Optical Rangefinder

[Jim Andrada]

I've been thinking about one of the laser units as well - but would prefer an optical unit. Would also like to have one without the shoe attachment as I would hand hold it. Now the dirty (non-LF) secret - I want to use it with a 210 mm lens on a Mamiya 7. The 210 does not couple to the camera rangefinder so a separate rangefinder would be nice.

[Leonard Evens]

I have never used one. Are they accurate from 5 to 25 feet? Is the laser visible or a danger to a subject's eyes?

My laser rangefinder is certainly very accurate from 5 to 25 feet. The laser beam is not visible but you do see a dot where ti hits the object you are pointing it at. It would be foolhardy to point the beam directly in your or someone else's eye. But except for that, there should be no danger to anyone's eyes. According to Wikipedia, laser rangefinders are eye safe.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Photographic rangefinders are usually accurate to 3 feet. When I looked into laser rangefinders they tended not to be, but perhaps that's changed.

[Oren Grad]

Mine's great, easy to carry in the pocket, light, accurate. I would prefer to have one without the shoe attachment because I don't attach it to anywhere, and the shoe with its highly constrained edges just gets in the way.

Would also like to have one without the shoe attachment as I would hand hold it. Now the dirty (non-LF) secret - I want to use it with a 210 mm lens on a Mamiya 7.

And I'd like to use one on my various cameras that require different positioning of the foot.

So maybe a tweak of the older Fotoman design, with the same optical system within a plain body that can be stuffed into a pocket as is without snagging on anything but also snaps into a compact bracket with adjustable shoe position for on-camera mounting.

[Drew Bedo]

Fotoman Professional:

If you go ahead with this project, please consider designing in the capability for shining a light through the eyepiece to throw out two spots of light. In lower light situations, tyhe two spots will converge into one when the subject distance is measured.

In the old Kalart RF units, this was an add-on penlight. In later models of Graflex press cameras, trhis was a built-in capability. OK, and now will a Graphic expert please tell me exactly which models?

Modern technology such as LEDs and hearing aid batteries should make this an even more viable option. Such an option would allow you to design in the capability for for user adjustments of the unit.

[Tin Can]

+1

Maybe just a high power LED flashlight like a Fenix E05 which is not much bigger than a AAA battery but lasts forever and is very bright.

Fotoman Professional:

If you go ahead with this project, please consider designing in the capability for shining a light through the eyepiece to throw out two spots of light. In lower light situations, tyhe two spots will converge into one when the subject distance is measured.

In the old Kalart RF units, this was an add-on penlight. In later models of Graflex press cameras, trhis was a built-in capability. OK, and now will a Graphic expert please tell me exactly which models?

Modern technology such as LEDs and hearing aid batteries should make this an even more viable option. Such an option would allow you to design in the capability for for user adjustments of the unit.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Fotoman Professional:

If you go ahead with this project, please consider designing in the capability for shining a light through the eyepiece to throw out two spots of light. In lower light situations, tyhe two spots will converge into one when the subject distance is measured.

In the old Kalart RF units, this was an add-on penlight. In later models of Graflex press cameras, trhis was a built-in capability. OK, and now will a Graphic expert please tell me exactly which models?

It was called a Focuspot. It fit on the top end of the rangefinder housing. Most Kalart rangefinders accepted it and most could be modified to accept it. Some Linhof Super Technikas accepted it, and amazingly there was one for the Rolleiflex 3.5 E TLR.

The Graflex Crown with the Rangelite is the model with the same kind of device built into the RF.

[Bill Burk]

Fotoman Professional:

If you go ahead with this project, please consider designing in the capability for shining a light through the eyepiece to throw out two spots of light. In lower light situations, tyhe two spots will converge into one when the subject distance is measured.

In the old Kalart RF units, this was an add-on penlight. In later models of Graflex press cameras, trhis was a built-in capability. OK, and now will a Graphic expert please tell me exactly which models?

Modern technology such as LEDs and hearing aid batteries should make this an even more viable option. Such an option would allow you to design in the capability for for user adjustments of the unit.

The Lithium button (pair of CR2032 for example) cells make a good power source for LED's and are readily available - a lightweight, compact, bright and long-lasting solution to an age-old problem. This would be brilliant!

[cjheyliger]

Would love to see something new come to the market. My Voigtlander rangefinder does the job, but the viewing area is very small and dim.

[Jim Andrada]

+1 on the Crown Graphic. Mine has the feature, although the alignment seems off a bit. I does light up when I push the magic red button though.