Wanderlust Distance Guide

[Lobalobo]

Having finally gotten an accurate external rangefinder, I have a new problem in focusing a Wanderlust precisely: the distance guide on the camera itself. The marked distances are significantly spaced out and are, of course, not uniform (with differences around the circumference becoming larger per meter as focus gets closer). When the focusing distance is between two marked points on the camera, I'm at a loss for what to do. What do others do?

Thanks in advance.

[Light Guru]

Add your own marks in between.

[Tim Meisburger]

I wrapped half a strip of masking tape around the end of the cone, and marked the distances on that with a marker, because I could not see (without a loupe) the marks on the camera. I assume you could mount your ground glass and get a tape measure and add additional marks.

[Tin Can]

White gaff tape and pen, 3 points. 3', 5' and 30'. Then I guess distance and exposure.

Sometimes I add flash bulbs, just for fun.

[Lobalobo]

I wrapped half a strip of masking tape around the end of the cone, and marked the distances on that with a marker, because I could not see (without a loupe) the marks on the camera. I assume you could mount your ground glass and get a tape measure and add additional marks.

Mounting ground glass and marking the distance with a marker is exactly what I was feared as the only solution. (And I agree that it is annoying how hard it is to read the numbers, but that's a less significant problem.) For large format film, with so limited a depth of field (absent blindingly bright light), guessing seems to be a poor solution. Too bad Wanderlust didn't spend (and charge) a bit more for a distance gauge that is both visible and more detailed. Thanks.

[Lobalobo]

White gaff tape and pen, 3 points. 3', 5' and 30'. Then I guess distance and exposure.

Sometimes I add flash bulbs, just for fun.

Guessing is tough, though, with such a limited depth of field, no? I wonder whether there is an algorithm the mark the intermediate distances.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Consider the old hack of modifying a film holder with a cut-out that just fits a 45° angle finder or a cheap straight loupe. I use a Hasselblad clone angle finder. Fastening it to the holder is simple. Use Gaffer's if necessary. That way you can focus quickly on the center of the image, swap out the holder, insert the real thing and shoot. (If one is good, he can also aerial-focus without a ground glass in place. It is easiest to construct, too.)

Or use a sharp edge and mark the helix itself with several distances. That will not cause light leaks. No worry.

If there is enough interest I can make another one in a few minutes and post pictures.

[Lobalobo]

Consider the old hack of modifying a film holder with a cut-out that just fits a 45° angle finder or a cheap straight loupe. I use a Hasselblad clone angle finder. Fastening it to the holder is simple. Use Gaffer's if necessary. That way you can focus quickly on the center of the image, swap out the holder, insert the real thing and shoot. (If one is good, he can also aerial-focus without a ground glass in place. It is easiest to construct, too.)

Or use a sharp edge and mark the helix itself with several distances. That will not cause light leaks. No worry.

If there is enough interest I can make another one in a few minutes and post pictures.

Thanks, but not sure I quite follow. Have already tried focusing on the glass using a straight loupe, but the glass that comes with the camera is not designed for this (and barely allows confirmation of infinity focus, once, under ideal conditions). Does the angle finder you recommend include ground glass (as opposed to resting on ground glass)? If so, the modification you suggest would be an ideal solution and I'd be most interested for any more details you can offer as to how.

[Chauncey Walden]

Just work the textured surface of the plastic over with some 600 grit wet or dry and you will be able to use the whole screen for focusing and formatting.

[Gadfly_1971]

A couple of things come to mind.

Color the distance markers with silver sharpie. It's a little sloppy but it does make the numbers readable. I found the marks to have a pretty usable range.

You haven't indicated the rangefinder you're using. The only reasonably priced, shoe mounted, range finders that I found (that measure metric instead of imperial) were the Blik ex-USSR units. I have one and it works fine. Cost me just around $25 (USD) including shipping from Ukraine.

One other thing, unless you're close to your subject the focus isn't that critical. Stop down a bit if you're concerned about sharpness and that should take car of your in-between issue.

[Drew Bedo]

The camera was conceived and designed as a pouint-n-shoot and sold at a can't-pass-it-up price point. If there is ever ansecond-run or second model there are plenty of short comings to rectify.

As it is now, the TravelWide is a light weight hand holdable camera ideally suited to landscapes in high country. Wish I'd brought mine to Colorado this past week.

For street photography, it can be made to work by presetting a distance and working with that. A length of string with pre measured marks (or knots) can help with close distance, as would a hardware store laser "tape" measure.

Just take the pictures that the camera (with its limitations) will reliably make.Learn to do what it can do best and do that.

[Jac@stafford.net]

[... snip wise words ...] For street photography, it can be made to work by presetting a distance and working with that. A length of string with pre measured marks (or knots) can help with close distance, as would a hardware store laser "tape" measure.

Thanks for the reminder. I mounted a Bosch GLM50 laser measure to a zone focus camera and it is working well except in very bright outdoor light. It has a couple tripod mounts which allow me to use one to see the laser-dot through the viewfinder.