Voigtlander Brilliant... Focusing help please

Asha

Asha

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Asha
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I think I already have the answer to this problem but would like input from you guys to be sure.

This is the camera:

Voigtlander Brilliant

voigtlanderbrilliant2a.jpg

Shot at 2012-08-28

This is the problem:

Lack of markings on the lens focusing ring...there does appear to be a vertical line just above where it says "gruppe"...possibly a scratch...If it is the marker for focusing then i have a problem as the lens is at this point screwed fully home which unless i am mistaken will be correct for infinity????

voigtlanderbrilliant2b.jpg

Shot at 2012-08-28

If I mark the lens ring at the point marked by the arrow with the lens screwed "fully home" then I'm presuming the lens will be set at infinity and will focus pro rata for the other distances as the lens is turned (unscrewed) anticlockwise......Is this going to work or not??


voigtlanderbrilliant2cc.jpg

Shot at 2012-08-28
 
Casting my mind back to when i had a voigtlander brilliant

There was a overlay on the lens with a red arrow for focus distance, it went on the two holes you can see. It also limited the focus by hitting the 2 protuberances above portrait and landscape

your scratch is in the approximate place but you have your lens screwed in a turn too many
 
1978406675_2341268bd8.jpg


Its not exactly the same as yours but you can see the ring on top of the lens, which yours is missing
 
robhooley167 said:
your scratch is in the approximate place but you have your lens screwed in a turn too many
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help Rob...Trust me to pick up a dud :bang:

So you reckon if I back screw the lens the best part of 1 full turn so the scratch falls on infinity all should work out ok with focusing on the other settings??.....well here goes nothing then :gag:
 
Asha said:
Thanks for your help Rob...Trust me to pick up a dud :bang:

So you reckon if I back screw the lens the best part of 1 full turn so the scratch falls on infinity all should work out ok with focusing on the other settings??.....well here goes nothing then :gag:
Click to expand...

It should do, not guarantees though, it's been over a year since i last picked up my Brilliant
 
I agree with Rob about the part being missing my one is the early model same as robs photo, but the focusing looks the same but upsidedown compared to mine



with my one you turn the lens clockwise for portrait and anti clockwise for landscape..but yours looks like it works the opposite way round..

If I unscrew the left hand stop pin/screw from the camera ( the one by the landscape setting ) I can only just turn the pointer past where the stop pin was before the lens bottoms out and stops..if that makes sense.

I found some information on the web about the focusing distances once but cant remember where, but no doubt if you play about you should be able to get some reasonable pictures out of it.

I took mine apart and cleaned the lenses and after putting it back together was surprised with the images that it took..

 
I have exactly the same model as you, but mines got the missing bit on it.

Mine has a red pointer inbeteewn the two screws, looking at the front of the camera about 20 past it says portrait and 1.2m. 25 past is 2m around 25 to it says groupe and at 20 to paysage and the infinity symbol.


Hope that makes sense and is of some help.



Just read it back and I am confused :bonk:
 
Tissue paper. Open the back, place tissue paper over the film area, check focus in image on paper.
 
Thank you all for your help.

The tissue paper idea actually makes a lot of sense......I have measured the focal length of brass lenses by holding them away from a sheet of paper and measuring the distance when the image comes into focus.....The tissue paper actually works in a similar way in which the ground glass screen works on a LF bellows camera.

Knowing where the red pointer would lie if it were there is a great help and the fact that the lens is only a fraction away from "bottoming out" when focused at infinity gives me a much better idea of where to start out.

Putting all your suggestions/ideas and info together, I reckon i will be able to sort it with a bit of trial and error.

Again, many thanks!
 
:thumbs: it's a cracker is that tissue paper faux ground glass trick... I did the same using a piece of tracing paper with my Pinholga to open up the front plate and lose the vignetting without creating any additional lightleaks.
 
I've been meaning to do same with my box camera, I did a similar experiment with holding the camera under a ceiling light and adjusting the camera till the bulb focused but I'd like to confirm it.
 
Many thanks to all you guys... Took all your help on board including the tissue paper test and I've run a test roll through the Brilliant......If the focusing isn't spot on then it sure isn't far off .....was zone focusing ever spot on??....i think not! :D

1.2 meters F/6.3

neg12brillianttp.jpg

Shot at 2012-09-12


2 meters F/22

neg3brilliantretouchedt.jpg

Shot at 2012-09-12


Infinity F/22

neg2brilliantretouchedt.jpg

Shot at 2012-09-12


Infinity F/22

neg1tp.jpg

Shot at 2012-09-12
 
I don't want to be picky but unlike Rob and Steve-B's Voigtlander Brilliants yours appears to be a Brillant, was there a reason for the name change?
 
I believe the German/European ones were Brillant, ones for the English market were Brilliant.

Andy
 
RaglanSurf said:
I don't want to be picky but unlike Rob and Steve-B's Voigtlander Brilliants yours appears to be a Brillant, was there a reason for the name change?
Click to expand...

They are actually the "Brillant" series of cameras.....many variants for differing countries ....the english version came to be known as "Brilliant"....have a look here

EDIT: Btw Brilliant in French is Brillant!
 
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Asha said:
They are actually the "Brillant" series of cameras.....many variants for differing countries ....the english version came to be known as "Brilliant"....have a look here

EDIT: Btw Brilliant in French is Brillant!
Click to expand...

Good knowledge Asha, I knew there had to be a logical explanation.
 
Too late you say, may I direct the honourable member for That London to post 16.....;)
 
Andysnap said:
Too late you say, may I direct the honourable member for That London to post 16.....;)
Click to expand...

When did you sneak that one in Andy?.....I'm sure it wasn't there earlier :thinking:....Av you been sucking up to them mods with jaffas to get special manipulating settings on your TP ?:D
 
Brilliant...Brillant....I know one thing Asha, those are a dam fine set of pics...
 
Steve-B said:
Brilliant...Brillant....I know one thing Asha, those are a dam fine set of pics...
Click to expand...


Thanks Steve,
They came out much better than I expected ....I have to confess that I wasn't confident they would be in focus whilst i was shooting........it made taking the effort to compose, mess with a tripod, cable release etc a bit of a drag tbh but hey, it turned out to be more than worth it!
 
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