Rolleicord parallax correction adjustment question

[Dan Daniel]

I wonder why anyone would have wanted to remove the parallax compensation mechanism from a Rolleicord? I have never seen one without it.

Most likely the mechanism is still there. But it is actuated by attachment to the lens board. It's not hard to miss or forget to reattach it after work so the frame becomes static instead of moving back and forth in response to focus changes (i.e. lens board movement).

You can shine a flash light onto the ground glass and see if you can see the frame bar at the top or bottom of the frame. Most likely the bottom. If no bar then someone must have taken it out for some reason hard to understand.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Parallax is the offset that comes from looking at the same object from two different points in space. Anything short of moving the viewpoint to the same point in space will still have parallax. Frames, prisms, etc. are crude ways to give a rough idea of framing changes, not much more.

I learned this the hard way decades ago. I framed my young daughter standing in front of the Oh Nuts! store on Broadway, holding an umbrella in the rain. The Rolleiflex viewfinder correctly showed the edges of the frame. But it did not -- could not -- account for the changed perspective of the umbrella in the frame between viewing and taking lenses. The umbrella did not occlude the sign in the viewfinder, but did block the taking lens's view. Live and learn.

 

[BrianShaw]

A great example of why it's important to learn and remember in practice both physics and geometry!

You are not alone in that experience.

I simplified my life, in that respect, by getting a H...

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Holga!

 

[What About Bob]

Most likely the mechanism is still there. But it is actuated by attachment to the lens board. It's not hard to miss or forget to reattach it after work so the frame becomes static instead of moving back and forth in response to focus changes (i.e. lens board movement).

You can shine a flash light onto the ground glass and see if you can see the frame bar at the top or bottom of the frame. Most likely the bottom. If no bar then someone must have taken it out for some reason hard to understand.

There is no frame or bar in the finder. The serial number on mine is 1331255. Appears to be from the years 1952 to 1953, Rolleicord III type 2 model.

 

[What About Bob]

Hi Bob. The parallax difference is less than 1/4 inch. I’m visualizing the mask in my Vb and would measure it for you if it weren’t packed away. It’s very easy and effective to compose a bit generously and crop rather than compose to the very edge of the frame.

Thanks Brian

I'll give a little leeway.

 

[ic-racer]

I learned this the hard way decades ago. I framed my young daughter standing in front of the Oh Nuts! store on Broadway, holding an umbrella in the rain. The Rolleiflex viewfinder correctly showed the edges of the frame. But it did not -- could not -- account for the changed perspective of the umbrella in the frame between viewing and taking lenses. The umbrella did not occlude the sign in the viewfinder, but did block the taking lens's view. Live and learn.

Yes, that! And trying to use the TLR through a chain-link fence!

 

[ic-racer]

Minolta made a device called a Paradjuster to do something similar to the Mamiya device but set for the right lens distance for the Autocord, which is the same lens distance as the Rolleicord.

View attachment 369589

Nice!

 

[Rolleiflexible]

There is no frame or bar in the finder. The serial number on mine is 1331255. Appears to be from the years 1952 to 1953, Rolleicord III type 2 model.

Serial number and model do not matter. All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords had the mechanism. Are you certain yours lacks it? It's a pretty subtle mechanism. I wasn't even aware it existed until I read about it. And even then it took some close observation to see it in action. There is nothing in the viewfinder that calls attention to it. Finding a Rolleicord without parallax correction would be like finding one of those stamps with the upside-down airplane.

 

[What About Bob]

Serial number and model do not matter. All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords had the mechanism. Are you certain yours lacks it? It's a pretty subtle mechanism. I wasn't even aware it existed until I read about it. And even then it took some close observation to see it in action. There is nothing in the viewfinder that calls attention to it. Finding a Rolleicord without parallax correction would be like finding one of those stamps with the upside-down airplane.

Oh wait a minute here. When I close focus, the top portion of the frame has this cut-off that gets introduced. When I focus in the other direction the bottom part gets this same cut-off Is this that feature? I just noticed this now.

 

[What About Bob]

Most likely the mechanism is still there. But it is actuated by attachment to the lens board. It's not hard to miss or forget to reattach it after work so the frame becomes static instead of moving back and forth in response to focus changes (i.e. lens board movement).

I do see a cut-off bar on top when near-focused and a bottom cut-off bar when far-focused. Is this it? If so I have been totally missing it.

 

[BrianShaw]

Problem solved; your concern has been resolved. Congratulations!

 

[What About Bob]

Problem solved; your concern has been resolved. Congratulations!

Do I win a Holga?

 

[JPD]

Serial number and model do not matter. All Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords had the mechanism.

All Rolleiflexes except the Original and Standard models. All Automat 'flexes and Rolleicords do, from the first model to the last.