my left hand and dragging it to focus. Any good workarounds? Sinar has the right idea - all the controls on the same side. But my F2 and the requisit tripod weigh a ton in comparison. Any field cameras have the controls on one side?

[Eric James]

One thing you can do is to achieve fine focus with significant tension on the locking knob(s) (i.e. friction on the rails). Once you've achieved focus you can come up for air without worrying about accidentally bumping things out of focus. On my Ebony I lock the rails into place while holding fast the position of the focusing knob, because tightening the locking knobs securely will shift focus. This can be done under the cloth, but I prefer to tighen things down after I've come up for air.

A similar strategy can be used with front and rear tilt. I'll loosen the knobs enough to get the standard out of the null position and then retightened significantly; now use this resistance to slowly nudge your way to the best plane of focus for your composition, then lock down hard and fast.

Another thing that helps with focusing and movement is to use high-powered reading glasses (+5 to +7) instead of a loupe - no more need for the third hand. Once I think I'm good-to-go I'll add more tension to the rails and then check for critical focus with a loupe. Once critical focus is achieved I come up for air and turn the locking knob(s) tight while holding the focusing knob in position to prevent inadvertent focus shift.

[Leigh]

I don't understand the problem.

All three of my field cameras have locks on the left and adjustments on the right. I've never needed more than two hands to do anything.

- Leigh

[Joanna Carter]

If you need to keep locking and unlocking the focus spindles, then your rail clamps are too loose. You are dealing with a wooden camera, where the rails tend to expand and contract, depending on the temperature and humidity; simply pinch up the screws on the rail clamps to grip the rail more but don't forget that you may have to loosen them again when the weather changes.

[Vlad Soare]

I second that. The camera should be able to hold the focus even if you don't lock it down. The focus lock is just an extra safety device. You shouldn't need to use it during the focusing step. Just loosen it, then do all your focus/tilt/shift/refocus/more tilt/refocus/etc. routine, then lock it down.
I believe Ebonies allow you to adjust the tension in the focusing rails. Mine did.

[Former Member 27732]

I made a simple modification on the back of my SV45ti to hold a Cambo reflex viewer. Probably not as good as the loupe, but frees up both hands for focus/shift/tilt, etc.....

[Joanna Carter]

I made a simple modification on the back of my SV45ti to hold a Cambo reflex viewer. Probably not as good as the loupe, but frees up both hands for focus/shift/tilt, etc.....
Ah well, each to their own :rolleyes:

[George Hart]

Another possibility is that you may not be levelling the camera before you unlock the standards and focus, so the standards are free to move under the effect of gravity. This is a flatbed camera—would you be better off using a monorail with a geared focus arrangement?

[Joanna Carter]

Another possibility is that you may not be levelling the camera before you unlock the standards and focus, so the standards are free to move under the effect of gravity. This is a flatbed camera—would you be better off using a monorail with a geared focus arrangement?
When the rail clamps are correctly adjusted, on an Ebony, there is no slippage, even when the bed is tilted. :)

[Ed Richards]

I always level first, but tightening the rails is a good thought. Mine are a bit loose. What i mean about front movements is that if I do not lock down the focus, I tend to move the standard when I am fiddling with the tilt or swing. When the movements are on the same side you just keep the loupe in one hand and adjust with the other.

[Joanna Carter]

I always level first, but tightening the rails is a good thought. Mine are a bit loose. What i mean about front movements is that if I do not lock down the focus, I tend to move the standard when I am fiddling with the tilt or swing. When the movements are on the same side you just keep the loupe in one hand and adjust with the other.
Adjust the rails and see the difference it makes ;)

[Dave Jeffery]

One thing you can do is to achieve fine focus with significant tension on the locking knob(s) (i.e. friction on the rails). Once you've achieved focus you can come up for air without worrying about accidentally bumping things out of focus. On my Ebony I lock the rails into place while holding fast the position of the focusing knob, because tightening the locking knobs securely will shift focus. This can be done under the cloth, but I prefer to tighen things down after I've come up for air.

A similar strategy can be used with front and rear tilt. I'll loosen the knobs enough to get the standard out of the null position and then retightened significantly; now use this resistance to slowly nudge your way to the best plane of focus for your composition, then lock down hard and fast.

Another thing that helps with focusing and movement is to use high-powered reading glasses (+5 to +7) instead of a loupe - no more need for the third hand. Once I think I'm good-to-go I'll add more tension to the rails and then check for critical focus with a loupe. Once critical focus is achieved I come up for air and turn the locking knob(s) tight while holding the focusing knob in position to prevent inadvertent focus shift.

Ditto

I do almost exactly the same thing except I select a point in the image positioned on or near one of the grid lines so I can see if the focus shifts at all when I tighten things up.

Once I have my focus set, first with +4 glasses, then checked with the loupe, I apply an iron grip on the right knob so it can't move, drop the loupe and tighten the left knob. My grip on the right knob seldom moves but the odd time that it does and I want to recheck the focus I just look at my reference point on the grid line. My hand is always in the same position and braced against the rail when it's time to grip the final focus knob set point so I must have subconsciously learned to move my hand into position when the focus was close.

