LF Loupe vs regular 35mm lens

[mpaniagua18]

Hello.

I've been doing 4x5 with both a Tachihara and a Calumet CC400 on the last 2 years and often used whatever 35mm format lens I've at hand, normally either an Industar 21 (compact) or an Olympus Zuiko lens (also compact). These lens has worked ok for me since they got a good aperture. Normally focus on the gridlines and then I know how much out ouf focus the image is.

Have seen many large format loupes that normally range abou $90-$100 dlls.

To be honest, never bothered getting one since the lens do a good job, except for the Caltar 65mm F/8 which give a dim image on the focusing screen. Was wondering how much of a benefit the loupe will bring on this kind of dim images. Was looking at a 90mm f/8 that I would like to get so more f/8 lens are on the horizon and wondering if it may worth getting a loupe.


Thanks for the advice.

[Doremus Scudder]

Your 35mm lens should work just fine; it's just that it's bulky and harder to get exact focus with.

Many like loupes with a skirt and adjustable focus so you can focus once carefully on the frosted side of the ground glass (where the image is formed and where you should focus), set it and forget it. Then you simply set the loupe down on the ground glass and are assured of proper focus and good viewing. The opaque skirt helps keep stray light from degrading the image. This, together with a good dark cloth, should make viewing images from shorter lenses and lenses with smaller maximum apertures comfortable.

You can get cheaper 6x-10x loupes that will work for LF viewing as well. Many loupes originally intended for viewing negatives on a light table or viewing 35mm slides are out there for next to nothing. Many of these have adjustable focus and a transparent skirt that can easily be taped to make it opaque.

Then there are those like me, who prefer to have a "floating" loupe, i.e., without a skirt resting on the ground glass. I have an assortment of hand-held 6x-8x magnifying loupes originally intended for stamp collectors, etc. They work fine, but you have to move them and your head back and forth to find the focus each time you use them. The upside is that you can easily change the viewing angle to correspond to the angle of light coming from the lens (really helpful with shorter lenses) and easily see into the corners of the image.

Bottom line: there are lots of options from cheaper to expensive to the 35mm lens you are already using. Your preference and convenience are the deciding factors.

Best,

Doremus

[mpaniagua18]

So personal preference and some comfort. Thanks for the advice Doremus, appreciated.

[Drew Wiley]

One good loupe would seem a lot more practical, and easier to view through. I personally prefer the Peak 7X one, which is also sold rebranded under Nikon and Horseman labels, and is mid-priced as well as reasonably petite.

[archphotofisher]

It was always a bear looking at the 65mm on the ground glass especially the edges, even with the finest loops made, But with polaroid film, my favorite type 52 always saved the shot.

[Ulophot]

My approach to edges and corners with my skirted loupe is to reverse it and finger thicknesses to stabilize the distance the he ground glass.

[Bernice Loui]

No fresnel lens with the ground glass, using a loupe with the ability to be angled/tilted towards the center of the image often helps to view the ground glass image. Good dark cloth or similar is mandatory.


Bernice

It was always a bear looking at the 65mm on the ground glass especially the edges, even with the finest loops made, But with polaroid film, my favorite type 52 always saved the shot.

[Mick Fagan]

There are many ways to view the ground glass and I have used many things to view ground glass including camera lenses. One of the better units I have and have been using for at least the last 15 years is the Peak 4x square loupe; made in Japan. Comes with interchangeable clear and opaque lower skirts.

Relatively inexpensive and works very well as one can slide the flat sides alongside the glass frame.

It works very well for my Fujinon 90 f/8 lens and can attest that it makes using my Fujinon 65mm f/5.6 a dream to focus.

https://i1.wp.com/baypressservices.c...0%2C1000&ssl=1

[nitroplait]

I have been happy using a reversed Schneider 75mm 3 element enlarging lens that was just lying unused. I added a transparent skirt from a cheap dollar shop loupe (just taped them together).

The enlarging lens is tiny compared to a 35mm lens yet very good optical quality.

The skirt is not the exact distance to the focal plane but prevents me from scratching the fresnel and allows for changing angles - it also conveniently has holes for a neck string.

I taped up the skirt with black masking tape to make it opaque, but removed it as I use the "loupe" for other things as well.

[Tin Can]

Yes I have used ANY lens that works for me

Including 35mm backwards

Chimney Peep from MF cameras

and love my $70 out of production. adjustable focus Edmund Optics Made in USA loupe

eBay has very cheap options for real world users