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View Full Version : Linhof focus spot for rangefinder - anyone made their own?



EH21
18-Dec-2012, 13:12
Hi,
I've got a linhof Technika IV with the cap to attach a focus spot. I understand that some laser pointers or other lights can be adapter to this? I've tried shining a key chain flash light into mine and only get a soft round spot.... hmmm...

Thanks,
Eric

EH21
18-Dec-2012, 13:21
ahh a laser pointer does work but only when its carefully placed! This is good. I'll have to find something like this.

Bob Salomon
18-Dec-2012, 14:10
Be careful where it points to! Especially if you are taking human or animal portraits!

EH21
18-Dec-2012, 21:43
Bob,
Can you recommend any lights? What was originally fitted to that?
THanks,
Eric

Bob Salomon
19-Dec-2012, 02:20
Kalart

Ivan J. Eberle
21-Dec-2012, 15:39
I used a cat toy LED in my Kalart Synchronized RF with the Focuspot accessory, by first gutting the internals of the Focuspot.

The LED is brighter by magnitudes than the Focuspot bulb and can be used in broad daylight (unlike the old bulb arrangement which was only usable at night). Cheap low-power LED red lasers are more on the order of a slightly diffuse bright red dot than pinpoint burning devices--which is what you want. Some can be made slightly more diffuse by unscrewing the lens. Too, a RF isn't going to work on close head shots due to parallax problems so don't shine it in people's eyes. this set up can be a very useful time-saver for RF iterative calibration with the adjustable Kalart when setting up a new lens.

But I don't think that your typical red handheld keychain (or cat toy) LED laser will be instantly blinding your subjects. It's more of an annoyance than any big threat to vision. Probably more dangerous to the pointer or photographer, who might themselves get shot dead by someone who thinks you're laser targeting them with a red-dot aiming device on a pistol.

Jac@stafford.net
27-Dec-2012, 11:40
I have a couple of them and have experimented with small lasers - which did not work for me at all because most of the light passed through the half-silvered mirror.

If you have the opportunity to get the real thing (not uncommon on that big auction site), you will find that it projects an image of the bulb's filament, not something like the Kalart adverts show it. It is powered off a flash unit's accessory plug, but you can make your own battery setup.