Hello to all,

I have a recently purchased 4x5 Crown Graphic Special, with a Xenar 135 in a copal 1, a topmount (latest) rangefinder and a Grafloc back WITH fresnel.

My problem is that the rangefinder focus does not match the groundglass focus (magnified) but Does match the #'s on the bed. In other words, the rangefinder matches the bed but the GG matches neither.

I would greatly appreciate any tips you might have. If it requires a repair, could you recommend someone in the Santa Monica/WLA/Hollywood area?

Thanks for your time.

Gary Scott hevnlw8@aol.com

-- (hevnlw8@aol.com), January 09, 2001

Answers

Response to 4x5 focus

Your infinity stops are probably off. Put the camera on a tripod where you can see some object clearly that is at a great distance away. Loosen the infinity stops, being VERY, VERY careful not to loosen the screws very much (they are tiny and virtually invisible on the floor). Focus the rangefinder so that the object at a great distance is in focus. Viewing the image on the ground glass through a magnifier, slide the front lens standard back and forth until the image is sharply in focus. Lock down the front standard and lightly set the infinity stops. Move the focusing wheels a little back and forth, then carefully focus on the ground glass. Check the rangefinder image. It should be in focus, but you may have to do this several times to get it just right. Tighten down the infinity stops. If the focusing scale on the focusing rack is off a little, move it to coinside with the infinity position. Then focus with the rangefinder at about 10' and again at 6'. If the image on the ground glass stays in focus then you're in business. If not, you've got the wrong cam for the lens on the camera, and you're screwed.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), January 10, 2001.

Response to 4x5 focus

Gary...I think you are going to learn to like the camera once you learn to use it. I just want to remind you that there is a great website at * www.graflex.org * Full of a lot of useful information as well as history of the cameras. -Dave

-- Dave Richhart (pritprat@erinet.com), January 10, 2001.

Response to 4x5 focus

Didn't know a crown came with a fresnel. Maybe that is the problem. But the infinity stops are just screwed on so if the screws look tampered with then someone was probably playing with them -- if they are clean, I'd check the range finder first or the fresnel. Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), January 10, 2001.

Response to 4x5 focus

Crowns (or at least the late model that Gary has) did indeed come standard with a fresnel.

Of course, somewhere along the way may have disreassembled it (is that a word?) Ground side of glass should face the lens, and ridges of fresnel face the ground glass, with fresnel in front of glass. This is right for the Graphics, right? That's how most cameras seem to be.

But my first hunch, if the rangefinder cam matches the focussing scale, is that the infinity stops are off.

Now I wish I could find the mirrors and the cam (cheaply) for my Crown Special so I can get my rangefinder working.

-- John H. Henderson (jhende03@harris.com), January 11, 2001.