For those who know me or have read my 4×5 articles, it’s no secret—I’m not fond of using dark cloths. I do keep one on hand and highly recommend the Harrison Classic Dark Cloth, especially the small size I use with my 4×5 field camera. But I’ve disliked them since my early days in commercial photography school. Dark cloths tend to mess up my long hair, and when I’m out photographing landscapes, I prefer not to have my head under a blanket. Back in school, I shot with a Calumet (Cambo) 4×5 student model with a Cambo in-line viewfinder. I upgraded my camera and sold the Calumet soon after finishing school, but my aversion to dark cloths has stayed with me.

When I use my Linhof or Cambo cameras, I enjoy the convenience of accessories like viewing hoods. However, as an Ebony field camera user, finding a viewing hood requires customization since there aren’t any ready-made options. Years ago, I had a Cambo Reflex Hood modified by Ebony, which worked well but came with a challenge—I’m petite, and because you have to look down into the hood, I often needed a footstool. Eventually, I sold that modified hood along with a camera. In recent years, I’ve been using a custom-made bellows viewer I found on eBay. It works fairly well and fits neatly inside my camera case along with the camera. However, it’s not a full substitute for a traditional viewing bellows, which offers near-total darkness and either monocular or binocular magnification for focusing. My ultimate aim has been to find a Linhof Monocular or Binocular Bellows Viewer that could be adapted for use with my Ebony cameras.

This year, I set aside a budget for the Ebony viewer project and started my search. I eventually found a leather bag bellows-style binocular viewer with a removable bracket, allowing easy switching between landscape and portrait orientations. It didn’t have any manufacturer markings and didn’t fit my Cambo, Sinar, or Linhof 4×5 cameras, but it had potential. I liked that it was a bag bellows, meaning it could fold down to a small footprint and was lightweight. The binocular part is made of rubber, and there’s a metal stub with a hole for adding a lanyard for hanging the viewer from the tripod which I found handy.

Once I received the viewer, I considered modifying it myself. With my experience in sewing, crafting, and building photography sets, I felt capable of handling the task. However, I hesitated, not wanting to risk any changes I might regret, especially since I don’t know who manufactures this particular viewer, making a replacement uncertain. Instead, I turned to S.K. Grimes, my go-to for camera and lens modifications for over two decades. I was already planning to send them a pinhole shutter to permanently mount onto one of their Linhof-style lens boards, so I inquired whether they could modify the viewer as well. Joel from S.K. Grimes was extremely helpful and provided an estimate for both jobs within a few days. The turnaround time was estimated at six to nine weeks, and soon enough, both the viewer and pinhole shutter were on their way to Rhode Island.

After evaluating the viewer, S.K. Grimes confirmed the modification was possible, thanks to the removable bracket. They gave me the option of either a 3D-printed or metal bracket, and I opted for metal. Eight weeks later, both the binocular viewer and pinhole shutter were back in my hands. The modification was flawless—the viewer fits both of my Ebony cameras as if it were made for them. The metal bracket is sturdy but lighter than it appears in photos, and it is rotatable so I can use it in portrait or landscape orientation. Custom work like this isn’t cheap, but considering the engineering, materials, and shipping involved, it’s well worth the investment.

The viewer folds compactly and fits perfectly in the top compartment of my backpack, right on top of my lens case. Now, when I’m shooting under the bright Florida sun, composing and initial focusing (soft focusing) with the binocular viewer is a breeze. I do not know what the magnification of the binocular viewer is, but it is similar to my Sinar model. For final focusing, I always use a loupe especially with wide-angle lenses as everything can look in-focus but is not when viewed under greater magnification. I recently upgraded to the lightweight Chamonix 5x from the Toyo 3.6x which is a welcome addition for my aging eyes.

If your 4×5 camera doesn’t have the viewer you want, consider doing what I did. Start a search for a suitable viewer and get in touch with S.K. Grimes to see if they can modify it for your camera. Happy shooting!