Hi!

Can anyone give me some pointers about how to correctly setup and use the sport (loop) finder on a pacemaker? I see that there are two parallax adjustments, one on the big loop in the front, and another one on the small rear one. Even when I set these correctly, the image from the finder does not cover as much as it should based on what I can see on the ground glass. Is there something I'm not lining up correctly, or am I just using it wrong?

Thanks!

--Tim

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: pierson2001 on 2004-09-13 09:11 ]</font>

Tim, don't expect these finders to be critically accurate. My experience with these finders corresponds to that you have already observed looking at the GG. That's the best you can do to get them to match. Assuming you've raised the wire finder to the right height for the distance, and have the right mask for that lens in the optical finder [and adjusted the distance on the optical finder for the SR model], make careful notes to yourself for future reference. I've found the image produced is usually greater that that shown in the finder. I suspect they did that to accomodate loss to the negative holder in the enlarger.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2004-09-13 09:26 ]</font>

Gotcha - I figured that I would be able to find a way to compensate in my head, but was hoping it was just something dumb that I was doing that could be fixed in a more accurate way...

I'm really hoping to try some hand-held stuff with my graphic - I originally used it just as a view camera, but since I recently purchased a monorail for that purpose, I was hoping to get up to speed on using my speed graphic as a point & shoot

Anyone have any tips / stories about using it for that kind of stuff?

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Anyone have any tips / stories about using it for that kind of stuff?

Take a step back to make sure everything you want is in the frame and don't be afraid to crop later on. I find this works pretty decent when dealing with the fudgyness of the loop.

yeah - that makes sense - one of the joys of LF is being able to crop pretty liberally, right?

With the Century 2x3 there is no parallax correction in the sports finder. The recorded image is definitely wider than the viewed image through the loop when shooting 6x7. Probably 6x9 would coincide more closely. Sounds like your Pacer is about the same.

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On 2004-09-13 11:07, pierson2001 wrote: yeah - that makes sense - one of the joys of LF is being able to crop pretty liberally, right?

I like to say I have a film format zoom lens.

The term "sports finder" is the right one. What people prized about "Speed Graphics" as press cameras -- handheld, used on the run in fast-changing situations -- was that you could get so much in, then crop the picture to include only what you wanted. We used to say that the 135mm. lens often fitted to these cameras produced an image with the magnification of the (then) usual 135mm. telephoto lens on a miniature camera, but with almost the coverage of the miniature's common 35mm. wide-angle lens.

The frame finder also is great for seeing a picture coming toward you from a direction other than the one in which you happen to be pointing the camera.

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On 2004-09-13 11:31, Henry wrote: With the Century 2x3 there is no parallax correction in the sports finder. ...

Are you sure, Henry? Although I no longer have it, I could have sworn mine had it. Look on the left side of the finder when pulling it up. After it gets to infinity, it should go farther [pull on the lower bar].

Were there different models of sports finders on the Centurys? Mine was gray with red bellows.

Well, it's true that the frame finder pulls up in two stages on my Century, but I don't think that constitutes a parallax correction. I quote from the Century instruction manual, p. 5:

"OPEN FRAME FINDER

"Useful when following fast action. Pull the open frame finder up as far as it will go and swing the rear peepsight to the vertical position (see illustration Page 1 [which shows the frame fully extended]). Hold the eye as close as possible to the peepsight and frame the subject matter through it and the front frame. For more accurate composition, use the accessory optical viewfinder with its various masks for different focal length lenses."

That's all it says. Nothing about parallax.

Incidentally, I find the optical finder useless for hand-held work with the roll holder attached, because not only do you have to scrunch up your face to see through it, but by the time you click the shutter chances are the camera has moved out of position. Maybe on tripod the optical works better, but then the obvious choice to me is the groundglass. But I've used the fully-extended sports finder hand-held on a number of occasions at various distances, from close up (less than eight feet) on out to forever, with good results.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2004-09-13 19:58 ]</font>

My Century Special (Graflar, Grey inserts, black bellows) does not have parallax correction, but all of my 23 Crown and Speeds do.

The oracle speaketh vast wisdom from which there can be no dissent!

Makes sense, as the Century was down-market.
Top

Hey, that's me, I'm a down-market kinda guy, just ask the OW.

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On 2004-09-13 20:40, alecj wrote: The oracle speaketh vast wisdom from which there can be no dissent!

<grin>

Yeah? Tell that to my wife! or better yet my dog!