How Dr. T does it!

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ed Romney told us how to check focus on a camera by painting a white line
and looking at the slide with a 10x magnifier.

Here is how Dr. T does it:
 
He has a very powerful 30x achromatic focusing magnifier, made to check
camera focus.  He obtained this from Shilo of Japan.  Here is the
procedure:  Set camera on tripod about 20 feet from the back of car to read
the license plate.  Ideally, camera is on shade and car on full sun (full
sun is a precious commodity in snowy Cleveland!)  Remove camera back.  Set
camera at T (Realist; others at B with a locking cable release) and wide
aperture (3.5 or, lucky ones, 2.8)  Place ground glass (also obtained from
Shilo, height of 35 mm film) over film gate, ground side facing lenses. 
Place magnifier over ground glass and focus.  Observe image of license
plate.  Pan camera so license plate moves from left to right.  Observe
sharpness and light fall-off at edges.  Focus so letters look sharp.  Check
focusing dial.  Problem if not at 20ft.  Test each lens.  Problem if not
both sharp at same correct distance.  

How to fix focus problems???  I wish I knew.  I am sure Romney or Ron
Zakowski know.  At this point and time I can only diagnose the problems.  I
have a box of Realist cameras that have such problems and I am waiting to
find time (?) to learn how to fix them!

Note:  Red button viewer only magnifies 5x.  30x magnifier is much better! 
10x magnifier is OK too if that's the best you can do.


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