TLR hood magnifiers

Hi

I've managed to buy two TLR cameras from Japan and both have hood magnifiers that don't work for my normal vision. one is a Minoltaflex and the other a Walzlex.

I spent a lot of time a few years ago trying to track down a decent TLR with a 4 element taking lens. Most of the Yashicas being sold, seemed to have the Yashikor lenses which are 3 element, the Yashinons only being on some higher models. Eventually I found an Autocord, with the usual broken focus lever and then the Walflex with the Kominar-S (4 element) lens but with the viewing problem. Then I bought a well used Rolleiflex from 1951 with a Tessar and found Nirvana as they say.

Since then I've bought a Minoltaflex with the same Rokkor as the Autocord, but without the focus lever issue, but with the magnifier issue. I managed to switch the magnifier lens from the Autocord to the Minoltaflex, so that's fixed, but the Walzflex still needs a solution.

Has anyone else had this issue and have a solution?

An optometrist who has access to custom lens sources?

You might want to try one of those Vivitar close-up filter kit. They come in different sizes and diopter strength. And there are many similar brands.

I used one of them for a Graflex RB SLR, since its viewing hood does not come with a magnifier.

They are very inexpensive to experiment with.

Look at reading glasses sold in drug stores (well, in the US). Try some on in the store with your camera and see if one of the diopters works for you. If so, they are made of plastic lenses that can be ground into the size you need.

The way a waist level magnifier usually works is that the magnifying lens has about the same focal length as the distance from the magnifying lens to focusing screen. If the focal length is exactly the same as the distance, then it produces a virtual image at infinity that your eyes can focus on, if your distance vision is ok. If the focal length is slightly longer or shorter than the distance to the screen, the virtual image is closer to or "further than" infinity. If your eyes are reasonably flexible, they can adjust to different magnifiers, but if not, then not. Sensitivity to different magnifiers may have to do with whatever is going on with your distance vision (not your close vision).

For example, my close vision is no longer good so I need glasses to see a WLF focusing screen without the magnifier, but my distance vision is ok, and with the magnifier, I don't need glasses.

The magnifying lens in a typical TLR is probably about 2-2.5" (5-6cm) focal length, about equal to a 4x-5x magnifying glass. It's much shorter than a typical pair of reading glasses (+3 diopter reading glasses have a focal length 33cm). I would experiment with cheap loupes or magnifying glasses in about the 3x-5x range. When you find one that works and is the right diameter, you could remove the lens and build it into your WLF.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I use a Toyo ground glass magnifier with a Rollei Automat. Works fine.

Dan Daniel said:

Look at reading glasses sold in drug stores (well, in the US). Try some on in the store with your camera and see if one of the diopters works for you. If so, they are made of plastic lenses that can be ground into the size you need.

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How do you locate center for grinding down?