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  #1  
Old 22nd February 2022, 08:36 PM
Flack Flack is offline
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Default Focus Finders

I have two focus finders, one is the small Patterson one and the other a Major Patterson.
If I focus using the small one its great can see the grain, But if I use the Major one I cant see the grain, I have set it to my eyesight and can see the bar across the image nice and clear, but I cant seem to find focus on the film grain.

They should both be in focus when using either one surley, anybody come across this before.?.
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  #2  
Old 22nd February 2022, 10:34 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Focus Finders

I haven't used a small Patterson finder for years now. I have both a Major model and what some think as the 'cream of the crop' a peak finder. The focus on both in the centre circle of the negative has not a lot between them, they are both pretty well spot on, The Peak Finder with the swivelling eyepiece is brilliant if checking on the corners and edges but not so good with big enlargements. I find it a bit of an awkward stretch.
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Old 23rd February 2022, 12:19 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is online now
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Flack, many years ago I contributed or maybe even started a thread on the slight difference that I found between the two finders i.e. the minor and major and it was slight but in both cases I have to say I found the grain

Has this always been the case from when you tried both out on the same section of the same neg?

If you have then it's a puzzle to me. A complete absence of grain with one compared to the other puzzles me

Mike
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Old 23rd February 2022, 08:37 AM
snusmumriken snusmumriken is offline
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Has the mirror fallen out? Seriously - it fell out of mine. Simple to glue it back in, correct position is pushed in as far as it will go.
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Old 23rd February 2022, 10:13 AM
tillari tillari is offline
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I have a small Hama and the large Paterson. And the diference is where do you have to put the focus finder. As the mirror is in a higher position, it catches different part of the image, or it can be out of the image. Be sure that the mirror (not the base) is catching the part of the image you want. It happened to me in the first attempt to use the large one.
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Old 23rd February 2022, 10:18 AM
Flack Flack is offline
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I can see the image ok with the Major just not the grain, I have tried it in positions on the negative, I think I have got it focused on the grain, but when I use the smaller Patterson finder it needs tweaking to get it sharp, so the major is not quite right, nothing looks like its moved on it.
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Old 23rd February 2022, 10:44 AM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flack View Post
I can see the image ok with the Major just not the grain, I have tried it in positions on the negative, I think I have got it focused on the grain, but when I use the smaller Patterson finder it needs tweaking to get it sharp, so the major is not quite right, nothing looks like its moved on it.
Just like exposure meters, I've never had focus finders that were identical! 'Calibrate' each one, according to their instructions(hardly scientific), and use them, you'll be fine. However, if you switch between finders, expect to tweak the focus. It probably has to do with the eye-ball 'calibration', in my opinion.
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Old 23rd February 2022, 10:58 AM
snusmumriken snusmumriken is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flack View Post
I can see the image ok with the Major just not the grain, I have tried it in positions on the negative, I think I have got it focused on the grain, but when I use the smaller Patterson finder it needs tweaking to get it sharp, so the major is not quite right, nothing looks like its moved on it.
Nevertheless, do check that you can't push the mirror any further up into its seat (just push with a finger from below).
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Old 23rd February 2022, 11:33 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flack View Post
I can see the image ok with the Major just not the grain, I have tried it in positions on the negative, I think I have got it focused on the grain, but when I use the smaller Patterson finder it needs tweaking to get it sharp, so the major is not quite right, nothing looks like its moved on it.
Ah, so it does look as if it resembles my problem which I mentioned in my earlier post, namely a slight difference in the grain focus between the two.

As others have said this would seem to be not an uncommon occurrence

So each can be adjusted to the grain sharp but the
is what I think you are saying but when substituted on the same neg one needs adjusting?

I suspect that while this may not be true of every pair of minor and major it may be true of a lot

Many users may never spot this because in any one printing session they stick with one version only

Mike
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Old 23rd February 2022, 01:05 PM
Flack Flack is offline
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Yes Mike its a bit frustrating when you are getting on in years you are not as flexible. I got this Major second hand just to try and make it easier to focus when doing a large print.

I have picked a negative with a large easy to see grain, focused using the small patterson finder, then when I use the Major the grain is just not visible clearly when I try to focus with it, no matter what I try around the image it never is as clear as the smaller finder no matter where I put this on the neg..

Not sure what to do, either bin it and buy another one, or go for another type thats tall like the Major...
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