Alpa focusing on a Ground Glass/Fresnel

[stephengilbert]

The ALPA iPhone app makes a great viewfinder, on or off the camera.

 

[jotloob]

The ALPA iPhone app makes a great viewfinder, on or off the camera.

Steve

I use the ALPA iPHONE holder plus eFINDER plus iPHONE (of course)
A good solution but almost useless under very bright light . At least for me .
Therefore sometimes I use the ALPA (optical) viewfinder .
And for architecture I prefer the GG . Not for focusing but for composing and to control the converging lines . Horses for courses .
But that does not make Jim's comment obsolete .
Shooting with my ALPA gear takes me back to the rootes of photography and I do like that kind of shooting .

 

[vjbelle]

So far I have been winging the focus after I ran a few tests on my lenses. The HPF rings sound quick, but I am contemplating if I want to carry another piece of gear (the Disto). I try so much to keep it all simple and light-weight.

The HPF rings are not only very quick but very accurate. This assumes that your lenses and back are all calibrated. As for carrying around something extra you would be getting rid of two pieces of gear (loupe + GG) in exchange for a Disto which is very light and even has its own belt case. And..... you won't have to remove your back. Once you try this you will never go back.

 

[micek]

Jim,

(Not to mention heart attack when holding the back naked in the field).

Dear Graham, why would you go out photographing in the nude?

 

[jlm]

download this i-phne app: Viewfinder Pro; you can set it to display zoomable frame lines to match your lenses and your back. if nothing else, is is a great director's finder. the Iphone lens is about the max wide angle of view as a 43mm lens on an IQ160. if you want a wider field of view, there are some cute little adapter lenses you can pop on
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/828553-REG/iPro_Lens_0IP_LSKT_00_iPro_Lens_System_for.html
thanks to Graham!

VFP is why I developed my I-phone holder and now it will take the Ipro adapters as well

as far as seeing what you get on the IQ screens, I use a square loupe, big enough to shade and view the entire IQ screen

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/125877-REG/Rodenstock_260200_3x_Aspheric_Loupe.html

 

[GrahamWelland]

Dear Graham, why would you go out photographing in the nude?

Why wouldn't you? The fresh air feel at dawn in the buff is quite refreshing! :ROTFL:

as far as seeing what you get on the IQ screens, I use a square loupe, big enough to shade and view the entire IQ screen

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/125877-REG/Rodenstock_260200_3x_Aspheric_Loupe.html

:thumbs: I use this too now after seeing John's. It works extremely well.

 

[jotloob]

ALPA iPHONE holder , first version , with iPRO lens kit .
The four little holder bits where modified by ALPA for free within a week .
Thats what I call good service .

 

[RodK]

First due to the focal length selection available for tech cameras, the lenses are short and the wides extremely short. The shorter the focal length, the more difficult to focus accurately on a ground glass. Film was so thick compared to digital, that you could, relatively speaking, be a bit sloppy focusing. 6X is the highest magnification recommended for GG focusing as above that you begin to magnify the ground surface and/or the fresnel rings of the focusing screen. Rodenstock 6X is excellent or 4x from them or Schneider.
Just some info.