It finally donned on me one day after using the camera for a while that this camera is built rock solid and needs to be handled with some strength rather than gentle finesse all the time. Squeeze down on your focus with some tension set as Eric mentioned, and grab that right focusing knob firmly with your hand braced when the focus is getting tightened. No problems here.

IMHO the camera seems to be nicely designed but just needs a little energy applied at times.

Hope this helps!

[Bruce Watson]

...Unlock on one side and focus on the other means you are constantly changing hands with the loupe. ... Any good workarounds?

What works for me is to not hold a loupe in my hand. I like both hands free when doing photography.

I can do this because I've got a pair of glasses made for close work. Optimized for 5x4, just enough magnification so that the ground glass fills my field of vision -- about 2x magnification, and my eyes 17-18cm from the ground glass. Perfect for framing and rough focus for 5x4.

For fine focus, I've got a jeweler's swing-down loupe that clamps onto the temple of my work glasses. Donegan Optical Co. makes it. It's a 4x magnification, and magnifications add, so when I use it I get about 6x total magnification. I find this an excellent magnification to use for fine focus, and for judging tilts, etc.

So... both hands always free.

I don't expect this will work for everyone. But it's an option that happens to work really well for me.

[Sal Santamaura]

If you need to keep locking and unlocking the focus spindles, then your rail clamps are too loose. You are dealing with a wooden camera, where the rails tend to expand and contract, depending on the temperature and humidity; simply pinch up the screws on the rail clamps to grip the rail more but don't forget that you may have to loosen them again when the weather changes.


I second that...Joanna's input is spot-on accurate. Is there some reason why everyone in this thread except Vlad has ingored it?

See the answer to question 3 in this list:

http://www.ebonycamera.com/articles/FAQ.html

[Ed Richards]

Tried the high mag glasses, but since I need reading glasses to adjust the camera, that meant juggling two pairs.

Bruce,

The jeweler's loupe sounds worth a try. How does it work with extreme movements? I use a Silvestra tilting loupe because I am often trying to focus with an extreme movement, and getting on the optical axis really helps.

[Chris Wong]

I have the same problem as Ed with occasionally needing 3 hands to focus my Ebony. I haven't found a good solution but sometimes I will use my head to hold the loupe so that I can focus and lock. I press my glasses against the loupe and hold it against the ground glass long enough to focus. It is uncomfortable and the loupe usually slips off the glass after a few seconds but it is long enough to get my focus set.

[Joanna Carter]

I have the same problem as Ed with occasionally needing 3 hands to focus my Ebony. I haven't found a good solution but sometimes I will use my head to hold the loupe so that I can focus and lock. I press my glasses against the loupe and hold it against the ground glass long enough to focus. It is uncomfortable and the loupe usually slips off the glass after a few seconds but it is long enough to get my focus set.
Have you tried the same solution that I suggested to Ed; tightening the rails?

[Drew Wiley]

Odd. I've never even thought about it. I use a handheld loupe with string attached,
use both Sinar and Ebony cameras, and don't seem to have any trouble focussing either. But I tend to set my tilt function without looking through the loupe, then refocus looking through the loop, then readjust the tilt as needed. The "yaw free" base tilt of the Sinar and the axis tilt of the Ebony are completely different in this respect. Maybe I'm not doing it the fastest way; but usually I'm dealing with complex
depth of field problem which require a bit of fiddling anyway.

[Bruce Watson]

The jeweler's loupe sounds worth a try. How does it work with extreme movements? I use a Silvestra tilting loupe because I am often trying to focus with an extreme movement, and getting on the optical axis really helps.

I never think about it. I suppose that I tilt my head to line things up, but I don't know. That being the case, I'd have to say that it works well for me. I suspect that it depends on how extreme your extreme actually is, and whether or not you're using a fresnel lens for a ground glass, and if so, how good a fit your fresnel is to the taking lens in question. IOW, the easiest way to find out if it will work for you is to try and see.

I'm talking about a Donegan Eyeglass loupe. (http://www.doneganoptical.com/eyeloupe.php) I use a single 4x magnifier with my 2x glasses. You may want more or less depending on your needs, and they have a nice variety to choose from. I bought mine from Otto Frei (http://www.ofrei.com/page383.html) -- look part way down the page to find the single 4x loupe for $22.00. At that price it's not that much of a gamble maybe.

[Ed Richards]

Tried tightening the rails. The bars with the screws seem to be flush on their supports and the screws are so tight that i am afraid that if I try to tighten them more I will either round the Phillips recess or strip the threads out of the wood. The rails are pretty loose and this is in hot weather with high humidity. Any suggestions? I have a 45SU of ebony wood. Are these screws in wood or metal?

[Leigh]

Regarding focusing loupes and magnifiers of various types:

McMaster-Carr Supply Company at http://www.mcmaster.com
has a selection of them including eyeglass-mounted monocular and binocular types.

