Mounting a rangefinder on a 4X5 Deardorff Triamapro

[William Lowrey]

Has anyone out there ever attached a Kalart rangefinder to a Triamapro.Or do you know of some person or shop that can perform this feat? This was a factory option when the camera was new.I want to be able to hand-hold the camera for grab shots.Any help will be greatly appreciated....Bill Lowrey.

[Frank Petronio]

Why not buy a $100 Crown Graphic and not lower the value of the 'Dorff?

[Ernest Purdum]

I don't think correctly adding a factory option would lower the value of the camera. Deardorff literature showed the Triamapro with Kalart rangefinder installed.



Do you have the rangefinder already? The reason I ask is that I think the linkage needed to go from the rangefinder to the bed is probably unique to the Triamapro. The arm looks longer than others, which could be expected since the camera is larger than those on which the rangefinder was usually found. At the end of the arm is a little bracket which might also be unique. These items could, of course, be duplicated, bur unless very accurately done, the value of the camera would indeed be lowered. Doing it right would surely be expensive, difficult, or both.



If you can arrange easy transfer of lens from one camera to the other, Frank's suggestion is probably your best bet. The Triamapro is a wonderfully flexible camera but its virtues are way beyond those needed for handheld shooting.