Dear large format photographers,

I am interested in your opinions regarding the Horseman Format Masks for composing an image which will ultimately be shot on a Horseman Roll Film back. Specifically, can someone tell me how these thin plastic format masks are fixed to the groudglass? Are they simply held in place during composition and focussing? Any help would be appreciated.

-- Aaron Reynolds (areynolds@optusnet.com.au), May 17, 2002

Answers

Don't know specifically about the products you mentioned, but they sure are easy to fashion on your own. I use a 6x7cm Fold-Mat, and just hold it in place while I compose. (Just did a roll of 120 on my 4x5 yesterday mornin', in fact.) I could just as easily have made one, but had an extra lying around.

-- Todd Caudle (todd@skylinepress.com), May 18, 2002.

Hi fellow Aussie: I use a Horseman 45FA with 6x12 RFH, and use a black piece of mountboard with a 6x12 bevelled window in it (made using any old matt cutter). Works perfectly, cost nothing and resides comfortably between groundglass and folding hood. I cut it to fit snugly so that if the folding hood is removed, it stays in place. For my camera this required me to snip a little off each corner of the mountboard. For 4x5 composition, just take it out. The same gadget is a handy viewing aid to lay over a processed 6x12 tranny when on the lightbox. Whatever a Horseman Format Mask is, I bet it costs too damn much... Necessity is the mother of all invention.

-- brad cheers (bradcheers@hotmail.com), May 18, 2002.