Orako

[Rich Silfver]

Got my black-mount ORAKO today and apart from looking pretty cool - this orange filter really does make the rangefinder window quite contrasty and easier to focus with.

If used in darker places it seems to make the window a tad bit too dark - but in regular daylight it works very well.

ORAKO on Leica III(F)
http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/60270543.jpg


ORAKO on Leica III(F) #2
http://www.pbase.com/rsilfverberg/image/60270541.jpg

[laptoprob]

I have a little piece of an orange slide (filter mistake, it was not a BW slide) behind the rangefinder window of my Bessa T. It does help. I don't like it at the whole-image window though. It makes the pic too dark.
In my IIf I have no filter at all. The rangefinder patch is a little yellow anyway...

[juggler]

I have tried the method described by Rick Oleson at this thread Fast Cheap Easy Rangefinder Fix. (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6910)
I am still trying to get hold of some orange gelatin paper to try out the if the effect is similar or better.

[Bill58]

I hate to be a dumb a_ _ , but what is an ORAKO?

[Skinny McGee]

I have one on my 111A "orako" is an old latin word for "cheaper than having your mirror resilvered"

[Bill58]

Strange--I took Latin for 3 yrs, but don't remember that word. Also they had LTMs then?

[Solinar]

I bought the later IIIf as opposed to your IIIF and it has an OKARO filter rather than your ORAKO filter with it. Leica and their product codes - I doubt if it is Latin.

Anyway, as you said, this puppy really does work. The RF patch is a bright spot in the center of an orange field. The contrast between the two images makes focusing a snap. I since bought a second one for my other IIIf.

By the way, that's a nice close up of the IIIF. I like the lighting, too.

[Solinar]

I believe the above post is correct. ORAKO is most definitely the Latin expression for "cheaper" than having your mirror resilvered. OKARO came in to useage during the IIIc and IIIf epoch.

[butch]

Several years ago, upon reading the advice of Todd Fredrick or Bob Todrick (never could keep those guys straight) I used a snippet of exposed film leader to give contrast on a IIIc and an X-pan I. It helped.

[thafred]

I also toyed around with Filters and the like for bringing RF contrast up....(didn´t know that there is a geniune part to order!) ...anyways what worked best for me was the most simple aproach: Just use a black Edding marker and draw a spot exactly in the middle of the RF window front (diam of 3mm works well....using ethanol you can allways get rid of it) this leaves the RF brightness alone and increases contrast quite nicely!