Virtual Linhof Viewfinder for iPhone

[DJ]

For all of you who've lusted after the outrageously priced Linhof Viewfinder ( which is likely all of you ), there may be a new ( and considerably cheaper ) alternative, for those of you with an iPhone or iPod Touch.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... nder.shtml

Admittedly it doesn't have the proper perspective adjustment that a Linhof or proper viewer would, it can only go down to 150mm in LF terms without a wide-angle adaptor for the iPhone lens, and it's not cheap at £8.99 ( you need the PRO version for large format ), but cheaper than a Linhof Viewer, even on Ebay. If you also shoot with other small format cameras, you can have multiple cameras defined so this might make it a more worthwhile purchase. You'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it for you.

[dave_whatever]

I doubt any self respecting Linhof owner would be seen dead spending as little as that on a photography accessory - they should have priced it at £100.

Seriously though, you don't even need an app or indeed an iphone to do this - I occasionally use my phone to check a composition, most phone cameras aspect ratio is pretty close to LF or at least MF (mine is almost spot on for 645) so you just need to know roughly where on your zoom range corresponds to your 150mm lens or whatever.

[Thingy]

More information is available here

http://www.pusztaiphoto.com/products/vi ... fault.aspx

I have just bought it and tried it out. You can set up, up to 4 different cameras, choosing the back and lenses you want. One small criticism is that it lacks a selection for a 6x9 rollfilm back, though it has one for a 6x12 rollfilm back.

[DJ]

I have just bought it and tried it out. You can set up, up to 4 different cameras, choosing the back and lenses you want. One small criticism is that it lacks a selection for a 6x9 rollfilm back, though it has one for a 6x12 rollfilm back.

I spoke with the developer today, and mentioned a couple of points. Firstly that the conversion used for inches -> mm was 25 and not 25.4, so he had 4x5" listed as 100x125mm. He acknowledge this and has said a few people have mentioned it now and they've looked up the ANSI film sizes which be put into v1.02 which will come out this week.

He also mentioned for version 1.1 they're going to include arbitrary film sizes you can define yourself.

I'll mention 6x9 film backs to him.

[Thingy]

Many thanks DJ.

[DJ]

He said a couple of people mentioned 6x9 format and that's in the next point release which is out this week.

He also asked a question regarding arbitrary film sizes, how many are large format photographers likely to use? He is debating either 3 or 5 arbitrary sizes but can't go mad because he has to stay within the confines of the iPhone API for saving preferences when exiting, too many and it will go past the time limit. Given there are most of the formats already stated as presets, would 3 arbitrary user defined sizes be enough?

[Joanna Carter]

He is debating either 3 or 5 arbitrary sizes but can't go mad because he has to stay within the confines of the iPhone API for saving preferences when exiting, too many and it will go past the time limit.

???? You are not restricted to user preferences in an iPhone app, you can use Core Data to create a database as large as you require.

[DJ]

???? You are not restricted to user preferences in an iPhone app, you can use Core Data to create a database as large as you require.

I wouldn't know, I think he said it was something to do with a time limit on saving preferences, and he wanted to keep within recommendations or something.

[Joanna Carter]

I wouldn't know, I think he said it was something to do with a time limit on saving preferences, and he wanted to keep within recommendations or something.

It sounds like he is not an experienced developer, more someone who had a bright idea and is learning how to program The time he is worried about is for closing the app, but he could save the data whilst the app is running without falling foul of that worry.

Hang on! what am I doing discussing my day job in a photographic forum?

[Thingy]

I think 3 are adequate though more would be nice. What would be nice is the ability to view wider angles, virtually, without having to add a supplimentary lens, to cover up to 47mm on 5x4. As I use Tap Forms for entering my film data I know that you can add as many fields as you like.

EG: a sample entry:

Film number
===========
DM-0375  (Pro 160S)

Subject
=======
Rasmus Meyer's House 1

Film format
===========
5 x 4 in

Camera used
===========
Ebony 45SU

Date taken
==========
19 July 2009

Time taken
==========
1135 GMT+1

Series
======
2009 July Spitsbergen cruise BW0909

Country (non-UK)
================
Norway

Location
========
Bergen

LALO
====
N60 23.383' E005 19.664' •B6

Lens
====
Nikkor 90mm f4.5

Shutter speed
=============
1/4

Aperture
========
f32

Exposed for
===========


ND Grad filter used
===================


Other filter used
=================


Notes
=====
Exposed for metal door

Push process?
=============


Developed
=========
No

Scanned
=======
No


PS: I have one of those Linhof lens thingies, but the lens format frame at the front is not, it turns out, 5x4, but some odd Linhof rollfilm format. To be honest I use the Ebony titanium viewing frames for 6x9 & 5x4 more... They weigh less too!

[DJ]

What would be nice is the ability to view wider angles, virtually, without having to add a supplimentary lens, to cover up to 47mm on 5x4.

Agreed, unfortunately without Apple releasing a decent camera in the iPhone there's no real way to do this. With any luck the iPhone V4 will have a zoomable camera

[Marc Wilson]

Thingy,

Is that the tap forms from tapform.com?

Seems to be a simple solution for a user defines database...

Marc

[Thingy]

Thingy,

Is that the tap forms from tapform.com?

Seems to be a simple solution for a user defines database...

Marc

Aye. I've adapted mine for all the info I need. Unfortunately I'm not sure if it's possible to export a form without the data.... it would be very useful if you could, then we could create a form for the group.

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tap-form ... 05311?mt=8