Adjusting side mount Kalart Rangefinder on a 4x5 Crown Graphic

[SteveinAlaska]

Recently acquired, I have assembled 4 lens/shutter combinations for it. Found the adjustment information online and have read through it. Looks pretty cut & dried to me. As an auto mechanic from 1970 to 1990, I can read through a service manual and determine what actions I need to go through to accomplish a set task.
Yet in conversation with other photographers with experience in using Speed Graphic/Crown Graphic cameras, it sounds like adjusting the rangefinder either takes a fair amount of time to set up or the results are less than satisfactory with me being advised to use the ground glass.
My plans are to use this with a 120 6x6 roll film back in which I would use a specific lens with that roll of film, changing lens as I use other films. I am living in Fairbanks Alaska so there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor landscape and wildlife shots.
Now back to my mechanic days, I found myself rebuilding Buick Dynaflow automatic transmissions, so after that experience I am not intimidated by anything mechanical. So I ask those of you with experience adjusting a Kalart Ragefinder, what's the secret for making them work? Do you have a "secret" trick in your adjustment procedure?
Thanks for any and all help given here.

 

[cjbecker]

I have done the adjustment a few different times, it is not hard, but takes 10-15 mins to get it correct, however It is not something that I would do changing lenses. Its a set it for one lens and use just that lens for the rangefinder. I will have my other lenses set up with other focus scales on the bed. I have one speed’s rangefinder set up for a 135, but also have a focus scale for a 210, if I am using 210 lens, the camera will be on a tripod taking a portrait, so no rangefinder needed. Only candid pictures are taken with the 135/rangefinder and the camera works great for that.

 

[shutterfinger]

The Kalart needs a clean and lube after time just like any other mechanical device. Sometimes you have to remove the rangefinder from the body and clean out the shaft and bushing for the operating arm.
The Kalart can be adjusted for one lens only in a range of focal lengths up to 162mm. Use of additional lens requires a focus scale on the calibrated to lens and each additional lens. Rf ficus, read the focus scale for the calibrated lens then transfer that distance to the lens in use scale. Graflex factory focus scales were custom made for each focal length as optically measured as lens can be up to 5% of the marked focal length either side of the marked length. The scales are two piece, bed and yoke. Each has a number on the back side. There is no reference for which yoke indicator matches which bed scale. The bed scale numbers are http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/Grafscalst.gif

Now that you have a clean and smoothly operating RF verify the arm inside the body moves the shaft as far as it will go with the yoke fully retracted into the camera case with the eccentric set to the neutral position as shown on page 5 figure A and the 25 -15 foot adjustment at the top of the scale. Some shafts have flats, others do not. With the yoke fully retracted turn the shaft toward the back of the case with the arm in contact with the eccentric then tighten the set screw. The set screw is 3/6 hex head.

A infinity target at least 5000 feet away is needed for the infinity adjustment, further is better. I put a solar filter over the mirrors and use the sun although the moon will work.
Use a fine detail target and set at 25 feet measured from the film plane, ground glass focus with a good loupe and set the 25 foot distance scale. Recheck infinity and 25 feet until both are in perfect confidence.
Graflex set infinity with the yoke fully retracted from 1912 to 1946, 1947 onward the yoke was set .040 ± .010 inch forward from fully retracted. Set the yoke as desired and lock the position before setting RF infinity and return to this position after making the 25 foot adjustment.
Once infinity and 25 foot are good then set the 8 foot setting,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1...=sharing&resourcekey=0-Fnkr9CfqOmJOVsEgCtTchg

 

[Donald Qualls]

i've adjusted the Kalart on my Anniversary Speed just one time, when I mounted the 135 mm Tessar that's almost the only one I use on that camera. As noted above, it wasn't difficult, with instructions in hand, but it took me a little longer than fifteen minutes (if I did it more than once in fifteen years, I'm sure I'd get quicker at it).

 

[btaylor]

Never built a Dynaflow trans, but adjusting my Kalart was a 15-20 minute job.

 

[cjbecker]

What lenses do you have for it?

 

[John Koehrer]

Mr. finger and I usually disagree what photographic is. He's got many years of experience over me, but still.

It only needs to be several hundred(500?) times the focal length of the lens. When working we used a light pole about two-three blocks away for any infinity adjustment
when using a ground glass.

 

[shutterfinger]

It only needs to be several hundred(500?) times the focal length of the lens. When working we used a light pole about two-three blocks away for any infinity adjustment
when using a ground glass.

That's playing DOF.
127mm f1 @ 500 feet = 265 to 4446.5 feet; @ 5000 feet = 505.6 to infinity
127mm f2 @ 500 feet = 180 to infinity; @ 5000 feet = 266 to infinity
135mm f1 @ 500 feet = 280 to 2230 feet; @ 5000 feet = 564 to infinity
135mm f2 @ 500 feet = 154 to infinity; @ 5000 feet = 299 to infinity

I prefer not to play DOF when calibrating.

 

[SteveinAlaska]

Mr. finger and I usually disagree what photographic is. He's got many years of experience over me, but still.

It only needs to be several hundred(500?) times the focal length of the lens. When working we used a light pole about two-three blocks away for any infinity adjustment
when using a ground glass.

For my infinity reference points, I am 1/2 mile either direction to the stoplights at the major intersections and/or I can go to the soccer fields and focus on the powerplant smokestack which would be just over a mile from my location. I have decided to use the Wollensak 101mm f4.5 Velostigmat lens mounted in an Alphax shutter to use with this 6x6 roll film back as this combo would closely match my 3 German folders, a Zeiss Ikonta 532/16 with a Zeiss-Opton Tessar 80mm f2.8, Voigtlander Bessa 6x9 RF with Helomar 10.5cm f3.5 and the Bessa 6x9 Anastigmant Voigtar f4.5 11cm. Appreciate the help and advice from everyone.