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Thread: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

  1. #1

    Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Hi all,

    I've been looking at the chamonix Prism finder and was trying to find a way to adapt it for my Ebony SV45TE. Does anyone know of a prism that would fit without adapting?

    Thanks all.

    Ronan

  2. #2

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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    No one makes a prism finder for large format. Are you looking for a mirror reflex housing? Make sure it has a front surface mirror.

  3. #3
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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    This is a Grimes made adaptation of a Calumet-type reflex viewer. I used the same type viewer and adapted it myself. Easy to do in a couple of hours.Click image for larger version. 

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    Keith Pitman

  4. #4
    mitch
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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Like Keith i have adapted the same reflex viewer to my Ebony not hard at all

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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Pitman View Post
    This is a Grimes made adaptation of a Calumet-type reflex viewer. I used the same type viewer and adapted it myself. Easy to do in a couple of hours.Click image for larger version. 

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    For those of you using a reflex finder, do you need to unmount it every time for focusing?
    I can’t decide myself to buy one for this reason...

  6. #6

    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    http://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/ac...es/viewfinders

    So is the image still upside down in this finder?

    I think this could be adapted also, What kind of focusing screen is best for them?

    Thanks all

  7. #7

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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    In this type of finder the image is right side up, reversed left to right. It is used for both focus and framing. Practically speaking, it completely eliminates the need for a dark cloth, especially in studio work. I have a couple for my Cambos, and they are great. For most lenses the camera's own fresnel lens works to keep the corners bright, but it does start to fail with very wide lenses, where the corners go dark. One side can start to darken with shifts and rise/fall movements, too.. The finder rotates when you switch from horizontal to vertical; I believe that some of the cheap Chinese copies do not do this.

    I'm not sure, but I think one of mine has a first surface mirror and the other doesn't. It doesn't matter, and I don't have a favorite. Cambo also makes/made a straight-through chimney finder, which is useful when you're using a high camera position and can't get above the finder to look down. The 90 degree finder can be used to the side, but it's very disorienting--everything moves the wrong direction when framing and I think the view is upside down, too.

    They show up on Ebay, but they aren't common. I think it took several months to find mine. But the reflex type does continue to pop up. I believe that the reflex finder is T-20 and the straight one T-10, but the best way to search is Cambo viewing hood. The straight version hardly ever shows up there. The "real" price seems to hang around $120, but there's always someone who'd like to sell theirs to you for $300.

    I first found out about these from the work of Shelby Lee Adams, who uses/used the Linhof version for his Appalachian photos: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/c.../all/all/all/0 (A google image search will turn up a lot of his work in this series.) I think you can see there how because it's a look-down finder it tends to impose a particular camera position about four feet off the ground, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but something to consider. That makes it very handy for studio portraits, which is about all I do.

    The Cambo models fit within the same rebate the ground glass drops into. You set one end under a permanent clip and there's a sliding clip on the other side. The question for another camera is probably whether the hole for the GG is large enough to drop the finder into--making some sort of clips would be the easy part. I imagine the finder dimensions could be slightly cut for a smaller hole. Don't have mine here to check sizes.
    Thanks, but I'd rather just watch:
    Large format: http://flickr.com/michaeldarnton
    Mostly 35mm: http://flickr.com/mdarnton
    You want digital, color, etc?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stradofear

  8. #8
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Ronan2020 View Post
    http://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/ac...es/viewfinders

    So is the image still upside down in this finder?

    I think this could be adapted also, What kind of focusing screen is best for them?

    Thanks all
    I have the Chamonix reflex viewer. The image is right side up but is reversed left to right like a waist level viewfinder. It slides onto the 4 "buttons" that ordinarily hold the protective cover for the ground glass. After you slide it on, there are two slide buttons on the right that locks it onto the camera. The front rotates so you can reorient it when you turn the film holder to portrait mode.

    I'm curious how others have found using it for focus and shooting rather than a regular dark cloth??

  9. #9

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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Alan, they're all much the same. See http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/LFN/ReflexFinders1.html

    I have all three Cambo viewers. T-20 reflex viewing hood (monocular). T-21 in-line viewing hood (monocular). C-288 binocular viewing hood. The C-288 is a reflex viewer.

    I like all three but the T-20 and T-21 aren't that good for focusing because they don't magnify.

    The C-288 is 2x, is better for focusing, but is heavy and can pull the focusing panel out of position. I have to be very careful when using it. It is bulky and not easy to transport. I think it was intended to be used in the studio, not in the field.

  10. #10
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Prism Finder for Ebony Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Alan, they're all much the same. See http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/LFN/ReflexFinders1.html

    I have all three Cambo viewers. T-20 reflex viewing hood (monocular). T-21 in-line viewing hood (monocular). C-288 binocular viewing hood. The C-288 is a reflex viewer.

    I like all three but the T-20 and T-21 aren't that good for focusing because they don't magnify.

    The C-288 is 2x, is better for focusing, but is heavy and can pull the focusing panel out of position. I have to be very careful when using it. It is bulky and not easy to transport. I think it was intended to be used in the studio, not in the field.
    Dan, Thanks for the link. I find the Chamonix finder harder to use with the wide angle lens along the borders. I guess that's because its darker in those areas. Plus the Chamonix comes with a fresnel lens that aggravates lighting on the periphery. The Chamonix reflex is a 3x single eye viewer. The link you provided shows two of their three finders. There another one that folds with a carbon fiber cover not shown. It doesn't magnify. You can see it here at the bottom in case someone wants to update that very good reference sheet.
    http://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/ac...es/viewfinders

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