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Thread: Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

  1. #1
    Laurent L's Avatar
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    Smile Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

    Hi again,

    When I received my Pacemaker I was so excited that I asked you about flashes instead of taking in consideration something much more important ; focusing !

    A few months ago I decided to get back to the fondamentals and to use a focusing clothes and a magnifier for my large format cameras instead of the reflex backs.

    However, the magnifier I will receive will be too short for the Pacemaker and I really want to use this americain beauty with its hood (this is a nice snappy device protecting the ground glass and belonging to the image of this camera).

    Working without the hood never did any good


    Therefore I would ask to all the hood enthousiasts which device do they use to focus on the groundglass while they're using their graflex

    - From times to time there are some long toyo magnifiers available on Ebay but are they long enough ?
    - Which device did the photographers use to focus on the ground glass of their graflex in the 50's ?
    - Would a 4x magnifier be enough for a Graflex 4x5 ?


    Thanks for your answers.

    Laurent
    Large format photography is not only about size.

  2. #2

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    Re: Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Laurent L View Post
    - From times to time there are some long toyo magnifiers available on Ebay but are they long enough ?
    - Which device did the photographers use to focus on the ground glass of their graflex in the 50's ?
    - Would a 4x magnifier be enough for a Graflex 4x5 ?
    4x is ideal. More powerful causes you to see more of the grain of the GG and the lines of the fresnel than anything useful. If your Graphic has a fresnel in it and it is clean, then you might find just using a dark cloth as good as using a loupe. I find it easier to remove the Grafi's hood and use loupe/cloth intead of trying to get the loupe inside the Graphic's existing hood.

  3. #3

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    Re: Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

    Good morning Laurent!
    One option would be to use a cheap pair of low powered magnifying glasses discount stores sell. Or one of those folding magnifiers which give you the case to hold on to.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  4. #4

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    Re: Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

    Great to hear. I have a Crown Graphic too, and am very interested in what works best. I've been using an enlarger lens as a loupe - and found that I needed to be pretty close to it. Too close with the hood open.

  5. #5
    Laurent L's Avatar
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    Re: Which magnifier should I use with my Graflex Pacemaker ?

    Thanks for these answers, but the standard magnifying glass won't reach 4x, I really have to look for a long magnifier like Horseman used to make, wish I could find it... Meanwhile I will use the 135 and the rangefinder which is quite accurate.
    Large format photography is not only about size.

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