What Scouting/Planning Apps Are You Using in 2021?

[Drew Bedo]

And back in the real world - when I’m hiking in the Arctic in -30 degree weather, I prefer carrying a limited amount of equipment and getting an idea of what the scene will look like on my phone instead.

Well I do get your point. Under those conditions you want to keep everything packed up unless the image is worth the effort.

At my age (71) I now only go out to shoot in good weather. I grew up in Michigan (before Global Warming) and have been skiing, once in (only) twenty below zero. We now live on the Sunny South Coast in Houston.

If that creative process works for you, do what you need to do to "git 'er done!" in the words of Larry-The-Cable-Guy.

BTW: you might want to read the short story "To Build A Fire" by Jack London.

[Alan Klein]

I have this Zone VI viewing filter that I bought originally for my 6x7 Mamiya medium format. It kind of let's you see the scene in BW and the viewing shape matches the 6x7 format although this one is for 4x5. I have to check, but I think it's really the same one. The neck lanyard is handy. Depending how far you place it from your eye, that's how to determine which lens you'll need.

[r.e.]

I find these apps very helpful...

Artist's Viewfinder, Mark II

For iOS, US$30/€33

As the first photo below shows, this is a digital Director's Viewfinder. Fairly new to the app, I have it on my iPhone and find it invaluable for scouting. If I like a particular view with a particular focal length, I can capture it from the app for later planning. It sure is a step up from a wire or cardboard frame and a piece of string. It looks like this app has been around for several years, and it's actively developed. No instructional videos on YouTube, but there's a thorough 75 page manual. For me, the performance easily justifies the price.

Artist's Viewfinder Screen with User Specified Frame Lines

Attachment 218396

There's an example of the practical use of Artist's Viewfinder, with photos taken with the app, in the following thread (the link goes to the relevant post): Alternative Center Filters for Rodenstock 75/4.5 Grandagon-N

As the post explains, the app played a significant role in my decision to purchase a 75mm lens. I think that the app is going to be invaluable for planning, and a timesaver, as the project discussed in the thread proceeds.

I'll also be using Photo Pills (posts #1 and #13) to get sunpath information, which is presented visually, to plan shooting days and times.

[pozzello]

Thanks for everyone’s help. I ordered an alloclip ultra wide on eBay and it can cover most of my lenses except for the 35/45mm apo grandagons.

Paul

[pozzello]

I spent the afternoon playing around with Mark II viewfinder and the alloclip and I'm very impressed. All my 617 lenses are covered, even the 72XL, and I'm amazed at how accurate it is compared to the ground glass viewfinder- basically identical. The 35mm APO grandagon is too wide for the app using a 612 back, but the 45mm is mostly covered except for edges - and good enough. I wish it had a way of simulating my Noblex 150 - so I'll keep using my iPhone in panorama mode and crop to get a general idea.

Love it.

[esearing]

My last weekends outing I walked around a tree taking Iphone 7 shots then edited them to B&W and cropping to 4x5 or square. It did help with overall visualization since I have been a bit out of practice for a few months. With a 5x12 preview I just had to crop more in edit mode. One thing to be careful of is that everything is in focus on the phone where as a real lens has limitations depending on fStop and focal point.

[tykos]

Has any one here read an account of how Ansel Adams shot "Moon Rise Over Hernandez NM"?

if someone has got experience to eye-ball a composition at first sight plus the time and money needed to roam around every day finding scenes, well that's good for him.
For all the other people i don't think it's a shame to use various aids.
I mean, AA was not using a lightmeter for a good part of his career but we are here today polishing our shiny spot-meters and babbling about the zone system or some variations of it.
Where do we draw the line between the modern witchcrafts and the ancient old good technology?

[r.e.]

I'm finding the Artist's Viewfinder helpful when using a 4x5 camera to make a smaller photograph such as 6x12. See this thread, especially post #16: Masking a Ground Glass for Cinema Aspect Ratios

[artcorr]

Alpa eFinder II (I think this is a rebranded Artist's Viewfinder?) for framing.

Lightmate for metering, surprisingly accurate.

Sunsurveyor for light tracking.

Snapseed for previewing b&w filters.

Dev It for dev times etc.