Rolleiflex 6008 - Chimney finder redux - how does it work?

hankchinaski · Dec 27, 2022

How does the chimney finder work? I see it's got a turning wheel and numbers - is it a diopter thing? Or maybe it controls the degree of magnification? Do you see the whole image?

ic-racer · Dec 27, 2022

Although I have never owned one, I always figured they were more useful in the days of slow medium format lenses. Allowing better contact of the eye to the eyepiece so as to combat stray light compared to flipping up the magnifier lens on the waist-level finder.

I'm pretty sure it does not zoom.

btaylor · Dec 27, 2022

On other chimney finders I have had the knurled ring would be diopter adjustment.

wiltw · Dec 27, 2022

btaylor said:
On other chimney finders I have had the knurled ring would be diopter adjustment.

Yet the Chimney finder pictured has values engraved from 0 to 9 ...so they are not directly diopter values, which typically would be from -4.5 to +4.5
Nevertheless, that dial is a diopter selection, so one has to simply rotate the dial until it looks 'best to you' and have no idea of the diopter value of that selection?!
That box says specifically that the finder fits the Rollei SL66 of the 1970s. I have no idea about compatabilithy to other Rollei medium format bodies.

Pieter12 · Dec 27, 2022

Try asking Eric at Rolleiflex USA.

JPD · Dec 29, 2022

I think the ring is for focusing and not diopter adjustment.

John Will · Dec 29, 2022

JPD said:
I think the ring is for focusing and not diopter adjustment.

The ring is for adjusting from +0.6 -to -2.1 diopters. see detail from Rollei catalog below.

Rigid magnifying hood

1976 - 1991

Increased viewfinder image brilliance. Adjustable achromatic magnifier enlarges the screen image 2½× times and by rotating it, the magnifier will adapt from +0.6 to -2.1 diopters. Three identically built but differently named versions: #208 9641 (Rolleiflex SLX), #760 087 (Rolleiflex 6006) and #760 097 (Rolleiflex).

Pieter12 · Dec 29, 2022

JPD said:
I think the ring is for focusing and not diopter adjustment.

Isn’t that pretty much the same?

JPD · Dec 29, 2022

John Will said:
The ring is for adjusting from +0.6 -to -2.1 diopters. see detail from Rollei catalog below.

Rigid magnifying hood 1976 - 1991 Increased viewfinder image brilliance. Adjustable achromatic magnifier enlarges the screen image 2½× times and by rotating it, the magnifier will adapt from +0.6 to -2.1 diopters. Three identically built but differently named versions: #208 9641 (Rolleiflex SLX), #760 087 (Rolleiflex 6006) and #760 097 (Rolleiflex).

Pieter12 said:
Isn’t that pretty much the same?

The diopter of the magnifier is the same, but focusing it compensates for your vision. In some finders you had to replace the magnifying lens with one of another diopter strength to adapt it to your vision.

hankchinaski · Jan 2, 2023

John Will said:
The ring is for adjusting from +0.6 -to -2.1 diopters. see detail from Rollei catalog below.

Rigid magnifying hood 1976 - 1991 Increased viewfinder image brilliance. Adjustable achromatic magnifier enlarges the screen image 2½× times and by rotating it, the magnifier will adapt from +0.6 to -2.1 diopters. Three identically built but differently named versions: #208 9641 (Rolleiflex SLX), #760 087 (Rolleiflex 6006) and #760 097 (Rolleiflex).

Thanks!

JPD · Jan 2, 2023

Was my explanation seen as rude or something?

hankchinaski · Jan 3, 2023

JPD said:
Was my explanation seen as rude or something?

Not by me, actually very useful .

Rolleiflex 6008 - Chimney finder redux - how does it work?

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