Android range finder app?

kingbuzzie · Apr 21, 2018

Anyone have experience with range finder apps? I bought my first folder from certo6 (perkeo I with color skopar)! Uncoupled Range finders are surprisingly expensive on eBay, even the questionable ones. I thought I would try an app until I get the hang of zone focus or find a rangefinder. That is unless someone has one they are willing to send me for cheap....

DWThomas · Apr 21, 2018

I'm not quite sure how one would go about that, as a normal optical rangefinder uses two optical paths a known distance apart. I suppose an app could use a magnified image from the camera plus, assuming it's possible, a manual focus slider and a distance display. I've not looked. But I have a Perkeo II and another folder and did in fact acquire some accessory rangefinders -- and virtually never use them, don't even carry them along with me. I think you can develop reasonable skill at estimating the distances. Now if doing a lot of closeup stuff, accuracy is more critical, but a)those folders aren't very good for that, and b) you can use a tape measure!

I do agree the prices on those accessory rangefinders can be scary. certo6 used to periodically auction one and prices used to head toward maybe people thought a camera came with it!

kingbuzzie · Apr 21, 2018

I looked a few apps up, but they look complicated. I agree about the rangefinder prices, even though his camera prices I find reasonable for the cla and functional bellows included.

DWThomas said:
I'm not quite sure how one would go about that, as a normal optical rangefinder uses two optical paths a known distance apart. I suppose an app could use a magnified image from the camera plus, assuming it's possible, a manual focus slider and a distance display. I've not looked. But I have a Perkeo II and another folder and did in fact acquire some accessory rangefinders -- and virtually never use them, don't even carry them along with me. I think you can develop reasonable skill at estimating the distances. Now if doing a lot of closeup stuff, accuracy is more critical, but a)those folders aren't very good for that, and b) you can use a tape measure!

I do agree the prices on those accessory rangefinders can be scary. certo6 used to periodically auction one and prices used to head toward maybe people thought a camera came with it!

wiltw · Apr 21, 2018

Golf rangefinders depend upon trigonometry to work...the height of the flag above the ground is standardized, rangefinders imply need to measure the angle (top to bottom of flag) and use the Tangent function to compute distance.
The inverse of the golf rangefinder is for the measuring item (e.g. rangefinder camera) to have two optical windows separated by a known distance, so calculate the distance to object with one side of the triangle at the camera.

Eric Rose · Apr 21, 2018

Head to a pawn shop and buy a used laser rangefinder used for hunting. I picked one up for $75.

John Koehrer · Apr 21, 2018

ebay, search laser rangefinder. As long as it's close it doesn't need high accuracy.
I just estimate distance with car lengths. Two c/l = about 30-35'

blockend · Apr 22, 2018

A rangefinder is useful for determining exact subject distance at wide apertures. If that's what you require you'll need a built in or accessory rangefinder. For everything else there are workarounds. My Olympus XA3 has focus symbols for portrait, full length people and landscape, and they hit the mark as often as any other. You can achieve the same by determining distances and marking your lens barrel with three dots of Tippex. A number of my cameras, including the Voigtlander Bessa L and Zeiss Ikon Nettar are simple viewfinder cameras with only the scale to judge distance, and they work fine.

Modern digital cameras overcome the lack of triangulation with contrast or phase detect AF, or you could use a builder's laser. if you really struggle use an autofocus camera.

mshchem · Apr 22, 2018

I bought a laser rangefinder from eBay max distance is something like 150 feet? I use it with my G617 Fujica. Works great even up close, I think it's around 35-40 bucks. Also look for an old Kodak Service Range Finder, I paid 3 bucks for mine. Given sufficient light it works great, mine is from late 40's

ransel · Apr 22, 2018

I have used this for years for my zone focus cameras:

https://tomchuk.com/misc/rf/

Fill it in, generate the card, print it out, cut to size, tape it to a scrap of matte board, and keep it with the camera. BTW, I have a Perkeo I as well, with the Vaskar f/4.5.

narsuitus · Apr 22, 2018

kingbuzzie said:
Anyone have experience with range finder apps?

I just carry a rangefinder camera with my folder.

kingbuzzie · Apr 22, 2018

ransel said:
I have used this for years for my zone focus cameras:

https://tomchuk.com/misc/rf/

Fill it in, generate the card, print it out, cut to size, tape it to a scrap of matte board, and keep it with the camera. BTW, I have a Perkeo I as well, with the Vaskar f/4.5.

That's pretty neat! Looks like a great way to learn. I'll try it.

mgb74 · Apr 22, 2018

blockend said:
A rangefinder is useful for determining exact subject distance at wide apertures. If that's what you require you'll need a built in or accessory rangefinder. For everything else there are workarounds. My Olympus XA3 has focus symbols for portrait, full length people and landscape, and they hit the mark as often as any other. You can achieve the same by determining distances and marking your lens barrel with three dots of Tippex. A number of my cameras, including the Voigtlander Bessa L and Zeiss Ikon Nettar are simple viewfinder cameras with only the scale to judge distance, and they work fine...

Most of the 35mm zone focus p&S have wide angle lens (or at least semi-wide) which helps with DOF. But most of the older MF folders to not. I make a point of using ISO 400 film in my folders to allow smaller apertures and therefore greater DOF. I do have an uncoupled accessory rangefinder that I use on occasion.

ic-racer · Apr 22, 2018

Minox users (like myself) have been using their own eyes for rangefinding for years. I don't have a picture of my MInox but this picture shows the principle. Each user's scale will be different depending on the length of your arm and your interpupillary distance.

In case you don't understand. Hold the camera at arm distance, fix your eyes on the subject and the left-hand side of the camera body is super-imposed over the distance scale.
Minox users will be correct to predict the top camera's focus knob will have a "FEET" scale and the bottom one a "METERS" scale.
(This is the same principle as indicated in post #9 above).

guangong · Apr 22, 2018

Someday I will try out both ransel’s and ic-racer’s methods, especially the latter’s since the less I have to carry the better. Yet, I must add that in all my years since the 1960s using Rollei 35, Retina B and Minox I never felt the need for a rangefinder although one may come in handy with MF cameras.
In fact, sometimes I find using a rangefinder can cause one to be a little too fussy when in the act of actually shooting pictures.

DWThomas · Apr 22, 2018

Actually my biggest problem with focusing my folders is just plain forgetting to do it! I'll shoot half a roll at non-critical scenic views, then crank it in for a closeup, and forget to crank it back out for the next shot. Most of my non-folders are rangefinders, auto-focus, or SLR/TLRs where the ground glass tells me right away to "focus!"

Joannet8 · Jun 4, 2020

I'm not sure if I can find it but it didn't work out

John Koehrer · Jun 4, 2020

You could just get an inexpensive and small digital rangefinder on the bay.
I picked one up at a thrift store for about $4.00 the brand name is dimension master. It says the range is to ~50ft by that point it's just guesswork
anyway. I just car lengths as a basis, my Hyundai Kona is about 16-17 feet long. obvious ly works better at longer distance.
The digi rangefinder is great at closer.

zanxion72 · Jun 10, 2020

The best things you can give yourself is first learn to estimate distances and exposure by yourself. There are cases where exposure will be a bit way off, but most light meters will fail sometimes too. Distance estimation, unless you are doing a macro shot, does not have to be spot on.

Android range finder app?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency