Where did you assume the film plane to be? Many folders and some of the simpler TLRs have a rather wide film channel and it's up for debate (or rather testing) where the film rests. My guess is that right after winding, it should rest back against the pressure plate due to curl. But after a while, or through suction when opening a folder, the film could move forward. Correct infinity focus very much depends on this issue.Maybe there were lots of bad repairmen in the past. My statement is based on some observations I took with a recently acquired autocollimator from a forum member. After reading this thread I have been checking my cameras for focus accuracy at infinity, using the reflection of a collimated target off real loaded film (following these instructions: https://learncamerarepair.com/downloads/pdf/NatCam-Auto-Collimators.pdf) and have been blown away by just how bad most of them are. They were so bad that it made me wonder if the autocollimator's calibration was off, but I tested it with a mirror and by testing the infinity focus of a lens in my DSLR (with a known good infinity, tested by taking a picture of a building a mile away right before the test), and that combination tested near perfectly. In comparison, my TLRs and folding cameras have been stupendously bad, returning focus error at infinity of an actual focal point around 30-50m. Why haven't I noticed this before? Well, infinity is well within the hyperfocal range at 50meters/f11 and I am guilty of racking the focus all the way to infinity rather than thinking about hyperfocal range most of the time. One of the more interesting tests was that several of the lenses I sing the most praise of on this forum (Hasselblad 60mm, Mamiya TLR 80mm) "just so happen" to have the best infinity calibration, and the lenses I have often said I "got a bad copy of" (Mamiya TLR 65mm, Perkeo II color skopar) are the most out of calibration...
Have you considered that it might be quite on purpose and that you might have “fixed” something that shouldn’t be fixed?
Have you critically checked performance at closer ranges after the infinity adjust?
Where did you assume the film plane to be? Many folders and some of the simpler TLRs have a rather wide film channel and it's up for debate (or rather testing) where the film rests. My guess is that right after winding, it should rest back against the pressure plate due to curl. But after a while, or through suction when opening a folder, the film could move forward. Correct infinity focus very much depends on this issue.
But folders are more often than not front cell focusing. And some TLRs are too (linked gear ones and Rollei Magic for example).I had that thought as well (that I am adjusting something out of position), but I have two reasons for thinking that I am not:
1. Modern or "pro" cameras test with their infinity position very close to true infinity. A Fuji GS645W, a Hasselblad 500C/M and my Nikon D5500 both were right on the infinity mark, so I am not off calibration.
2. I was so surprised by these results I reached out to someone who repairs cameras for a living and he confirmed that most TLRs he sees have their infinity set wrong. He speculated that this may be intentional (partly confirming your suggestion!) because the original manufacturers surreptitiously thought a little bit of backfocus would increase the depth of field and make people more happy with their cameras. The question remains, should we rectify it? He said he sets real infinity when he performs his CLAs to bring them into congruence with modern standards. I will take your suggestion to do some critical close focus work and check to make sure the focus scale is still accurate at close distances, as I agree it could change.
Yeah this is an interesting and important concern. I tested using the reflection off film loaded in the camera, per National Camera's instructions. I think this is the best thing to do because often in folding cameras the film does not sit on the pressure plate, or on the rails but rather somewhere in between. I did test for the open/close suction problem in my Ikonta 521/16 and it caused only a very very small change in the focal plane. Probably not enough for it to ever matter. I will test for it in other cameras as I go as I have always wondered if it is really a big deal or people are just imagining that it could be a problem. It will be interesting to know if it is mostly camera-specific or across the board a non-issue.
But folders are more often than not front cell focusing. And some TLRs are too (linked gear ones and Rollei Magic for example).
Front cell focusing has as mentioned a sweet spot zone, where they work best.
It would make sense to optimize for that.
When you take infinity shots, you more likely than not stop significantly down (and use a tripod or the build in stand), which would compensate for the intentional slight “misalignment”.
Most of these cameras, at least from reputable manufacturers, where carefully bench calibrated during assembly, with shims and body to lens matching.
There is clear evidence of that, when you have taken some of these apart.
Such calibration shouldn’t shift If the camera is otherwise in good condition.
Exactly what I do. Halfway between 15m and infinity and f16 or higher does the job perfectly for a catch-all.For infinity shots, like landscapes, one trick is to set the focus ring slightly in front of infinity so your focus is at 20-30 meters and then stop down to 16 so that infinity is well within the depth of field. Then the lens is closer to its sweet spot, the corner sharpness will be at its best for most triplets and Tessar-type lenses, plus that more of the foreground will be in acceptable focus.
Yes, and you can often remove the shim and still adjust the front element so it focus at infinity, but then you have shifted the sweet spot where the corrections are at their best, so that's not recommended.
By the by, the above is also a reason not to trust build in rangefinders and especially coupled ones.
The rangefinder might be reasonably precise in itself (or not), but the lens and coupling will most likely not be. And never can be.
This will only really be a problem close up, at full open aperture. But that is exactly where you need the rangfinder the most.
Beyond two meters it is not hard at all to judge distances accurately enough.
So don't shoot non closed down, close up, with a folder and expect a sharp result of a single precise subject.
Close down and bring an off camera flash and/or tripod.
Not at all.Maybe we should all just shoot pinhole cameras instead and have less to worry about
Seriously though, I think your advice is very good advice for how to get the sharpest pictures out of any folding camera. But that's not the question of this thread, the question of this thread is which folding camera is the sharpest. And of course, lens quality differences tend to only present themselves at wide apertures which one might use in low light, or at a close range...when a rangefinder would be used! So if your answer to the question "what is the sharpest 120 folder" is "none can be used for anything but long range stopped down shots" then the answer really is that there is no sharp 120 folder.
I've had to replace bellows on two GS645...The fixed 75mm lens in the GS645...the lens is probably better than Fuji needed to use.
Ain’t that the truth.
Sharpest lens in a folder I’ve used with the Perkeo II a very close second.
Looks very nice and sharp! Which lens do you have on your Balda? I have one with the Tessar style Ennit 80mm f/2.8. Very sharp in the center, but I've found it can be quite soft towards the edges, even stopped down a bit. Wondering if one of the triplet options might not be sharper or if variation between cameras is the greater factor. Still takes great pictures and I love everything about the camera other than the soft corners.I also have a Balda Super Baldax folder which is a little on the heavy side, but not as much as the Certo.View attachment 266321
Funny. The leaf shutter on a metal body. Back in the 50sthe acceptable handheld shutter speed for a folder was 15.The sharpest folder is the one that's on a tripod.
The sharpest folder in my experience was a Retina !a w/ a silver nose Kodak Ektar 50 3.5 lens. That thing was almost too sharp. The Xenars were my favorite lens on the tiny Retina cameras. Not as clinically sharp as the Ektar, but excellent IQ. More like a Leica lens of that period.
For MF folders, the sharpest and best folder lens was on an ancient scale focus Voigtlander 6x9 camera w/ an uncoated Heliar and a neat folding wire viewfinder. It made negatives that were sharp and had more of a 3-D look. I never should have sold that camera. They're very hard to find these nowadays w/ that lens/camera combination.
Breath out and hold before you shoot. Like with a sniper riffle.
Rifle marksmanship techniques regarding breath...No, breath in and squeeze the shutter.
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