Page II
Kalart Camera
The Kalart Camera viewfinder mystery
The Luminous View Finder, exclusive with Kalart, introduces a revolutionary way to see the area covered by the film and to keep your subject under constant observation in full life size.
As you look through the view finder, you’ll notice that the small range finder image is surrounded by a much larger black area in which you will see four white lines
forming a rectangle.
The numerals in these lines-127– for example, represent the focal length of your lens in mm.
Focusing should be done with one eye closed. After you have finished focusing, and
with the closed eye still shut– fix your gaze on the four white lines.
Make sure that all four are distinct.
Now and without moving the position of the head or camera, open the other eye .
As you do
so, the white lines are "transferred" from one eye to the other and appear to be projected around the subject.
The area within the projected white lines represents the area covered by the
film.
Thus you can observe the subjects action with full eye vision and keep your picture framed at the same time.
Rangefinder Focusing
This is the fastest most exact and simplest method and
your build in range finder has been carefully checked at the factory for
accuracy at all distances from infinity to 3 inch.
A closer focusing is done on the ground glass.
There are two (27 and 28) finders, one at
the top left and one at the top right.
Which ey to use depends entirely which one is easier for your individual eye to
focus with. It is essential that the eye not used for focusing has a clear view
on the subject.
The selector level (29) should be set in the correct position: left or right.
To focus hold the camera in such a way that the eye is close to the rangefinder
you have selected and shut the other eye.
In the approximate centre of the view finder you'll see a bright square image.
This is the rangefinder image.
Point the camera towards your subject and focus on some element in the subject
that has distinct lines. If you see two images the camera is out of focus.
To obtain correct focus turn the focusing knob forward or backward until the two
images merge.
If taking horizontal photos it is easier to focus on vertical lines.
If the rangefinder is not entirely sharp or clear, you may easily adjust it to
suit your eye by turning the range finder pupillary adjustment screw until the
image is sharp.
Sometimes due to a shock one of the images is slightly higher or lower than the
other,
You may correct that by inserting a screw driver or coin in the rangefinder parallel
adjustment screw (34) and turn it until the images are in correct alignment.
These pages are the original corrected print proofs before publishing the
Handbook for the Kalart Camera by mr. Morris Schwartz.
His brother Hy sent me this
copy back in 2004.
The pictures below may help you to understand the unusual way of focusing with two eyes opened.
You'll notice a left and a right focusing window on the front side of the Kalart.
On the opposite site, thus on the back, you'll find the two eye pieces.
In the middle
two smaller windows giving access to the incoming light which image shall be split by the range finder and projected on the black screen.
On the back there is a switch to choose for the left or right
eyepiece to look through.
One other switch enables or disables the focus spot which is very helpful in dark circumstances. Two beams of light on the subject shows if the camera is in or out of focus.
On both outer sides of the eyepiece you'll find a chrome switch to control the solenoid which activates the shutter, but before doing that, it switches the light on
from the focus spot.
Back side with the two eye pieces, left switch; "focus spot on / off".
Right switch; "left or right use of eye piece." In the middle the bulb
holder to change the bulb.
Big screw to set flash ignition for different kind of flash bulbs. Smaller screw below to adjust coincident range finder.
When camera back removed, the left and right black screens are clearly visible (1). Here the left one.
On front of the screen, (2) you'll see the eyepiece with 45 degree mirror to focus with the aid of the built in range finder (3) beam splitter.