Shooting with 2 Wista 45DX field cameras (4 and 6 years old, new when purchase, original Wista fresnel screens)
Primary lens: Nikkor-W 135 mm f/5.6
Secondary lens: Nikkor-W 105 mm f/5/6
Loupe: Wista 5x standard loupe

I have been shooting with a pair of Wista 45DX cameras for about 6 years, and I’ve had a problem with focus fairly consistently throughout this time. I have been loosing more negatives than I should to bad focus. Typically the focus fall just in front of where I intended to put it. I primarily shoot portraits and end up with the person’s garment in focus instead of the eyes, for example. I tend to shoot at a distance of 3-10 feet from my subject. My solution has been to stop down as far as the lighting situation will permit (f/11-ish), throw a little fill strobe and hope for the best. I use a loupe and a proper dark cloth. Admittedly this method works, but not as well as I’d like.

Over the years I’ve had my eyes checked regularly and I wear appropriate glasses, yet the problem remains fairly constant. I have astigmatism in both eyes, and I wonder if this contributes to my problem focusing. I am only 33 and my eyes are not that bad, however.

I’m wondering if any of you have dealt with a similar problem, or if you have any suggestions to improve my focusing issue. I’m wondering if this is a problem with my cameras/lens/loupe, or my ability to focus. Would it be helpful to have a bright screen installed on my camera? Would a right-side up viewer be of any help (I am one of those photographers who has to turn her head upside down to compose the photograph)? Any thoughts would be much appreciated.