adjusting kalart rangefinder horizontal convergence

[BetterSense]

I have a speed graphic with a kalart rangefinder on the side. It was all taken apart so I put it back so the lever fits behind that knob on the rail.

Now the image moves when I move the rail back and forth. I have a 127mm tominon lens; I'm not sure if the rangefinder is going to match the lens at all focal ranges, but I adjusted the infinity stops so the ground glass shows focus at infinity and then adjusted the rangefinder so that the moving image is the same height as the static image when the groundglass shows focus at about ten feet. This is easy to adjust with the screw on the lower prism. However, the moving image is displaced quite a bit in the horizontal direction. I couldn't figure out what to adjust to get horizontal agreement.

[Mike1234]

Have you searched through the graflex.org website?

[John Cahill]

Originally Posted by BetterSense

I have a speed graphic with a kalart rangefinder on the side. It was all taken apart so I put it back so the lever fits behind that knob on the rail.

Now the image moves when I move the rail back and forth. I have a 127mm tominon lens; I'm not sure if the rangefinder is going to match the lens at all focal ranges, but I adjusted the infinity stops so the ground glass shows focus at infinity and then adjusted the rangefinder so that the moving image is the same height as the static image when the groundglass shows focus at about ten feet. This is easy to adjust with the screw on the lower prism. However, the moving image is displaced quite a bit in the horizontal direction. I couldn't figure out what to adjust to get horizontal agreement.

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If the Kalart focussed at an object at ten feet and and also the same for an object at infinty on the Kalar and the gg, each give you a gg image that is sharp, you are o.k. The horizontal displacement can be corrected; but does not actually affect focussing accuracy. Oh, and if the focus cam was originally for a 127 lens, you are o.k. If the cam is for a different focal length, you gots problemz.

[BetterSense]

The documentation on graflex.org is very thorough. I'm sure I will be able to get it adjusted properly eventually. Apparently these Kalart rangefinders don't need different cams and can be adjusted to different lenses.

[Frank Petronio]

I've never been able to adjust them perfectly, it is either they are good at middle to long distances or short to middle distances, but never short to long distances.

But I am pretty klutzsy and those Graflex.org directions are not the easiest things to follow.