I'm intrested in how to properly use the wire frame finder on a Crown Graphic. i.e do you center the round reticle in the rectangular frame? or do you place you eye as close as possible to the reticle and center the rectangular frame w/in the circle of the reticle? Also how useful if the range finder? Is scale focusing suitable for subjects 10 feet or further from the camera ? I'm just trying to figure out if it is worth the expense and effort to have the rangefinder adjusted.

Based only on my experience, here are the answers to your questions, in order: yes, yes again, very, yes. Keep in mind that what you see in the wire frame finder is only an approximation of what will register on the negative. Take a few shots of some varied subject matter and keep notes as you go with regard to what you (thought you) saw in the finder and what the film caught.

Adjusting the rangefinder is not that big of a deal; there are instructions somewhere on this board, I think. Once you have the rangefinder properly calibrated with your normal taking lens, you'll find it indispensible. I was once shooting an interior detail at a distance of about eight feet in a situation of almost pitch black darkness, where focussing on the ground glass was out of the question. But I was able to focus precisely with the Kalart and a flashlight aimed at the subject (another way is to aim the flashlight from the subject to the lens/ground glass and focus on the light spot, but that requires two people or some place to wedge your flashlight while you focus). By the way, that was a long exposure shot on b/w chromogenic roll film, lit by multiple flashes from a Vivitar 2800.

Good luck and happy shooting!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2004-03-10 08:11 ]</font>

Ditto that. The frame finder is one of the earliest viewfinder designs, and one of the best, especially if you use the parallax correction feature provided on the lower limb of the vertical frame.

Success with scale focusing depends on your ability to estimate distance accurately, but I definitely would adjust the rangefinder.

For focusing in near (or complete) darkness, the old Kalart "Focuspot" is a neat and very workable accessory.

You didn't indicate which Graphic you are using. On all Graphics, there is a parallex adjustment which must be made to the sports finder in order that the correct field of view be shown.

On most models, when you pull up the finder, note that there are settings on the side for 8', 15' and infinity. On the later ones, the adjustment is on the eyepiece finder instead.

Thank you for your replies...I have 2 crowns, 1 Special and 1 Side RF. I will attempt to calibrate my range finder on the side RF crown. Also will search for the missing cam for my Crown Special... I can't wait to do some hand held shooting with these cameras...

[quote]
On 2004-03-10 08:08, Henry wrote:
By the way, that was a long exposure shot on b/w chromogenic roll film, lit by multiple flashes from a Vivitar 2800.

This intrigued me. Just after I read this email I purchased a used Viv 2800 for 10 bucks on ebay. It's still on the way, but I would like to hear more about how you use it with your graphic.

Dan Rigney

Sorry for the delay in responding; I was out of town for a week.

Congrats on your 2800 Vivitar purchase; if it's in good working order, you got a nice deal there. I have a Century Graphic (2x3) and use 120 roll film exclusively. I soldered together a home-made accessory shoe out of some pieces of brass shapes from the hobby shop, spray-painted it flat black, and mounted it on the top right side of the camera case above the Kalart rangefinder, using a small bracket that came already attached to the camera when I purchased it used. I had Paramount make me up a bipost to Vivitar cord, and I'm good to go with my all my Graphex M-F-X shutters/Optar lenses. Of course for long exposures such as the one I described, you don't hook up the flash, just open the shutter and fire away repeatedly; otherwise you'd use the X-synch setting. Number of flashes with long exposure is mostly by guess, although the chromogenic has such wide exposure latitude that it's not hard to get a printable negative out of almost anything within reason. For more exacting film stock, with shorter shutter times, I use a Gossen Luna-Pro F meter in flash mode to determine exposure. HTH

Wow, thanks Henry. I'm looking forward to pllaying with the eletronic flash. I also have the flashbulb attachment but realize that I wont always be able to get the bulbs. A decent and adjustable flash like the 2800 should fit the bill. Not sure how I will mont it yet, thogh I saw how a friend of mine made a sort of reverse flashgun with pieces of a 2x4 this weekend.