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Kalart RF help again
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AuthorMessage
danny
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Wed May 26, 2004 11:06 pm

Hi I'm Danny from Norway, I'm all new to Graphic, so please be nice....

I traded for a Crown Graphic with a side mounted Kalart RF and also a top monted RF with the red battery button. It came with two lenses, a 162/4.5 Raptar and a Ektar 127/4.7 which I beleive comes from a Polaroid 110.

I'm planning to only use the Raptar and think I need a RF adjustment. I've been reading everything I can find on the subject and have taken a peek inside. But I can't find the eccentric screw for infinity adjustment. I can see those two scales for and aft, the side adjustment screw on the mirror, the angle adjustment for the prism and a stop screw at the rear. Other than that there is only two more screws, one is the fastner for the prism and the other is the both the whole thing to the base.

Can someone please point me the the correct screw or are there none?

Thanks
Danny
Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1662
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 12:01 am

The eccentric screw is not on the rangefinder itself but rather is located on the yoke assembly. Rack the yoke all the way out and you'll see it appear just behind the brace on the right-hand (rangefinder) side; it has an adjustment slot which faces you. This is for the Century; I assume the Crown is similar.

By the way, the official name for this part in the manual is "Bracket Assembly - Rangefinder". Graflex had a language all its own!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2004-05-26 17:12 ]</font>
danny
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 1:28 pm

Thanks Henry, will take a closer look tonight.

danny
danny
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 5:49 pm

Now I'm confused. By yoke assemble I thought You meant the arm on the inside which follows the rail.
But I can't find any eccentric screw:-(

Today I tried to set the RF to infinity and slide the lens into focus. Then I adjusted the RF at an object at 15', unscrew the slider at the rear and brought the spot to alignment. Back to check if the infinity was still okay, everything's fine so far. Then I focused on an object at 4' and checked the the focus on the glass and found it way out. Adjusted the front slider and rechecked infinity and 15' and everything is out of alignment. Started from the top again for about 10 times and still nothing better. I need to to find this eccentric screw so I can adjust the infinity setting before I can solve this or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks,
danny
t.r.sanford
Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 812
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 6:31 pm

I think the eccentric is attached to the bracket that's clamped onto the track -- if the lever is the follower, the eccentric is the cam. Rotating it allows you to make minute adjustments without having to keep unclamping, repositioning and reclamping the bracket.
Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1662
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 7:20 pm

T.r. is correct. Try this, Danny: trace down that arm on the inside that follows the rail, and at its bottom you'll see the eccentric adjustment; of course, the arm is no longer in contact with the eccentric when the yoke is racked all the way forward. Try looking when your front standard is locked against the infinity stops and you're focussed at, say, 100 feet on the scale.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2004-05-27 12:21 ]</font>
frohnec
Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 57
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 7:36 pm

I am new to Graflex cameras but I just went through this exercise the other night.

This is what I learned.

Yes the eccentric screw is on the right side rail. The screw is for fine adjustments.

There is an arm that connects a shaft pertruding into the camera body to the eccentric screw. The arm rides on a slot where the eccentric screw is. The arm has a hex type set screw that sets the arm on the flat spot of the shaft.
My camera came with the arm detached from the shaft. I tightened the arm on the shaft and tried to focus infinity with absolutely no luck after 5 or 6 attempts. I decided to loosen the hex screw and adjusted the arm just a little in the direction I though would help and presto I was able to focus on inifnity.
Luckily for me all the other focus adjustments 15' and 4' were dead on.
ON this web site there is an excellent link to a manual for adjusting the Kalart rangefinder.

Don't forget there is a another adjustment on the side of the range finder that will bring the objects in line.

Good luck
danny
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 8:03 pm

Thanks a lot! I can see clearly now what I've been looking for, and yes it can be turned with a coin, just like it said in the manual. Now I've got to give it another try before it get too dark outside.

Thanks again, also for taking Your time to try to understand my humble English,
danny
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