Focusing Loupe Suggestions

[Drew Harty]

Hello,

Spent my first two weeks photographying landscapes with an Aptus 65 on a 6x9 Arca Swiss.  I was using a Rodenstock 6x loupe for focusing, which is great for focusing in the center of the image but poor near the edges because of its large size and because it doesn't work when tilted to look back through the axis of the lens.  

Does anyone have a recomendation for a narrower loupe that will work when tilted and that has the same high quality optics: Rodenstock 4x, Schneider 10x, Ziess 5x, or others?  I can't try any of these out to compare them with the Rodentstock 6x short of buying and then returning them.

I will also be switching to the Maxwell optics focuing screens which can tolerate a higher degree of magnification in a loupe.

Thanks,

Drew Harty

[Jae_Moon]

Drew:

I also have A-S 6x9 but with P45 back and Schneider Digitar lenses. I also replaced the original ground glass with Maxwell right away since the original GG introduced a focusing error with H back adapter. I have a similar problem as you describe; able to see the edges of image. My main loupe is Schneider 10x, which works well but a bit too big to see the edges of long side. I overcome the problem by rotating the ground glass so I could see both edges of long and short ends of image. Then I tried a narrower loupe, Wista 5x, but I wasn't happy with its optical quality compare to Schneider 10x. Now, I carry both but use Schneider most of time.

I only see the needs of tilting to align to the lens axix in my Digitar 35mm, but not with anything longer. I have 47, 90 and 210.

I saw Silvestri had angled loupe but haven't tried.

Get your Maxwell as soon as you can, the image quality improves at least a magnitude.

Jae Moon

[Drew Harty]

My main loupe is Schneider 10x, which works well but a bit too big to see the edges of long side. I overcome the problem by rotating the ground glass so I could see both edges of long and short ends of image. Then I tried a narrower loupe, Wista 5x, but I wasn't happy with its optical quality compare to Schneider 10x. Now, I carry both but use Schneider most of time.


Hello Jae,

Thanks for the info.  You don't find the Schnedier 10x to see too much ground glass grain and not enough image detail?  I have heard higher magnification loupes will confuse image with the grain of the ground glass, although I haven't found this to be a problem with my 6x rodenstock on the Maxwell screen.  Does the 10x help image detail to "pop" over a lower magnification loupe?

Is the 10x Schneider very specific about eye movement when focusing?  I have to keep my eye pegged dead center on the Rodenstock 6x to keep the image clear.

Drew

[snickgrr]

I found lower magnifying loupes better for me.  Used an Nikon 8X for awhile but had trouble distingusing the image from the ground glass.  I have been using the Peak 4X for the past 15-20 years and am happy with it.  When the back is tilted or swung heavily you can look through the wrong end of the loupe often to gain enough distance from the glass in order to focus.

http://www.peakoptics.com/product_info.php/products_id/13

[Jae_Moon]

Hello Jae,

Thanks for the info.  You don't find the Schnedier 10x to see too much ground glass grain and not enough image detail?  I have heard higher magnification loupes will confuse image with the grain of the ground glass, although I haven't found this to be a problem with my 6x rodenstock on the Maxwell screen.  Does the 10x help image detail to "pop" over a lower magnification loupe?

Is the 10x Schneider very specific about eye movement when focusing?  I have to keep my eye pegged dead center on the Rodenstock 6x to keep the image clear.

Drew
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Yes, I have to keep my eyes in line, especially with wide angle lenes.

Also, I keep my eye close to loupe to begin the focusing process then move away, up to 3-4", from it while I do the critical focusing, just staying with a small portion of image, thus further magnifying it.

The confusion between image and the Fresnel lines of Maxwell screen only bothers me when I am in low light condition. In most landscape situation, I don't see Fresnel lines with 10X. I believe I need 10x with digital back like P45, with its resolving power if I want to make tack sharp captures.

I have been hearing from many analog LF camera users that they stay around 4x loupe, but it doesn't work for me, maybe with 4x5 ground glass, but not with 36mm x 48mm digital back.

Jae Moon

[d-max]

Hello,

Spent my first two weeks photographying landscapes with an Aptus 65 on a 6x9 Arca Swiss.  I was using a Rodenstock 6x loupe for focusing, which is great for focusing in the center of the image but poor near the edges because of its large size and because it doesn't work when tilted to look back through the axis of the lens. 

Does anyone have a recomendation for a narrower loupe that will work when tilted and that has the same high quality optics: Rodenstock 4x, Schneider 10x, Ziess 5x, or others?  I can't try any of these out to compare them with the Rodentstock 6x short of buying and then returning them.

I will also be switching to the Maxwell optics focuing screens which can tolerate a higher degree of magnification in a loupe.

Thanks,

Drew Harty
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Hi

I use the Silvestri angled loupe on my Arca 6x9. This works well for me at 6x magnification and is worth consideration, the variable angled tilting of the loupe helps greatly on edges when lens shifted.

 Joel