$5 Pocket Rangefinder

This morning I had a flash of inspiration. The rangerfinder off of a

Polaroid 240 (or just about any models from that series of

electric-shutter packfilm cameras) makes the perfect pocket

rangefiner. $5 Refers to the average price of this virtually

worthless camera.... since the batteries for them are generally so

expensive and most examples Ive seen have corroded shutters. I had

taken the rangerfinder off some time ago with plans to add a dial or

something to it... but this morning I realized I didnt need a dial.

The rangerfinder/veiwfinder combo on the 240 can be removed from the

body with a little force. When you get it off its a nice

self-contained box with circular rangefinder and parallax correcting

veiwfinder. The rangerfinder is engaged by a small lever on the front.

 

This morning I went out into the backyard with a 50 foot tape measure,

a barstool, and a fine-tip Sharpie marker. It close-focuses right at

4 feet and reaches infinity at 50 feet... all you need for most

folders and small veiwfinder cameras. I chose distances of 4' 5' 6.5'

9' 12' 20' 35' and 50'... this is a pretty good range and most of them

come out close to even meters as well. I set my barstool up at each

distance and then marked right below the lever for each setting. Then

I taped a little peice of paper to the bottom and made a chart with

each distance in feet and meters (for those anceint german cameras).

The lever is a little small, so Im thinking of glueing a little longer

plastic handle onto it. Also, Im going to ask around and see if I

can't find a busted flash and cut the mount off and liquid-nails it

onto one side.

 

Today I went out with an old Franke Werke folder and used it. Since

the Polaroid had a standard veiw-angle the veiwfinder can be used with

any camera with standard veiw-angle lens as a composition preveiw.

Its alot easier to hold this tiny box to my face as im walking around

and not have to worry about walking into a light-pole with a 70yo

camera... Also if you look through the veiw-finder backwards it gives

you a 1.5x zoom... so its like a really low-power pocket telescope.

Its durable, easy to calibrate yourself, and super cheap. I'll put up

a pic when I get the chance.

And yet again the parts of Americian history are reduced to the parts of us Scots and Jews. That is great. I will look for one the next time I go second handing. I wonder if this theory will work with the Kiev 35a? The range finder was set up for larger format. so allowed more room for error and was massed produced. But hell it can't be any worse than a Russian one at 3 x the price.

 

Larry

And us Irish ;) Since the Polaroid only close focuses to 4 feet you might have to make up other ways to determine closer-focusing 35mm cameras. For closer focusing you can determine specific lengths with your arms. If I stand sideways and hold my arm out with my fingers extended... from the center of my chest to the tips of my fingers is pretty darn close to 3 feet. If I am looking through the veiwfinder of a camera and hold my arm out in front of me with my fingers extended, its about 2 feet from the tips of my fingers to the lens of the camera. I guess 6 feet by imagining myself laying down on the ground.... but after 6 feet I have a terrible time guessing distance... thus my need for a rangefinder!

Oh yeah and if you are looking for cameras to do this with make sure it has the rangefinder and not just the veiwfinder. I think Polaroid sporadically made some models with rangerfinders and some without. And if you are in the dark about what im talking about... check out this pic...

<br><br>

<img src="http://polaroids.theskeltons.org/img/240.jpg"><br><br>

 

Notice that the rangefinder/veiwfinder is a completely isolated self-contained element which is attached to the camera by a hinge and a magnet that holds it in position.

Check out Jim's Polaroid collection page to see which ones have the rangefinder...<br><br>

 

<a href="http://polaroids.theskeltons.org/d240.htm">http://polaroids.theskeltons.org/d240.htm</a><br><br>

 

Then check out this site to see what you can do with some other of the parts from the pack-film camera...<br><br>

 

<a href="http://www.eastcamtech.com/Pol110B.htm">http://www.eastcamtech.com/Pol110B.htm</a>

Och Aye,laddie--

 

LMAO

OYE!! VEY !! Laddie .

 

WEG