First Tripod, Loupe, Darkcloth, Meter

[v.kapoor]

All this info is amazing. I'll keep you guys posted as I put together my collection!
Thank you.

[Alan Gales]

All this info is amazing. I'll keep you guys posted as I put together my collection!
Thank you.

That would be great. It's fun to hear what the new person ends up buying and why they picked what they did.

[v.kapoor]

Hey all,

Thinking about picking up up a (Leitz) Tiltall for $40.
Would this be sufficient for the Master Classic since it lacks long-bellow movements anyhow?

[Bob Salomon]

Hey all,

Thinking about picking up up a (Leitz) Tiltall for $40.
Would this be sufficient for the Master Classic since it lacks long-bellow movements anyhow?

Not really, it is basically designed for 35 through, maybe, 6x9.

What do you mean by lacks long bellows movements? You have basically the same movements until the bellows and bed are totally extended and even then, you still have some movements.

[Drew Bedo]

I used a TiltAll (Star) with a Speed Graphic at the Grand Canyon . . .it was OK for that.

For $40 it would be worth trying out.

[Bob Salomon]

I used a TiltAll (Star) with a Speed Graphic at the Grand Canyon . . .it was OK for that.

For $40 it would be worth trying out.

A speed is considerably lighter then a MT and has much less bellows and movements.

[Salmo22]

A proper focusing loupe is, for the vast majority of shooters, 4, 5 or 6x with a focusing eyepiece so you can set it to focus directly on the grain side of the ground glass and has an opaque skirt to block all extraneous light. These were made by several companies, including Rodenstock, Schneider, Wista, Peak, Nikon, etc.. if you wear glasses you want one with long eye relief and a rubber cup around the eyepiece so you don't scratch your glasses.

Since you bought the MT Classic there is also a Linhof accessory that will eliminate both the dark cloth and a loupe. That is the Linhof Focus Metering Bellows.
It attaches to the back in place of the Folding Focusing Hood that comes on your camera. It is a bag bellows that folds flat and has a built in eyepiece that has two loupes in it. A fixed 2x one and a screw in 2x one. When used together you have a 4x loupe that will let you concentrate on any area of the gg that is about the diameter of a US quarter. When you unscrew one and use it as a 2x loupe it lets you see the entire gg at 2x magnification. In addition, if you have a Gossen meter with the microscope adapter the adapter will fit into the rubber eyepiece and with the 2x only eyepiece you can then meter the entire gg, any portion of the gg or a spot on the gg about the size of a quarter.

Additionally, like your Folding Focusing Hood the Focus Metering Bellows is hinged directly to the back and, if desired, it can swing away from the camera to give you access to the gg or Fresnel for, for instance, cleaning, or marking spots on the gg.

In any case, you should be sure that you have the Fresnel screen installed. There is a small rectangular silver bar attached to the middle screw of the ground glass hold down bar. Simply swing these two bars aside, drop the Fresnel screen on top of the gg with the grooved side facing the ground glass and swing the bars back so they hold the Fresnel in place.

Bob:

In an effort to avoid the traditional dark cloth/loupe arrangement, I was considering acquiring a Right Angle Reflex Attachment 45 for my MT2000. Then I read your comments about the 45 Focus/Metering Bellows. Since my prior history with 4x5 (30+ years ago) did not include these options, I'd appreciate comments about the pros/cons for both these Linhof accessories.

Thanks;

Jeff

[Bill_1856]

Hey all,

Thinking about picking up up a (Leitz) Tiltall for $40.
Would this be sufficient for the Master Classic since it lacks long-bellow movements anyhow?

It would be perfect. (Pay no attention to Bob S. negative answer -- he's wrong.)

[Bob Salomon]

Bob:

In an effort to avoid the traditional dark cloth/loupe arrangement, I was considering acquiring a Right Angle Reflex Attachment 45 for my MT2000. Then I read your comments about the 45 Focus/Metering Bellows. Since my prior history with 4x5 (30+ years ago) did not include these options, I'd appreciate comments about the pros/cons for both these Linhof accessories.

Thanks;

Jeff

Since the Reflex Viewer is only 2x and lets you see the entire gg at once it really isn't the best for focusing. For that reason the right angle part detaches leaving the base as a Hood where you can stick a loupe into for focusing precisely.
The Metering Bellows has a 4 x loupe, convertible to 2x so it is designed for both critical focusing and viewing. In addition it is. Flexible cloth that folds flat unlike the right angle Viewer which is. Plastic and doesn't travel as easy.
And for 40.00 you should stay away from the Tiltall and if you go to the Tiltall site you can read about my extensivehistory of Tiltall. It is not designed for a Technika and besides its leg limitations the head is a massive problem. It is controlled by almost identical knobs, the column has no dampening and if you loosen the wrong knob inadvertent with a Technika on it you can really hurt something.

[Jim Jones]

A Tiltall, like any camera mounted on it, isn't foolproof. A rubber bushing on the column between the head and legs absorbs some of the shock of accidently loosening the column clamp.