frank_lambert Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I want to get an accessory rangefinder that I can use on my MF folders. I have no idea "what's good and what's not", other than I want one that reads in "feet" and can be mounted on an assessory shoe. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.... Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_w3 Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 When I bought a Voigtlander Perkeo II some years ago, it came with a Watameter, a German made rangefinder which is very accurate and easy to see, with bright framelines. There are lots of different brands out there, though. Make sure you get one that matches your distance scale (meters or feet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I have a Brownie brand one. Best to buy it where you can see it, since there's always the possibility that the half-silvered mirror is shot. Walz of Japan made lots of quality accessories in the 1950's and 1960's, I would trust one of theirs. There's also the Kodak Service Rangefinder, but it's an acquired taste. It is not overlapping image, it is split image. I think more awkward to use, Kodak insisted that it was a more accurate method -- if you have a sharp line to "split". No half-silvered mirror. The only maintenance that all these rangefinders could really need is zeroing out the infinity setting. Or, pitching it if the mirror is no good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_gillespie Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 voigtlander accessory r/f is excellent, try e bay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 About the only people who still use these things so far as I am aware, anyway, are hunters. Try a sporting goods store and you may find a new one for sale. For eBay or other searches, some names of rangefinders from the days before coupled RF cameras, much less SLRs, search for names like Kalart, Kodak Service Rangefinder, Saymont, and Chess-United to mention brands still available in 1950. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan flanders Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 The mechanical RF's made for hunters and golfers are usually calibrated in in yards and are less practical for photo use than ones made especially for photos. Watch eBay for a week or so in the Leica pages and you will probably see several suitable ones; Waltz to Leitz, and for a few bucks to a hundred or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_moore5 Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I also use the Voigtlander accessory shoe rf which is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.th Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 matching scales, on lens and rf is a nice touch imo. a rangefinder readout at 1.8m, sort of loses its meaning if the closest markings on the lens are at 2.5m and 1.2m (which probably doesn't apply to any lens,-)... though, if you stop down generously and can figure out approximately where 1.8m is, i suppose it'd be close enough.. <br><br> my only experience with these is a voigtlander rf. matches the scale on my camera, and works well. i think it's the same design that fotoman is now selling new as an accessory to their lf cameras (someone correct me if i'm wrong). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick j dempsey Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 the rangefinders for hunters and golfers usually are designed for distances well beyond the infinity of just about any lens. a rangefinder that starts working at 40 feet is pretty much useless for photography. theres also a paper rangefinder somewhere in the logs of this forum that you use both eyes to find distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.droluk Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Fotoman Camera is currently manufacturing a modern optical rangefinder patterned directly off of the famous Voigtlander design. It is available in either feet or meters, and is specifically designed for mounting on cameras. Find it on the Products/Accessories page here... http://www.fotomancamera.com<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumo_kun Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 I have 2 I got of the bay recently. I have a Watameter II and 2 Medis meters, all in feet scale. The Watameter is quite famous from my searches on the net but the build quality is poor and the finderitself is small and squinty. TIt didn't even fit in my accessory shoe so I had to file the foot down. Not a good meter. The Medis is a much better one. It looks better for a start and it is very solid. The finder is only a little better than the Watameter but the focus wheel is much smoother. The foot is also the proper size. Its smaller too. And cheaper. It cost me around $10 and it works. Just needed a bit of calibration and it was set to go. If you go for a well known name brand meter like the Voigtlander or Leica etc, expect to pay for the name and not necessarily in quality (Leica may be excepted). There were a lot of meters on the bay when I was looking for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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