hey all
was just thanking about the differents in the longe & short top-mounted optical tube viewfinder!! like the short one more for Wide Angle or jsut short for use on the Century?!?
Now why this come about is I have a XLSW and I don't have a sport finder
that was made for it OR I can't pay for the Leica bright line finder for 21mm lens like they use on the Brooks Veriwide!!
then I was look at the mask that I have & some don't have a number on them so I can't use the chart at{{ http://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/viewfinder-masks.html }}to see what lens they mite work with
so is there a chart that gives the size of the hole to mach it to a number??

banjo

The size of the hole matches a range of focal lengths and formats.

The info is on the late RH instruction sheets. If it isn't in the FAQ, its somewhere on www.southbristolviews.com

The short finder is for the 2x3 Crown and Century. With no mask it sees what a 4" lens sees, plus a bit.

There is a supplementary lens that attaches to the TVF like a mask and that (choose one) reduces its focal length or expands the field of view. On 4x5, it lets the TVF see roughly what a 90 mm lens will see, on 2x3 roughly what a 65 mm lens will see. In 24x36 speak, 28 mm. If you want a wider VF you'll have to get a supplementary finder made for, probably, a 35 mm camera.

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/graflex_13.html
last page has the mask chart but not the mask dimensions.

Dan Fromm wrote:

The short finder is for the 2x3 Crown and Century. With no mask it sees what a 4" lens sees, plus a bit.

You can use the long finder on the 2x3 boxes; this is especially useful when you have a roll film back mounted, as it is most difficult to scrunch your eye socket up to the short finder because of the rear projection of the back. Having said this, a disclaimer: I have only used the short finder on my Century, as I don't own a long finder and don't intend to acquire one. "Why?", you may ask. Simply this: the optical finder gives a *very* approximate view of the scene, so much so as to be nearly worthless IMO. I rate the "wire" frame finder (A/K/A "sports finder") much more accurate, thus more useful, for handheld shooting. YRMV!