Re: [APML] Olympus Varimagnifier

[Philip Perkins <pgp@astrocruise.com>]

Hi Eddie,

I've never owned a Varimagnifier but this conclusion has been reached 
pretty consistently by APML over the years.  It's intended for 'regular' 
daylight photography whereas the needs of astrophotography are 
different.  The light is considerably dimmed by passing through the thick 
glass of the camera's Pentaprism, bouncing off several surfaces, then 
further dimmed by passing through the Varimagnifier, involving several more 
glass surfaces, and yet a further prism.  Result: the light is so dim it's 
hardly useable for astrophotgraphy.

If you've already gone the Olympus route then fine - a lot of people have 
great success with this camera.  In my view a much more elegant solution is 
to dispense with the pentaprism altogether, fit a direct screen viewer / 
magnifier, and achieve right-angle viewing into the bargain:
http://www.astrocruise.com/misc/pb_mount.jpg

By fitting a bright screen such as the Red Dot D, and focusing directly on 
the screen, the view is dramatically bright - you can easily see the gas 
clouds of bright nebulae - it is like looking through a low power 
eyepiece.  You can see the full 35mm FOV and focusing is very easy.  Even 
using the Nikon 300mm f/2.8 lens where the focus point is very critical, it 
snaps into focus, very precisely (I also have a 14x magnifier for precise 
focusing).  There is no need for a knife edge focuser at all - you are 
focusing against the manufacturer's calibrated focus point, and you can't 
get more accurate then that.

The camera is a Nikon F2, and that's a homemade 6x viewer that you see.  I 
also have the Nikon DW2 which does the same thing except it is much more 
costly.  I use the homemade 6x viewer in preference.  Unfortunately I will 
probably sell the cameras (I have two F2's) and associated gear quite soon.

Regards
--Philip


At 18:21 05/02/2004 +0000, you wrote:
>Thanks Robert & Kevin for your honest replies
>
>Eddie Guscott
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Robert J. Seabold" <bseabold@mn.rr.com>
>To: "'Kevin Wigell'" <kwemail@twcny.rr.com>; "'Discussion of Film
>Astrophotography'" <astro-photo@seds.org>
>Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 4:31 AM
>Subject: RE: [APML] Olympus Varimagnifier
>
>
> > Not as experienced as you guys but I agree...I bought the Varimagnifier
> > tried it once and never picked it up again...
> >
> > Bob Seabold
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: astro-photo-bounces@seds.org
> > [mailto:astro-photo-bounces@seds.org]On Behalf Of Kevin Wigell
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 6:35 PM
> > To: Discussion of Film Astrophotography
> > Subject: Re: [APML] Olympus Varimagnifier
> >
> >
> > Eddie, yes you can see the entire FOV as the 35 mm frame (using the lower
> > magnification setting), but the image will be very dim. It's better to
>just
> > look through the viewfinder. The view through the varimagnifier will just
>be
> > larger and dimmer.
> >
> > I have one but virtually never use it. Anyone want to buy it from me?
> >
> > Kevin Wigell
> > www.kwastronomy.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Eddie Guscott" <eddie.guscott@blueyonder.co.uk>
> > To: "APML" <astro-photo@seds.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 18:13
> > Subject: [APML] Olympus Varimagnifier
> >
> >
> > > Hello All
> > >
> > > I know there has been several threads on finders for different cameras
>but
> > I
> > > just wanted to ask opinion on using the Olumpus Varimagnifier for
> > > composition purposes only - not for focussing (as I think I now
>understand
> > > the knife edge method of focussing and find it reasonably easy to do :-)
> > >
> > > Will I be able to see the same FOV as the 35mm flm sees? and thereby
> > compose
> > > the image easier.
> > >
> > > Thanks for any comment
> > >
> > > Eddie Guscott
> >
> >
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> >
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>
>
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Philip Perkins
<pgp@astrocruise.com>
Wiltshire UK & Luberon France
http://www.astrocruise.com

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