Anyone ever made a focusing hood?

[Noah B]

I've been curious about focusing hoods for view cameras, like on the old crown graphics. Anyone ever rigged up one of these from found materials?

[Jon Shiu]

Some people attach the bag bellows on the back of Sinar to view.

Jon

[LaurentB]

I've been curious about focusing hoods for view cameras, like on the old crown graphics. Anyone ever rigged up one of these from found materials?

The French forum has this article, I promised myself I'd build this hood sometime... http://www.galerie-photo.com/constru...mbre-arca.html

[EdSawyer]

They are nice hoods, but more complex than they might appear. Finding one from a Graphic and adapting it to whatever back you are using is probably easiest. Or, get the whole ground glass panel and hood from a Graphic and use it on your graflok back... ?

[Neal Chaves]

I made a focusing hood for my Toyo 8X10 with wet suit neoprene glued to an aircraft plywood frame. When I had Linhof, I had a dive shop duplicate the bad material in a Linhof monocular viewer from thin neoprene. Cost only a few dollars and was much better than the original. There is a post about that Toyo viewer on this site somewhere.

[jp]

Since I mostly use a speed graphic, I like built in hoods and it saves me from using a darkcloth 90% of the time. I would probably not use a LF camera much if it always required a darkcloth! When I actually need a darkcloth (such as small apertures or sun in the wrong place) I just use my jacket or take my shirt off and use that.

If your camera has a graflex compatible back you could probably use a graflex metal hood/groundglass.

If not, Hoodman makes new folding sunshades for LCD monitors (such as would be used on video cameras / dslr video in the field) Get the right size and velcro it to your camera back.

If you want to DIY, I'd be tempted to build a "chimney" like used on the graflex RB SLRs, but use it horizontally. They'd fold up into about the size of a film holders.

[Tin Can]

I like the French design.

I will, one day make a 5X7 and 8X10 as 2X3 and 4X5 as easily found. I think we need front surface mirrors...Edmonds would be a great source.

Thanks!

The French forum has this article, I promised myself I'd build this hood sometime... http://www.galerie-photo.com/constru...mbre-arca.html

[Brian Ellis]

I made one out of a shoe box and electrical tape. It was simple to do and worked fine but I didn't like using it or any other viewing hood (I also used one sold by Robert White on an Ebony camera). Those things made me feel like I was using a viewfinder on a 35mm camera rather than a LF camera.

[Nathan Smith]

I've been thinking about this too so after reading your post I looked around on the web.
I didn't find what I was looking for but these are interesting:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum147/...prototype.html
http://www.graflex.org/articles/view-hood/
http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/LFN/ReflexFinders1.html

[nonuniform]

Speaking of focusing hood, my Technika V is missing the hood. I've seen a few cheap knockoffs on eBay, but wondering if anyone else has tried one?