Atracksler Posted April 30, 2013 Share #1 Â Posted April 30, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) My visoflex iii arrived today (yay!) Â I finally figue=red how to mount it, and tried using my Voightlander 40mm, but couldnt seem to get anything to focus... Â I read that a 135 is a better visoflex lens, so I tried out my 135 2.8 Elamrit. Â When looking through the viewfinder, turning the focus didnt seem to make a difference, the only way i could focus was to manually move the camera closer to something and move back and forth until it came into focus, is this right? Â I feel really stupid asking this, but I'm asking anyway... Â How do you focus with a Visoflex? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 30, 2013 Posted April 30, 2013 Hi Atracksler, Take a look here Visoflex Focusing?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
sandro Posted April 30, 2013 Share #2 Â Posted April 30, 2013 It takes a bit to find out the working of a Visoflex. Using lenses on a Viso means you also need a focussing mount. Due to the fact that the Visoflex creates a larger distance between lens and film/sensor, there have been invented specific accesories. Several older lenses can be used on the Visoflex by unscrewing the lens head from the focussing mount, and then using one of the specific mounts. Several of these lenses make sens on a Viso in combination with a bellows, for macro pictures. It doesn't make sense to use a 135mm lens on a Visoflex for regular photography, since such a lens can be used on a Leica M anyway. I'll send you a pdf in a pm. Take some time to find your way in Visoflex-land, but once you begin to grasp it, you will like it. Good luck, Lex Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 30, 2013 Share #3  Posted April 30, 2013 Sounds as if Lex has you well in hand, Atracksler. Just to put a hard edge on it:  The shortest lens designed for use on the Visoflex (i.e., with focus to infinity) was the 65/3.5.  To use any lens on the Visoflex, you need a focusing mount plus the lens head.  IOW, you don't use the focusing mount that is part of your 135/2.8, but unscrew the lens head from that mount and substitute a short focusing mount specifically made to mate the lens head with the Visoflex. There are several of these, based on which lens you're using. For your 135/2.8 you need a 16462.  Here are pictures of a Visoflex with 65 Elmar and 16464 focusing mount to give you an idea.  Hope this helps. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/203770-visoflex-focusing/?do=findComment&comment=2311476'>More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 30, 2013 Share #4 Â Posted April 30, 2013 You need a good manual, Atrslacker : besides lenses usage (and their accessories for Viso, and bellows in case, with other accessories...), Visoflex III has also a mirror movement commanded by a three.positions button (at side... 3 points yellow / black /red) which must be understood well if one wants to use it at best... It's a rather complex device with lot of capabilities that, at the end, can be still very pleasant and useful. But you DO need other gear to use it.... apart macro usage, the only lenses that can be mounted on it without ANY other adapter are some long focus lenses from 180mm to 560mm (280 is the more "reasonable") : this makes the Viso a joy for collectors... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickp13 Posted April 30, 2013 Share #5  Posted April 30, 2013 this is maybe the 6th time i've posted this chart, but it always seems to come in handy for new visoflexers! Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/203770-visoflex-focusing/?do=findComment&comment=2311535'>More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 1, 2013 Share #6 Â Posted May 1, 2013 Actually normal lenses can be used, but macro only as they will not focus at longer distances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atracksler Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share #7 Â Posted May 1, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) the 135 2.8 elmarit needs a 16464, according to the chart, but ho_co says 16462... which do I need? or do I need both? Â I also got a bellows II will that solve my adapter dilemmas? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenper Posted May 1, 2013 Share #8 Â Posted May 1, 2013 the 135 2.8 elmarit needs a 16464, according to the chart.... Â Look closely at the chart again.... Â 16464 for the 135/4 head, 16462 for the 135/2.8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
120 Posted May 2, 2013 Share #9 Â Posted May 2, 2013 ... ...what is that scale you have taped on? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted May 2, 2013 Share #10  Posted May 2, 2013 Look closely at the chart again.... 16464 for the 135/4 head, 16462 for the 135/2.8.  Yes, 1968 pricelist does confirm (and note how the prices of the two versions of the lens, RF and Viso, do match the sum of the prices of their components... ) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/203770-visoflex-focusing/?do=findComment&comment=2312455'>More sharing options...
ho_co Posted May 2, 2013 Share #11 Â Posted May 2, 2013 ...what is that scale you have taped on? Â That's a home-made scale for exposure increase with lens extension. The M1 I show it on doesn't have through-lens metering, of course. Just haven't bothered to remove it with later cameras. Thanks for asking! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orient XI Posted May 6, 2013 Share #12  Posted May 6, 2013 In both these situations you will have only a very limited focussing range in the close-up region. For all lenses in their standard M-mounts the Visoflex III (and II) acts as a 40mm extension tube. Thus your 40mm lens will be 80mm away from the sensor (film) plane when focussed on infinity, and give a same size image of objects ~80mm from the lens. Similarly the 135mm lens will focus on objects ~ 600mm from the lens and give a magnification of ~0.291 (i.e. somewhere between a quarter and one third of life size. You may remember learning about the lens and magnification formulae in Physics classes. These are:- Lens formula  (1/image distance) + (1/object distance) = (1/focal length)  Magnification  image distance/ object distance  These formulae apply only to thin lenses and are less accurate when applied to thick or telephoto lenses but they will get you to the right ball park. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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