Posted by Les on March 24, 2001 at 18:48:32:
In Reply to: ground glass lens focusing posted by John Mahitka on March 24, 2001 at 14:05:27:
Before we get into copy work, lets focus on something 6 feet or more, and perferably bright. A window, dining room lamp, etc.
put the camera on something steady, tripod, table, etc.
Open the camera up and pull the lens out to the stops on the
rails.
put the shutter to "T" and open the lens, set the aperture to the smallest number, largest hole ((f4.5, 3.7, etc)
Now open the back of the camera (the ground class hood) and look
AT, not through, the ground glass. Think of it as a window, not a
viewfinder. You face should be at least 12 inches away from the
ground glass. Move the focus knob until the lamp comes in sharp
focus. BTW the image will be upside down
When doing copy work, you might find it easier if you can move the lens past the stops, some graphic cameras have fold down stops. Move the front standard to about half way to 2/3 down the bed. This way it might keep the rails from being in the shot.
You have to have the lens in order for an image to be formed otherwise it's just a frosted piece of glass.