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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Medium format / December 2007Focusing question
I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D TLR. Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some adaptation. First of all, I am 50 years old and wear bifocals. When I look into the magnifier to focus, the line between my bifocal and the normal part of my glasses lens hits just about the center of the magnifier. If I lower my head slightly, I am then looking through the top part of my glasses, and focusing becomes much easier. I guess my question, bottom line, is should I be looking through my bifocal at the magnifier, or should I be looking through the upper part of my glasses lens? On my first roll I've opted for the upper part of my glasses. I guess I'll know definitively in a week or so when the first roll comes back from the lab. (I have to mail out my film. No one locally does 120 format.) Incidentally, I can barely find the camera without my glasses. > I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica > D TLR. Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > looking through my bifocal at the magnifier, or should I be looking > through the upper part of my glasses lens? Let me make a wild - almost incredible - statement and say you should look through the part that allows you to see best.  SignaturedadiOH ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico >> I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica >> D TLR. Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Let me make a wild - almost incredible - statement and say you should > look through the part that allows you to see best. Either will allow a clear view with appropriate focusing. However, only viewing with one or the other is going to result in appropriate focusing on the film plain, hence the question. Never jump to conclusions. > Either will allow a clear view with appropriate focusing. However, only > viewing with one or the other is going to result in appropriate focusing > on the film plain, hence the question. That's not correct. You are looking at an image, that is formed at the plane of the (underside of) the focussing screen. As long as you focus the lens so that the images looks sharpest to you, the image as recorded on film will (assuming that the camera is not out of whack) also be sharpest. The only thing your eye glasses do is allow you to judge better (or worse) when the image is sharpest. They have no influence on focussing in any other way. > I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D TLR. > Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some adaptation. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > so when the first roll comes back from the lab. (I have to mail out my > film. No one locally does 120 format.) Although I've worn glasses for years, I've never used them with a camera. > I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D TLR. > Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some adaptation. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > be looking through my bifocal at the magnifier, or should I be looking > through the upper part of my glasses lens? Through the upper part. The magnifier is set to give an effective image distance of two or three metres so you should use the part of your glasses that gives you comfortable vision at that distance. (At least, that's how my own Yashica TLR is set up.) SignatureMatthew Winn [If replying by mail remove the "r" from "urk"] > > I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D TLR. > > Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some adaptation. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > of your glasses that gives you comfortable vision at that distance. > (At least, that's how my own Yashica TLR is set up.) There is a subtle point here. You need to be able to focus your vision sharply on the underside / matte side of the focusing screen. If your screen has lines or focusing aids like a split or microprism then those lines or edges or even dust on the matte surface must be perfectly sharp. Then focus the reflected image through the lens. If you cannot focus your eyes on the screen, the image cannot be brought into sharp focus at the correct place. So use whatever correction combination that allows you to focus on the screen. This is the whole point of diopter correction lenses for viewfinders and the reason I'm saving up for a PM45. snip > There is a subtle point here. You need to be able to focus your > vision sharply on the underside / matte side of the focusing screen. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > is the whole point of diopter correction lenses for viewfinders and > the reason I'm saving up for a PM45. Thanks for the thoughtful response. >> > I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D >> > TLR. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > is the whole point of diopter correction lenses for viewfinders and > the reason I'm saving up for a PM45. True, but if a waist level finder is being used (as I suspect) then there is no possiblilty if using a diopter correction lens on the viewfinder. Rob. snip > True, but if a waist level finder is being used (as I suspect) then there > is no possiblilty if using a diopter correction lens on the viewfinder. > > Rob. Yes, I am using a waist level viewfinder. Another Rob > snip > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Another Rob If you are far sighted, reading glasses from the drugstore are the same as diopters when using a waist level finder. Pick a pair that allows you to focus on the matte screen when you are holding the camera at your waist. If you are near sighted, your ophthomologist or optometrist can give you a prescription for a specific focusing distance like your waist. At least one older photographer I know of has four different prescriptions in his bifocal photography glasses and mentally switches eyes depending upon the distance. snip > If you are far sighted, reading glasses from the drugstore are the > same as diopters when using a waist level finder. Pick a pair that [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > has four different prescriptions in his bifocal photography glasses > and mentally switches eyes depending upon the distance. Thanks. That sounds worth checking in to. >> I am new to medium format photography. I've just gotten a Yashica D TLR. >> Using the focusing screen with the magnifier is taking some adaptation. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > of your glasses that gives you comfortable vision at that distance. > (At least, that's how my own Yashica TLR is set up.) Thank you for a thoughtful response. That's pretty much the conclusion I've come to. |
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