Gawd I'm such a newb. 35mm RangeFinder pro's, need help inside!

[AaronLLockhart]

Alright, I have mucho experience shooting with SLR's. I thought that shooting a rangefinder would be similar, until I figured out that you can't focus a rangefinder through the viewfinder, as it doesn't see through the lens. Some of you may already know that I just added a 1959 Kodak Retinette IA to my camera arsenal. THe camera wasn't working at all when I got it, and I disassembled it, cleaned it out, fixed the broken parts and put it back together. Then, I sent a roll of film through it earlier and took it to a 1 hour photo place to check it for light leaks and any other exposure issues it might have.

Well, It exposes VERY well. In fact, I like the photo results from it WAAAAYYY better than I like the results from any of my SLR film cameras. Anyway, The only part I don't like about it, is the fact that I can't figure out how the hell to focus this thing. I had a crazy system earlier, but after sitting down, looking at the lens, and reviewing it, here is what I have come up with. Tell me how far off I am, or how to use this thing if any of the info I'm about to guess is wrong.



Alright, I've created a make shift diagram here after taking a picture of the lens system on my camera.

Now, I know that #1 there is a DoF calculator. I also know that Ring #3 corresponds with ring #1 in measurements of feet in which DoF is visible. In other words. I know that where the thing is set right now, at f/16 it will have a DoF visibility of 3.5ft in front and nearly 10ft behind the subject.

My question is this. Do I line marker #2 up with Ring #3 in terms of how far my subject is away in feet from the camera to get it in focus correctly (I wasn't doing this before, this is my guess AFTER all my pics turned out blurry and staring at the camera for 30 minutes)? In other words, if something is 3.5ft away from me that I want to photo, to I rotate the dial #3 to 3.5 and then shoot?

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[SCraig]

If it's truly a rangefinder camera then there is a split-image rangefinder in the viewfinder. Look through the viewfinder and you should see a double image. As you focus the images will merge together and at that point it's in focus.

 

[skieur]

The usual approach to focusing a film rangefinder camera is through the viewfinder. There is usually a yellow frame and a yellow square in the middle. What you see through the yellow square is the double image of something in your scene. You then adjust your focus until the double image becomes ONE. It is then in focus.

skieur

 

[Derrel]

The arrow, #2, is the Focusing Index. #3 is the distance scale. #1 is the DOF scale.

Set the focusing distance underneath the arrow, and you ought to be good to go. I don't believe that camera is actually a "rangefinder", but is technically instead called a "viewfinder" camera, with scale focusing. Scale focusing is what one does with a viewfinder camera. Now, *if* you reassembled the lens correctly after the strip-down, the focusing scale ought to work properly; if however, the lens assembly has been mis-assembled, the scale will be off. (speaking from experience here...)

 

[SCraig]

Nope, I just looked. No rangefinder on this one, it's manual focus only. You might find some useful information on This Site.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

no matter what I focus to, this is what I see in the viewfinder.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

Nope, I just looked. No rangefinder on this one, it's manual focus only. You might find some useful information on This Site.

Scott, I have been there and downloaded the "manual" that goes with this camera. Turns out it's not even close to the same camera. The further I get into this, I find that either:

1. This camera is a different model than the ones shown in that manual

or

2. This one is from a different country.

There are visual markers on the focus ring on the camera in that manual... Some versions of the camera have pictures, and some have dots, signifying what situations you would need which focal distance. However, this has neither; just numbers. This is why I was assuming that you put the marker even with the distance in feet your subject is, and voila.

 

[Derrel]

It is a viewfinder camera; it has no rangefinder. Focusing distance must be set by the user.Google Image Result for http://www.thecamerasite.net/07_Viewfinder_Cameras/Images/Kodak_Retinette_IA.jpg

 

[timor]

Looks like there are different versions made for US and Europe. Yours is American, distances are in feet. This one is a "hybrid" with both: feet and meters but different lens and possibly shutter :
Kodak Retinette 1A - Rangefinderforum.com

 

[Rick58]

This thread is finally something I understand. Down in the ditches, hard core photography. Did you find the answers you're looking for? Another very important use of your #1 scale is for setting your hyperfocus distance, or max. depth of field. Say you are shooting at f11. If you set your infinity mark on f11 and find the distance at f11 on the other side of the scale, everything from that distance to infinity will be in acceptable focus.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

Thank you guys for all of the info. I was focusing all wrong, and after reviewing one of the pictures that were blurry it seems right. I took a picture of a Mustang that was about 11 feet away. Now, laugh if you want, but I lined the "ft." on the focus ring up with the number on the DoF guage in reference to how far away it was. In other words, the car was 11 feet away, so I moved the "ft" marking on the focus ring to the f/11 mark on the DoF guage, which is why the grass 4ft away was in focus.

So, now that I understand how to use the damn thing.... time to go back out and shoot another roll. lol.

It should be a rule that everyone who ever starts photography should have to start with a camera like this, so that us dumbass kids don't get spoiled over using a dSLR, which AF's and calculates all of this crap for you.

I have taken photographs for a pretty long time; about 7 years now. However, I'm doing photography for the very first time now.

 

[Rick58]

Well said buddy

 

[Fred Berg]

You will learn more than you realise about the basics with that camera. Enjoy using it!

 

[obscure.individual]

I have taken photographs for a pretty long time; about 7 years now. However, I'm doing photography for the very first time now.

well said, gonna sig this later

 

[timor]

I have taken photographs for a pretty long time; about 7 years now. However, I'm doing photography for the very first time now.

Wait until you put in this Retinette some b&w film and start to develop yourself. It's gonna be quite different kind of satisfaction, what you will feel.