Direction of rotation of RF vertical alignment adjustment screw

[Richard G]

After getting my M5 back for the third time after adjustments to the frame lines I took it out today and discovered that the RF vertical alignment is out. Focussing in from infinity, the main viewfinder RF component was higher than the accessory RF window's image. Weary of traipsing back to the repairer to have it adjusted yet again I did it myself. Luckily I left the lens on. The little grub screw is very shallow and seems much smaller once it's out and it nestled up against the lens mount before i realized it was free. A 15 degree or less anti-clockwise rotation of the adjustment screw fixed the alignment. Very satisfying. Initially I was turning the wrong way, unable to find anything on this by Google search. So the image moving right as you focus closer being high requires an anti-clockwise adjustment.

 

[tj01]

On the M2, if the static image is higher, then you turn it clockwise to get it aligned.
Anyway good post if anyone else has this issue.

 

[mooge]

actually, the 'screw' is an eccentric which pushes a component with a prism or lens up or down. if you rotate the eccentric a full 360 degrees, the component will just go up and down and back up to where it started.
so if the component with the lens was at the middle height, the eccentric could be either offset left or offset right, and given the same direction of turn you'd either raise or lower the component.

so, there's no set direction to achieve anything. just turn the 'screw' one way, check, and see if you were right. you can't really break anything.

 

[Richard G]

Thanks Mooge. So based on tj's and my experience I should modify my suggestion to 'start with an anticlockwise turn of 15 degrees and check the results'.

 

[mooge]

actually, in my experience, 15 degrees can be way too much. a little turn at first and then visual inspection is what I'd reccommend...