From: Sandy King (sanking@clemson.edu)
Date: 12/19/02-02:47:10 PM Z
I suppose one could do what you suggest but I try to construct these
viewfinders to give me the most accurate view possible and have made
one for every format that I use. The viewfinder for my 5X7 camera is
full-size but for formats larger than that I make them half-size.
I make my finders from 1/8" plywood and they tend to hold up quite
well. About the cord, a good way to attach it to the frame is with a
dab of fast drying epoxy. I mark the focal length of the lens by
tying a knot at this point on the cord. Obviously if you have several
different lenses you will need to start tying the knots at the point
that corresponds to the shorter focal length, then proceed on with
each longer lens.
The view through such a finder is most accurate in matching the image
on the ground glass with normal angle long-focus lenses. With wide
angle lenses the view can also be accurate but correct positioning of
the frame with respect to camera position, and how you look through
the frame with your eye, is quite critical.
Sandy King
> > You can make the frame smaller, say 4X5 and use it for
>> 8X10 by
>> marking the cord for .5X the real distance of the
>focal
>> length, i.e.
>> at 6" for a 12" lens. This will give you the same view
>> as if using
>> the full size frame with the marking at 12".
>
>That's pretty neat.
>
>I bet you could figure your "arm length" and size a few
>frames to correspond to different negative sizes and
>focal lengths if you carry different camera backs and
>lens.
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