Focusing aids for Chamonix 4x5 cameras

[Kornscharfsteller]

I am about to buy my first large format camera. It is going to be either the Chamonix C45F-2 or C45H-1 (I am still undecided, I will kindly ask for your help on this topic too in another post).

JOBO, the German Chamonix reseller offers many different focusing aids made by Chamonix. I will for sure get a classic dark cloth (not offered by Chamonix) and I already got the Chamonix-JOBO „artisan“ focusing loupe.
Now my question is which of those other focusing aides should I get? What are the applications, ideal situation, advantages/disadvantage of each of those different things?

1. CV45F Viewfinder 4x5”


2. CV45FC Viewfinder 4x5” - carbon


3. CV45RX Reflex-Viewfinder

[Keith Pitman]

To start out, just use the loupe and darkcloth. You can consider these later when you have some experience with the camera.

[David Schaller]

To start out, just use the loupe and darkcloth. You can consider these later when you have some experience with the camera.

What Keith said. +1 The best focusing aid is practice, practice, practice.

[photobymike]

To start out, just use the loupe and darkcloth. You can consider these later when you have some experience with the camera.

loupe and cloth but mainly a good loupe...I use a Rodenstock 4x I really like. don't use more than a 6x because it is to much ... sometimes I use reading magnifiers glasses from Walmart .... works well with a Graflex with a hood

[Tin Can]

Most 'aids' do not work with my crappy eyes

I found a loupe that works for ME which is now unavailable

I have tried them all

[Alan Klein]

I started 4x5 photography last year and bought a Chamonix 45H-1. I don't like viewing upside down. So I bought the reflex viewfinder. It works better on long lenses, such as my 300mm. It's hard to see the sides of the ground glass with wider angle lenses like my 90mm and 75mm. I use it to set up the shot, sometimes. Then I switch to dark cloth for precise focusing.

Same is true with the #2 viewfinder which I also have. One thing about this, is you can leave it on the camera for protecting the ground glass instead of using the protector that comes with the camera. So it doesn't take up any more room in your bag. But you have to remove to use a dark cloth. You can't use it with a loupe unless the loupe is long enough.

I'd get the camera first as others have said and use a dark cloth. Get familiar with the camera first before deciding how to move forward. You may find a dark cloth is fine.

I'll tell you about the camera on your other thread.

[robphoto]

If you're having trouble seeing the sides of the image with the reflex viewfinder, do you have a fresnel on the ground glass? I use one of the plastic fresnels which are sold on Amazon, etc. as reading magnifiers, that I cut with a knife to fit over the ground glass. It helps a lot in seeing the whole image at once. You can buy fresnels made specifically for camera use, with better attachments rather than some tape.

[Kornscharfsteller]

One thing about this, is you can leave it on the camera for protecting the ground glass instead of using the protector that comes with the camera. So it doesn't take up any more room in your bag.

When I look at the picture of viewfinder #2, I can see a metal spring that seems to touch the ground glas when collapsed. This may not be a problem at first, but I will hike and backpack a lot with that camera and I may pack tightly. When I do this frequently over a longer period of time I fear that the metal spring will hurt the ground glass. What do you think?

[grat]

When I look at the picture of viewfinder #2, I can see a metal spring that seems to touch the ground glas when collapsed. This may not be a problem at first, but I will hike and backpack a lot with that camera and I may pack tightly. When I do this frequently over a longer period of time I fear that the metal spring will hurt the ground glass. What do you think?

The spring doesn't rub against the glass. It's attached to the "outside" of the cover, rather than the inside.

Further, on the Chamonix, that's a protective piece of glass, rather than the actual ground glass.

[Kornscharfsteller]

The spring doesn't rub against the glass. It's attached to the "outside" of the cover, rather than the inside.

It clearly looks like the spring is on the inside in the above picture. Did they assemble it wrong or maybe they changed it and you use a different version?