Enter loupe in the search box at upper left and click on the Search button to its right. Scroll down to the bottom of the product list.

McM is one of the premier suppliers of industrial tools and products in the country, with a history going back over a century. Excellent folks to deal with.

- Leigh

[Sal Santamaura]

...the screws are so tight that i am afraid that if I try to tighten them more I will either round the Phillips recess or strip the threads out of the wood. The rails are pretty loose and this is in hot weather with high humidity. Any suggestions? I have a 45SU of ebony wood. Are these screws in wood or metal?The screws are in wood.

Both my Ebony cameras are mahogany; given its reputation for extreme hardness, I suspect ebony wood makes the screws more difficult to turn. The FAQ I linked above says "...just tighten the...four phillips screws (two on each side) a few degrees. Everything should then feel a lot more solid." This refers to both the front and rear focus shafts.

I would suggest you use a phillips screwdriver properly matched to those screws and press down firmly while tightening -- per the FAQ -- just a few degrees . That should remedy the looseness while not jeapordizing either the wood or screw heads.

[Leigh]

...i am afraid that if I try to tighten them more I will either round the Phillips recess...
The most common cause of damaged Phillips screw heads is using a driver that's too small.

The correct size for medium-size screws is a #2. This usually looks "too large", since the shaft is larger diameter than the screw head.

A driver that is really too large for the screw will not go into the head at all.

The second most common cause is using a cheap screwdriver that's not made to correct dimensions.

- Leigh

[Ed Richards]

> How much did you pay for this camera that is so difficult to operate?

Every camera is a trade-off. I use extreme wide lenses - 47XL, 72XL, and also a Nikon 300m, which is not a tele because I use a lot of movements with everything. The 45SU is an excellent camera for wides, providing good movements with the bag bellows, and absolute alignment. It also allows me to use the 300 with the regular bellows and leaves a lot of room for movements and close focusing. It is compact, fast to set up, and easy to carry, and allows me to use a lighter tripod than the Sinar I was using. While I could live without the asymmetric movements, they are nice to have when they are appropriate. I spend very little of my camera time focusing, most of the time is spent carrying, setting up, changing lenses, etc. which the Ebony does very well. I periodically look for a camera with a better set of features for what I do, and I cannot find it.

Now that I know that the rails are designed to be tighter, I can sort that out when I get off the road.

[Sal Santamaura]

How much did you pay for this camera that is so difficult to operate?Dan, you know the prices of Ebony cameras. It ain't a Deardorff. It's better.


...Every camera is a trade-off. I use...I periodically look for a camera with a better set of features for what I do, and I cannot find it...Ed, don't expend effort justifying your choice to those (Dan and others) who would bash Ebony. It's not worth it; they'll never transcend their need to denigrate an item that's expensive and not made in the US. My opinion of these products is based on owning two Ebony and three Phillips cameras -- all purchased new -- plus handling Deardorffs.


...Now that I know that the rails are designed to be tighter, I can sort that out when I get off the road.Please let us know how that goes.

[Sirius Glass]

The usual reading glasses +1.75 or +2.0 do not do it for me with ground glass. I use a loupe or +4.75 reading glasses.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

My Ebony provides the finest LF experience. Like any mechanism with ways and gibbs, adjustment is occasionally required.

I use an optivisor instead of a loupe. I can use both eyes, with no one-eye strain from loupe use, and my hands are free to work the knobs.

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/ScX4vH0aiKoYuOGDMQZDeyiayZhWMo4Pc4e_umdhSiFUnJAu1ag4DehHTts7hTFPfWAIeumsRBwFqiKWhEO7Efcl4r5Cdt0E64OvbtUgRh93eI-RzN3U_mvZswl0xO7vd8HZquaUrZLtmQo6fAI7uTb7-K55WX4pNFI6P_NgH508xcHw

[Drew Wiley]

No way I'd want a Dorf instead of an Ebony. Sure there are a couple of minor idiosyncrasies I'd like to improve, but as far as wooden cameras are concerned, Ebony's are as precise as they come. Once or twice a year I check if any parts of the
wood have become raw or dry and add fresh finish. Never had a problem with humidity
changes.

[Ed Richards]

A man who uses is an optivisor in public is clearly secure in his personal image.:-)

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Ed, perhaps you're right, but I don't even think about it. Once I get in the groove of making my image, I wouldn't even notice a naked woman behind me. Too bad, too!

[Michael Alpert]

Ed,

I've used my Ebony 5x7 to make many thousands of photographs without ever finding the focusing awkward. Still, I see your point. The focusing on a modest-weight Arca Swiss camera is more self-locking (A-S makes great cameras); but, writing subjectively from my experience, I think the wooden Ebony is friendlier in the field than either a monorail or a technical camera.

[toyotadesigner]

A Horseman or Arca Swiss reflex viewer should solve the problem. No dark cloth, no hassle, no glasses, just pure fun to use.