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GG in a pinch
What do you do when you need an equivelent to a ground glass in a hurry? I had to jury rig something recently when playing with an old camera. I took a 10cmx13cm piece of glass and glued a piece of translucent plastic to it - not the greatest thing in the world, but it worked. Normally, I wouldn't go that route, but it worked in a pinch.
So what would you use? Forget the 'I wouldn't' option, or FEDEX. The mail people here in Ukraine like the tinkle of glass in boxes and shake it all the harder, and FEDEX won't cover the remoter areas I'll be going to around here.
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If I were in a remote part of Ukraine and wanted something that I was really planning to use, I'd get a sheet of glass cut to size and figure out how to grind it myself as best I could with whatever abrasives were available.
If I just want to see what the image looks like and if the focus is in the ballpark, I've used waxed paper.
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We have shipped to the Ukraine with out any problems.
But in the mean time, if you have access to some translucent tape, that works well also.
Dave
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Some very experienced people can focus upon the aerial image using just plain glass and an 8x (some say 10x) magnifier and crosshair. It is possible to do it without the glass if you can fix the magnifier in place. To show how this works, use your groundglass normally, and when you think you have an object in focus, move left and right a tiny bit. If the object moves, it is not in focus.
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The day before I left on my photography trip to Hawaii...MY GROUND GLASS BROKE in my 8x10 camera. I went to a glass store and thought a "Frosted" glass would work, but it was just sandblasted and was WAY too gritty, I could not focus.
I remember an article I posted here on APUG under Large Format on HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN GROUND GLASS. So, I simply made it myself!
In the article I posted, it said to use Aluminum Oxide 600 grit, but I could not find that ANYWHERE! So, I went back to the glass store and asked them for this powder stuff called CARBERENDIUM (spelling might be off!). It is a fine powder that they use for putting on glass when they have to cut a hole into the glass.
I then took an 11x14 peice of glass, set it on a table, sprinkled abit of carberendium on it with a few drops of water. You then lay your correct size ground glass on top, and start rubbing it around in a circle. Keep adding more powder and water every few minutes between the two sheets of glass. You grind them together for about 15 minutes, and you got yourself a BEAUTIFUL peice of ground glass. Every 5 minutes or so, go wash it off and dry it to see how it is coming along and see how even the frosting is.
Do a seach for my article on How To Make Your Own Ground Glass, and read it.
Trust me. Make your own! Its VERY easy and you will be so pleased with yourself for doing so.
ALSO---Try to find a peice of glass for your ground glass, that is about the same thickness as what was in your camera.
Ryan McIntosh
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Sure you can focus on the aerial image, but composing can be tough!
Ryan, the abrasive you are thinking of is probably Carborundum.
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Dont mess around with tape and plastic and all that crap. It will cause you problems when you go out shooting. Take my suggestion and make your own ground glass. If your going to be away for awhile and afraid of another one breaking, MAKE TWO! It only takes about 10-20 minutes to make. The more you grind on the glass thought...the brighter it is.
The only place to get Carberendium grinding compound is at a glass store. They use it with there saws and drills when cutting glass. If for some reason you cannot find it, I have about a cup left that I can quickly send to you.
Goodluck! Its very simple.
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 Originally Posted by David A. Goldfarb
Sure you can focus on the aerial image, but composing can be tough!
Ryan, the abrasive you are thinking of is probably Carborundum.
Whew. Thanks for the correct spelling. That would be it.
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Originally Posted by David A. Goldfarb
Sure you can focus on the aerial image, but composing can be tough!
Indeed! And correcting perspective would be just crazy.
This kind of leads back to an opposite point for the LF photographer who shoots distant landscapes, for example sunsets, sunrises and claims he needs to see the GG due to "changing light". I don't understand that. The frame is known, and a separate viewfinder or wire frame would work. Unless he has a lens that shifts focus when stopping down, he doesn't have to focus, either - marking a rail will do.
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Originally Posted by JiminKyiv
What do you do when you need an equivelent to a ground glass in a hurry? I had to jury rig something recently when playing with an old camera. I took a 10cmx13cm piece of glass and glued a piece of translucent plastic to it - not the greatest thing in the world, but it worked. Normally, I wouldn't go that route, but it worked in a pinch.
So what would you use? Forget the 'I wouldn't' option, or FEDEX. The mail people here in Ukraine like the tinkle of glass in boxes and shake it all the harder, and FEDEX won't cover the remoter areas I'll be going to around here.
Some years ago I had a local speciality glass store sand blast (with a very fine oxide) a large piece of 1/8 acrylic. Then I cut this to size for all of the formats I use and always carry it in the same carring case as the camera, or in one of the boxes where I store exposed film. The acylic adds very little weight and is almost as good as regular ground glass.
Sandy
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