wilt
Well-known
Ran a test roll through a Konica Auto S3. Focusing is off, very off. Is it at all possible to calibrate at home?
Adjust rangefinder on Konica Auto S3
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PhotoMat
Well-known
You can easily fine tune the rangefinder infinity adjustment by yourself. Open the camera back and you will see a screw on the upper left film rail. (See photo). This screw is merely a cover -- remove it and you can then access the rangefinder horizontal adjustment screw.
I used the full moon as an infinity target. The adjustment was simple and my S3 is now quite accurate. Good luck!
Matt
I used the full moon as an infinity target. The adjustment was simple and my S3 is now quite accurate. Good luck!
Matt
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wilt
Well-known
Thank you very much for this information!
daredreamer
Newbie
Hi, I've got a focus problem with my S3, does anybody know where the vertical adjustment screw is?
pinkarmy
Well-known
Mablo
Well-known
The horizontal focus error of my KAS3 looks better now, thanks to PhotoMat. I can now use the camera but there is still some vertical focus error left. Any ideas how to DIY adjust it?
Mablo
Well-known
Found some more information about this:
1) how to take the top off:
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/2833.html?1100490851
A vague description of how to adjust the vertical rangefinder focus:
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/26851.html?1366510718
1) how to take the top off:
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/2833.html?1100490851
A vague description of how to adjust the vertical rangefinder focus:
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/26851.html?1366510718
gma
Newbie
I just had to tweak the vertical alignment on my S3, and found this thread useful, but the links that Mablo posted are broken.
Mablo's first link, for getting the top cover off, is currently available on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/2013052...sics/forum/messages/6901/2833.html?1100490851
If that link also expires in time, here's my summary of what you need to do to remove the top:
- Pull the film rewind knob up, then insert something (e.g. a small bar) into the claw at the base of the shaft.
- Unscrew the rewind knob, using the bar to prevent the shaft from turning. Be careful not to lose the very tiny washer that's inserted between the shaft and the knob!
- Make sure you don't close the camera back for the rest of this procedure, as you need to be able to pull up on the rewind knob to reopen it, and now that you've removed it you'll find that tricky!
- There's a small screw under the rewind knob; undo that to release the left end of the top cover.
- Unscrew the small disc on the top of the film advance lever; it has two small holes in the top that are designed to be turned with a "spanner wrench". I've heard people have had success with very fine-tipped pliers, but I bought a spanner wrench on eBay. You can also get them from micro-tools.com.
- Remove the rewind lever and the small metal plate beneath it, and remember the orientation so you can easily put them back the same way later.
- Unscrew the small nut (it doesn't look like a normal nut) that's on the top of the film advance shaft. I used my spanner wrench to undo this too.
- The top cover will now lift off, but be careful not to damage the short wire that connects the hot shoe to the camera. It's long enough for you to rest the upturned top cover on the back of the camera, with the lens facing down.
- If you don't remove the shutter button, it will fall out, so you should lift it off now. Note the orientation; the notch faces the rear of the camera.
To adjust the vertical alignment you'll want to turn the small screw just to the right of the hot shoe, near the back of the camera. There are actually two screws there, but you'll soon work out which one I mean; one's holding stuff together, the other is just a screw sticking up in mid air. You'll need a screw driver with a very thin blade to do this; the slot in the head of the screw is very narrow.
Adjusting the screw while looking through the view finder is tricky, but I held the top cover in place (so the wires and soldered joints didn't get stressed) by lightly taping it to the camera body.
Putting it all back together is easy enough; you just do the same things in reverse. Hopefully that'll help the next person who wants to adjust the vertical alignment on their S3 Auto or C35 FED!
Mablo's first link, for getting the top cover off, is currently available on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/2013052...sics/forum/messages/6901/2833.html?1100490851
If that link also expires in time, here's my summary of what you need to do to remove the top:
- Pull the film rewind knob up, then insert something (e.g. a small bar) into the claw at the base of the shaft.
- Unscrew the rewind knob, using the bar to prevent the shaft from turning. Be careful not to lose the very tiny washer that's inserted between the shaft and the knob!
- Make sure you don't close the camera back for the rest of this procedure, as you need to be able to pull up on the rewind knob to reopen it, and now that you've removed it you'll find that tricky!
- There's a small screw under the rewind knob; undo that to release the left end of the top cover.
- Unscrew the small disc on the top of the film advance lever; it has two small holes in the top that are designed to be turned with a "spanner wrench". I've heard people have had success with very fine-tipped pliers, but I bought a spanner wrench on eBay. You can also get them from micro-tools.com.
- Remove the rewind lever and the small metal plate beneath it, and remember the orientation so you can easily put them back the same way later.
- Unscrew the small nut (it doesn't look like a normal nut) that's on the top of the film advance shaft. I used my spanner wrench to undo this too.
- The top cover will now lift off, but be careful not to damage the short wire that connects the hot shoe to the camera. It's long enough for you to rest the upturned top cover on the back of the camera, with the lens facing down.
- If you don't remove the shutter button, it will fall out, so you should lift it off now. Note the orientation; the notch faces the rear of the camera.
To adjust the vertical alignment you'll want to turn the small screw just to the right of the hot shoe, near the back of the camera. There are actually two screws there, but you'll soon work out which one I mean; one's holding stuff together, the other is just a screw sticking up in mid air. You'll need a screw driver with a very thin blade to do this; the slot in the head of the screw is very narrow.
Adjusting the screw while looking through the view finder is tricky, but I held the top cover in place (so the wires and soldered joints didn't get stressed) by lightly taping it to the camera body.
Putting it all back together is easy enough; you just do the same things in reverse. Hopefully that'll help the next person who wants to adjust the vertical alignment on their S3 Auto or C35 FED!
fer_fdi
Well-known
thanks a million, gma !
nicoimages
Newbie
Thank you from me too - I have a perfectly aligned Konica S3 rangefinder now
johnnyicecream
Newbie
Apologies for the thread dig, but just thought I'd add a tidbid of info regarding the vertical alignment. This video details how the adjustment can be achieved without removing the top cover:
https://youtu.be/XcQuWbE2Aiw?t=642
Basically, there's a metal protective plate in the hot shoe that can be removed, and once removed there's an access window from which the vertical adjustment screw can be accessed. The video is for the S2, but I have confirmed this to be the case with the S3 also.
https://youtu.be/XcQuWbE2Aiw?t=642
Basically, there's a metal protective plate in the hot shoe that can be removed, and once removed there's an access window from which the vertical adjustment screw can be accessed. The video is for the S2, but I have confirmed this to be the case with the S3 also.
