Using Linhof 12x loupe with Arca Swiss 69 ground glass?

[epines]

Is anyone using this combination? I know the 12x loupe works well with the latest Linhof ground glass, but before getting one I'd like to make sure I won't just predominantly be seeing the grain of the Arca Swiss gg. Not sure if the Arca Swiss is as fine-grained as the Linhof. It may well be. I have no way to compare.

As you'd expect, I'll be using the loupe for gg focusing before mounting my MFDB on to the Arca Swiss 69. 

thanks
ethan

 

[gazwas]

I used a Silvestri 12x loupe with my Arca ML2 and it was completely fine. The grain structure of the GG was never an issue and worked very well for accurate focus.

[epines]

gazwas: Great -- that's the one I mean. Much appreciated.

[torger]

Gazwas, did the loupe look like this?

http://www.linhofstudio.com/catalogue/dbimages/Linhof_Studio_Critical_Focus_Loupe_a1815.jpg

Just to make sure it's the 12x. It's not really a "general purpose loupe", it's an Linhof Studio exclusive loupe made especially for Linhof's new bright screen.

The focusing distance (at least of the latest batch) is purpose-made for the Linhof new bright ground glass. You can still lengthen the loupe, ie handle thinner stacks than the bright ground glass, but not thicker. This means that you cannot use the loupe on a ground glass + fresnel combination (the bright glass has the fresnel integrated).

Just make sure that Arca glass/fresnel stack height won't be a problem. I'd guess that you would have to focus without the fresnel on it, but that maybe is okay for you. When I had a separate fresnel I always had it in and had a loupe that could focus on the grain with the fresnel in.

[epines]

I don't have a fresnel on my AS ground glass, but I have no idea if my ground glass is thicker or thinner than the latest Linhof ground glass.

Gazwas -- please let us know if that was the loupe you were using. Thank you.

ethan

[gazwas]

I managed to find my loupe and I was mistaken, it was the 10x I was using sorry (same one in the above link). Great loupe all the same on the Arca GG.

[torger]

Loupe magnification is a bit loosely defined, meaning that the magnification factor is not always comparable, and not always within a brand either as in this case. The 12x has considerably stronger magnification than the 10x, not just 1.2 times.

The Silvestri 10x has got varying reviews, I have one and thinks it's okay (but 8x or so would perhaps be truer magnification), but I also know people that hate the 10x and love the 12x, so it's definitely an entirely different loupe.

The new Linhof bright screen does not have finer grain than the older standard ground glass, and I would be surprised if Arca-Swiss had coarser ground glass than Linhof's standard. So if the loupe just can focus on the grain it will be okay. I'd suggest to send a mail to Paula at Linhof Studio and ask if it will work, other customers may have tried it already.

[epines]

Thanks, torger. I'm already in touch with Paula. I'll ask her about the focusing issue / gg thickness.

e

[gazwas]

The Silvestri 10x has got varying reviews, I have one and thinks it's okay (but 8x or so would perhaps be truer magnification), but I also know people that hate the 10x and love the 12x, so it's definitely an entirely different loupe.

I first started with a 4x loupe but this didn't offer enough magnification with wide lenses so I went to the 10x from Silvestri.

I have no idea what the reviews say (people review loupes??) but having used the Silvestri 10x for two years with an Arca Swiss M-Line 2 MF and "N' ground glass for the sole purpose of achieving sharp focus it was great and I never had any issues.

[torger]

I have no idea what the reviews say (people review loupes??) but having used the Silvestri 10x for two years with an Arca Swiss M-Line 2 MF and "N' ground glass for the sole purpose of achieving sharp focus it was great and I never had any issues.

"Reviews" maybe was a bit exaggerated but user comments and comparisons can be found in this and GetDPI forums, I also talk about loupes in my Linhof Techno review. A good loupe with high magnification is important for us digital view camera users to make sure we focus accurately.

[tjv]

For what it's worth, I found the Silvestri 10x loupe absolutely horrible in terms of distortion and being very picky on viewing angle; the older Schneider 8x loupe better, but the new 12x Linhof Studio loupe very, very good. I'm using a Techno, but with the Silvestri GG and integrated fresnel.