Technical Viewfinder.
Preview a composition on your phone before setting up the camera. Choose a film format and focal length, then adjust rise, fall and shift to see how they change the framing.
Fysh Technical Viewfinder is free. It also includes a Scheimpflug visualiser for exploring tilt, plus calculators for bellows extension and film reciprocity.
What it does
Framelines
Preview the approximate framing for your selected format and focal length, including camera movements. Format presets include 6×7, 6×9, 4×5, 5×7 and 8×10.
Tilt visualiser
Adjust tilt, aperture, focus distance and camera height to see how the plane of focus and depth of field change.
Exposure calculators
Work out bellows-extension compensation and corrected exposure times for the listed film stocks.
Horizon level
Use your phone's motion sensors to help keep the camera level.
Using the app
Do I need an FTC-1?
No. The app grew out of my work on the FTC-1, but you can use it with other medium- and large-format cameras. Choose the format and focal length that match your setup.
How accurate are the framelines?
The framelines are a guide for composition. Accuracy depends on your phone's camera calibration, the settings you select and where you hold it. Differences are more noticeable at close distances. Check the final composition on your camera's ground glass.
Why don't the framelines match my camera?
First check the selected format and focal length. Hold the phone's camera close to the position of your film camera's lens. A change in viewpoint introduces parallax, especially with nearby subjects.
Do the framelines check lens coverage?
The framelines show the composition. They don't confirm whether your lens has enough image circle for the movements you've selected. Check the lens specifications as well.
Why does it need camera and motion access?
The camera supplies the live preview, and motion sensors supply the horizon level. If either feature isn't working, check the app's permissions in your phone's settings.
What happens to my data?
The Privacy Policy explains how the app uses your camera, motion sensors and other device features.
Help and bug reports
Email support@fysh.world with your phone model, operating system, app version and a description of what happened. A screenshot helps if the problem is visible.
If the app won't open or a feature stops responding, check for an update and restart it. Include the steps that led to the problem when you email.
Related tools
Scheimpflug visualiser: explore tilt and depth of field in your browser.
FTC-1 technical camera: a 6×7 camera with rise, fall and shift, designed and assembled in Melbourne.