Hello

I recently bought a visoflex II with the adapters I need for Telyt-work (oubio) plus some other stuff. However, the image is very week and when taking off the magnifyer and looking at the glass between the magnifyer and the reflex unit (i.e. the top glass on the reflex unit), it is indeed very dim. It looks like a very fine frosted glass, very even and nice, so I'm wondering: is this as it is supposed to be or does it need replacement or cleaning? I unscrew the topplate of the reflex to be able to take out the glass, and it is only on the bottom side it is "frosted". If I wipe it with chemical benzin it clears away, but when the benzin evaporates after 3 seconds it is there again. Please help!

Thomas

-- Thomas Krantz (c.nylander@mail.dk), January 12, 2002

Answers

It should be "frosted"--that's where the images is being focused (like the ground glass in a view camera). Make sure you put it back with the proper side down; if it gets flipped over, your focus will be inaccurate.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotography.com), January 12, 2002.

Your Visoflex is perfectly ok. They *are* dim, in comparison to modern SLRs.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 12, 2002.

Thanks guys! You just saved me for an unnecessary trip to my Leica repairman! One more question. The prism in the magnifyer looks a bit "tired" in the glass, i.e. when you take the oddshaped glass out, it looks af if it fogged (almost like an old 50's lens. It's only on the surface, it has not affected the glass structure. What is the best cleaning solvent for glass surfaces like these (it is not coated)?

-- Thomas Krantz (c.nylander@mail.dk), January 12, 2002.

Thomas: I like to use the lowest-risk method first, so I would start with a regular lens cleaning liquid, like Kodak, etc. If that doesn't work although you didn't say the surface seems oily, you might try ROR (residual oil remover, also available in camera stores). These are safe for lenses and optical glass.

And if that doesn't work, let us know, and we'll go from there.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 12, 2002.

Odd that "They *are* dim, in comparison to modern SLRs" I don't have a Viso II, but my Novoflex reflex housing (similar to a Viso I )is VERY bright--so much so that I have no trouble focusing my 200 mm f4.5 Telyt and my 300 mm f5.6 Kilfitt stopped way down (a good thing, since they don't have auto. or even pre-set, diaphraigms). I always thought this was because the mirror was so much larger than a modern SLR. I know the thinner Viso II has a smaller mirror, but I didn't think it was THAT much smaller.

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), January 12, 2002.

When I replaced my Visoflex II with a Nikon Ft and subsequent F's, I always regretted losing the big, bright viewfinder of the Visoflex. I don't think a Visoflex with a good prism will be dim. I suspect the prism.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), January 13, 2002.

Thomas:

I have a Viso I and Viso III. The Viso III is brighter than my R4, or a Nikon F with an adapter to use the Viso lenses on it. It sounds to me like the prism may have some fungus, or other uniform particulate build-up on it. I recently cleaned my Focomat 1 and found a build-up on the condenser similar to residue from cigarette smoke. When I cleaned it with Kodak Lens Cleaner, I gained about 2 grades on contrast.

Enjoy, the Viso's aren't dead yet. I enjoy it more than I do the R4.

Mark

-- M.A. Johnson (logical1@catholic.org), January 13, 2002.