F/9.0 lenses, what's your tips/trick for better viewing?

[Bernice Loui]

f9 full aperture lenses are much a non-issue to use or focus on the ground glass of a view camera as they tend to be longer than normal focal lenght lenses which tends to concentrate the light used to form the image.

Opposite happens with wide angle view camera lenses where the light collected to form the image is spread across the ground glass and film.


Bernice

[Tin Can]

I need a new Fenix

The first I loved, but I washed it to oblivion. FENIX LD15R USB RECHARGEABLE RIGHT ANGLE FLASHLIG. Washed maybe 10 times

My second, a FENIX 25 perfect, but is it the battery or lamp. I need it today

I use it all day long as my vision is dim

and the magnetic base is very handy in studio

All my Doctors want one, one even wrote it down!

https://www.fenixlighting.com/produc...-v2-flashlight

One of these can help even in daylight. A lot of power and you can often see reflected light from what you are trying to focus on even in sunlit scenes.

[Vaughn]

I prefer the cleaner look without the fresnel lens.

But then I also like trimmed corners on the GG. The aerial image is easier for me to see/compose what is in the corner than GG. From under the darkcloth I like being able to quickly check for any vignetting possibilities there might be, and at what f/stop they 'disappear'. I often work in places where I cannot physically get around to the front of the camera (I should take a small mirror of setting aperture and shutter speed.)

There's no accounting for taste...

[Robert Opheim]

Also, a really good loupe, I like blackened sided loupes - easier to see lower light. I lastly broke down and bought a Horsman loupe. I have stepped up slowly from a linen tester to a Toyo loupe and now a Horseman loupe. I use the same process as Vaughn does #13. I know a photographer who uses small flashlights - and puts them in the scene that he is shooting to make sure that the depth of field is covered in the image that he wants. I haven't tried this yet.

[Drew Wiley]

I've never had a problem focussing any f/9 lens outdoors, or even an f/12. The right kind of grind on the ground glass itself helps (not excessively fine); but a supplementary fresnel is counterproductive in my opinion. One extremely simple trick besides and effective darkcloth is wearing dark glasses until you are under the cloth, so your eyes will already be better accommodated to the dim light. I really dim situations you can hypothetically use a little flashlight or laser pointer and carry a bit of reflective aluminum foil to temporarily put it the scene. I've done that for cave and tunnels shots, and even there gotten along fine with f/9 lenses.

[Alan9940]

Laser pointer? Really? But the "dot" is so small. That helps out? Are you focusing on the quality of the dot or does it illuminate what you are focusing?

Yep, the dot is small but I don't use it on things far away from the camera. And, yes, I focus on the quality of the dot. It's not that hard to see clearly with a loupe. Think of it like focusing on grain when doing enlargements in the darkroom.

[c.d.ewen]

Ach! Are there nae Scotsmen here?

Take the cheapest flashlight you can find and drop it where you want to focus.

If you need some tilt for your focus, stretch a string of Christmas lights.

Charley
(pronounced, in this instance, "Chair-lay")

[ericantonio]

Yep, the dot is small but I don't use it on things far away from the camera. And, yes, I focus on the quality of the dot. It's not that hard to see clearly with a loupe. Think of it like focusing on grain when doing enlargements in the darkroom.

Ahhh, that's what I was thinking. Like a darkroom mag.

[ericantonio]

Ach! Are there nae Scotsmen here?

Take the cheapest flashlight you can find and drop it where you want to focus.

If you need some tilt for your focus, stretch a string of Christmas lights.

Charley
(pronounced, in this instance, "Chair-lay")

I just happened to be watching Spectre on Amazon Prime. I can't wait until they go to that iconic scene. You know that road and the house where they have the shootout.

[Kevin Crisp]

I'm with Drew and Bernice. I've never given it a second thought and just use them. All my cameras have some form of Fresnel. On the 4X10 it is just a thin lightweight plastic flexible reading magnifier. Still no problem to focus.