not scale focus nor 35's but...

[rolleistef]

Hello,
I just bought an Isolette that I cleaned, unstuck the focusing ring etc.
It's a Model II with an Apotar and (quite unusual, was often seen with the Solinar) a Compur Rapid that works except for 10 5 2 1 of course.
It's the first camera I have that doesn't have any focusing assistance. There even isn't any depth of field indication. I wanted to know how you evaluate the distance? Does it come with experience?

[huffy49]

Stéphane:

You have a number of options in determining the distance:
1. Use an accessory rangefinder like the Praxis, Telex, Watameter, etc. These come up on eBay quite regularly.
2. Carry along a small rangefinder or SLR to measure the subject distance.
3. For close distances, a tape measure is awkward but very accurate.

In time, experience and practice may well allow you to accurately "guesstimate" distances. In the larger formats such as the camera you mentioned, distance measuring is more critical than in 35mm use. You'll find, I believe, that the Apotar needs to be stopped down a good bit for decent perfomance.

Huffy

[pagpow]

Originally Posted by huffy49

Stéphane:

You have a number of options in determining the distance:
1. Use an accessory rangefinder like the Praxis, Telex, Watameter, etc. These come up on eBay quite regularly.
2. Carry along a small rangefinder or SLR to measure the subject distance.
3. For close distances, a tape measure is awkward but very accurate.

In time, experience and practice may well allow you to accurately "guesstimate" distances. In the larger formats such as the camera you mentioned, distance measuring is more critical than in 35mm use. You'll find, I believe, that the Apotar needs to be stopped down a good bit for decent perfomance.

Huffy

I would also add three other options:
1) hyperfocal distance focusing
2) zone focusing
(both widely described )
3) and looking at how much of the viewfinder is taken up by a six foot person and a child -- the height corresponds (inversely) to distance. After noting how much of the viewfinder is taken up by someone of known (or approximated) height and measuring the distance, you can perfect your estimates.

Finally, you can print out hyperfocal distances at various fstops, laminate the table and tape it to the back of the camera.

I, too, wondered about this when I started -- but it soon becomes a non-issue in the type of shooting appropriate to this camera, just as Huffy says.

[titrisol]

Yes with experience or a external rangefinder.
Hyperfocal shooting is a hoot....
At about f/8 if you put the distance scale in 10m is it will cover to infinity from ~3m
and if you set the distance in 3m it will cover the closer range (1 to 5m)

[rolleistef]

Hello,
thanks for resurrecting that post... In the meanwhile I managed to learn how to use the camera!
Zone focusing : impossible because there isn't even a depth of field scalle (it's an Isolette I as I later found out).
Hyperfocal : there are two little red dots on the focusing scale that can be used with another red dot on the aperture scale.
Experience : I discovered that I could accurately determinate what is the distance, no need for an external rangefinder then!
Btw the lens is fantastic! And using that camera is a real joy for street photography since the "model" isn't scared by the camera!
Best,

[kuzano]

Use one that you walk off... 30 feet is a little over 10 strides. That distance will be near the infinity mark on your lens. Walk this off until you have a feel for it visually. On f8 or smaller apertures (larger numbers) this will cover 15 feet to infinity.

Then get a feel for two other distances based on your height. Six feet is about your height away from you. 15 feet is about 3 times your height away.

Those three distances will cover most situations.

Convert for focus read in meters. 3 meters is 1.5 x your height. 6 meters is 3 times your height. Walk off the 30 foot distance for 10 meters and just get the visual feel for that.

Or as mentioned before, get a Watameter rangefinder to fit the shoe of your camera. They are very accurate if properly calibrated. Others are Voigtlander and those mentioned. You just have to transfer the reading to your front cell focusing camera.