This question is about where to start when using the axis tilt on the lens panel, but I wanted to say that I got this camera about a month ago, after much thought, and reading all the threads on this forum, which I appreciate. Being a little clumsy, the supposed durability was attractive, in addition to the other features, which have been covered elsewhere. So, about ten days ago, I was in a place where I had no business being, took a fall, and smacked the Walker Titan on a large rock. It would have shattered my beautiful, light wood field camera, but the Titan is barely scratched. (The rock was fine, too, but my backside was a little sore). My question is where is the best first place to focus when using the axis tilt to bring the foreground into focus. Thanks.

-- Tom Perkins (Thomas1592@msn.com), July 07, 2001

Answers

Tom, the procedure I use is as follows: 1.Focus on the central part of the GG, assuming that the camera's movements are levelled. In landscapes this invariably means the middle foreground. If you've employed rise/fall then adjust the point that you focus on so that it is roughly in the centre of the lens.

2.Once focus is established, I then tilt the lens whilst observing the effect it has on the immediate foreground. This tilt is usually in the order of 5 degrees.

3.With the tilt locked I then check the focus on the middle foreground I usually find that I need to tweak the focus a miniscule amount to return to sharp focus and then after a quick check all round the GG that extremes are okay I close the aperture to f22-32.

Hope this makes some sense! It is a great deal easier to do than it is to explain it!! The injury you desribe is "Large Format Behind", often caused when so transfixed by the image under the darkcloth you fail to watch where you're walking!! Had it myself , twice! Regards Paul

-- paul owen (paulowen_2000@yahoo.com), July 07, 2001.

The handout from the Palm Beach Photographic Workshops large format course (I forget the name of the photographer who taught the course) says to focus on the far, then tilt to bring the near in focus with a base tilt camera, and to focus on the near, then tilt to bring the far into focus with an axis tilt camera. I have no idea why the difference depending on the tilt mechanism but since I have an axis tilt camera I've always focused on the near, then tilted for the far, and it works fine for me.

-- Brian Ellis (bellis60@earthlink.net), July 07, 2001.