Getting better pics from a folder.

[Sparrow]

Hey Stewart! This is something that seems to cause problems on some of my older 6x9. I make similar baffles for some of mine (My Moskva5 and Voigtlander RF really need them).

It also seems that Ilford print the frame numbers in feint print, almost a dot-matrix, on the FP4+ and HP5+ roll film. It's really quite difficult to see and helps if you move the window into a bright light to see better!!!!! Other film seems to have a more solid print. Neopan is very clear.

Yep, it helps I think. That one has always lived in the case since my granddad bought it in 1932 so the window is still a very dark red and the Ilford stuff is, as you say, difficult to see

 

[literiter]

I have used black Velcro, which comes in small rolls with it's own adhesive, with some success. Of course, use the fuzzy stuff.

 

[fidget]

Here's an interesting quote I've just found. Could be on the button?

Quote: Lenses like the Agfa Apotar which focus by moving front element (as opposed to unit focus whereby the whole lens moves back and forth)
are optimally sharp only at a specific focus distance-- I haven't done any careful testing, but with my Isolette II this seems to be at 2.5-3 meters or 10-15 feet-- .eg typical snapshot distance



Dave

 

[Windscale]

Add a light-trap between the pressure plate and the red window? or is that me being paranoid?

This is very valid. It happened to me once with a Bessa I. So, after that time, I would test every folder's red window. But so far (after some 20 odd years), the same has not happened again.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Oh! I'd forgotten about that! And I was a recent contributor on a thread about that very subject, probably with FallisPhoto.....

Come to think about this, at least some of the pics that show loss of sharpness are infinity focussed whilst (from memory) most of my successful shots might be in the range from 8 to 15ft. Hmmmm.

FallisPhoto, could you just go through the process of setting up the focus again. I guess that it is more than say "set focus at 5 or 6 ft and all other distances will be right"...

Dave...

Basically, you tape a clear or frosted piece of glass over the rangefinder's film rails, with a big asterisk shape drawn on it (the side of the glass toward the lens) with a fine point Sharpie. Mount the rangefinder on a tripod. Put a light behind the rangefinder and make sure the film loading door is open. Set up an SLR that you know to be focusing correctly on another tripod, set the focus of the SLR's lens for infinity. Look through the SLR's lens into the rangefinder's lens. Adjust the rangefinder's lens until the asterisk shape can be seen clearly and at maximum sharpness. The rangefinder's lens is now set for infinity. Lock the lens adjustments down. You're not done yet though.

Now set both lenses for 10 feet and check again. If you don't see the asterisk shape clear and sharp, unlock the rangefinder's focus adjustment ring and fine tune it until you do. Recheck infinity setting. Sometimes one or the other will be a little off (less than great lenses -- can you say Agnar?) and you will have a decision to make as to whether you want the camera to be more accurate at infinity or at close range. Still not done yet.

Now you have to adjust the rangefinder until it is in agreement with the lens' distance settings. NOW you're done.

 

[fidget]

Ah yes! This explains some problems I had in setting up one of my recent low spec jobs (I think). This is where I focussed on a distant object and set the scale to infinity (using a ground glass screen banded onto the rails) and expected 10ft to be right. It wasn't.