A newbie question on alignment

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Hi,

1. I got a FED-2 and FED-3 today.
2. My FED-2 is aligned horizontally at inifinity.
3. It is also aligned at close-up, at the suggested 2m.

My vertical alignment is a bit off, both at inifinity and at close-up 2m.
I tested it with my 2 industar-26m, same results, so I know it is not
the lens fault.

My main question before I test it with a roll of black and white film:
Will it affect the image quality if I leave the vertical mis-alignment
alone ?

The FAQ mentions "circular prism" to do vertical alignment on the FED-2,
does it mean I have to remove the RF cover ?

Minor question: I did the reverse on my FED-3, and found that the FED-3
aligns at infinity with the Industar-61m (both of them) but misaligns with
both the Industar-26m. Does it mean that Industar-61 is better for the
FED-3 ?

Thanks!

raytoei

ps. I bought this from a Ukranian seller on ebay, vitalii9146, and on my
request, delayed the delivery by one week to test it further, and this resulted in a different FED-2 body.

 

[Spyderman]

Hi,

the alignment should be tested at infinity and at 1m. Use measuring tape and test target at 1m from film plane.

To be able to rotate the prism that sets vertical alignment, you need to unscrew the cover bezel first. Then with some suitable needle-nosed pliers rotate the prism by the inner notches. The outer notches unscrew the whole assembly from the body.

Both I-26m and I-61 weren't manufactured to the highest standards IMHO. Jupiters are better in this regard. Some slight misalignment is acceptable as long as you get in focus pictures. DOF might cover the error.

The best way to check it, is to adjust it as best as you can and then test with film. Be sure to make notes which picture was shot with which lens and what you tried to focus on.

If the seller sent you a different body, I wouldn't buy from him again.

 

[fanshaw]

Hi,

.

My main question before I test it with a roll of black and white film:
Will it affect the image quality if I leave the vertical mis-alignment
alone ?



Thanks!

raytoei

The rangefinder adjustment has no effect on image quality unless it results in incorrect distance setting. Therefore you needn't worry about a slight vertical mis-adjustment because it is the horizontal adjustment that you use to set the focus distance. It can make the rangefinder more difficult to use because the two images you see in the viewfinder won't coincide exactly, but if is only slightly out it shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Hi. I did more tests this time as per the suggestions above:

1m Off Horizontal / Off Vertical
1.4m Off Horizontal / Off Vertical
2m more or less aligned Horizontal / Off Vertical
2.8m more or less aligned Horizontal / Off Vertical

Half way through the test roll.

If accuracy is at 2m, I am okay with a minimum 3 footsteps shooting distance.

I am actually waiting for delivery of 2 FSU Jupiter-8 ( and one Industar-50 collapsible), one is from around '61 and the other is much better looking at '70s. I can't be both unlucky at the same time can I ? 🙂

Any further advice welcomed.

 

[fidget]

Hi. I did more tests this time as per the suggestions above:

1m Off Horizontal / Off Vertical
1.4m Off Horizontal / Off Vertical
2m more or less aligned Horizontal / Off Vertical
2.8m more or less aligned Horizontal / Off Vertical

Half way through the test roll.

If accuracy is at 2m, I am okay with a minimum 3 footsteps shooting distance.

I am actually waiting for delivery of 2 FSU Jupiter-8 ( and one Industar-50 collapsible), one is from around '61 and the other is much better looking at '70s. I can't be both unlucky at the same time can I ? 🙂

Any further advice welcomed.

As you've guessed, the vertical alignment is not effected by the lens, it's entirely an issue in the camera body. This is easy to adjust by slightly rotating the round RF window. It can require a bit of trial and error as it tends to turn it is tightened. You may even get away with tightening (not too much) or losening the chrome bezel, as this may move the glass prism too.
Horizontal adjustments can be more than simply adjust-for-5m-and-the-rest-will-be-OK. Check the stickies and other threads for this if you find the simple approach is not good enough.

But don't get too hung up about setting up the RF to the n'th degree, you may find plenty of other "things" to fix on your cam. Run film, be inventive in your test shots and what you are trying to expose (hey, a pun!).

For example, the fastest speed will usually be the one to show shutter mis-tension issues. These can be difficult to see, so take the same image with the camera the right way up, then inverted. Wind on with bright light on the lens.....lots to do.....good luck.
Dave.

 

[fanshaw]

I am actually waiting for delivery of 2 FSU Jupiter-8 ( and one Industar-50 collapsible), one is from around '61 and the other is much better looking at '70s. I can't be both unlucky at the same time can I ? 🙂

Any further advice welcomed.

These cameras and lenses are not precision products-the Soviets were unable to make them to fine tolerances, like the Japanese were able to do. They relied on shims to fit individual lenses to individual bodies and users were advised to take their cameras to repair shops for the necessary adjustments when they wanted to change lenses. So.if the photos you get with your new lenses are not sharp, it may be for this reason rather than any defect in the lens itself.

 

[martinsmith99]

I adjusted the vertical in about 30 seconds after following the tips here. It's quite easy and I'm not a camera tech so give it a go as it really is a piece of cake.

 

[payasam]

Be sure to check the horiz. alignment after correcting the vert. It may have gone off.

 

[wolves3012]

This may help...
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73900

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Again, thanks for all the good advice.

I am somewhat reluctant to make adjustments because in my last attempt at using a "padded" pliers to adjust the cam, I killed a perfectly nice, if somewhat soft FED-5. My peasant hands are too fat and big for cam RF adjustments.

I will develop the test roll of film today, if the images aren't too much off, I will leave it alone else I will attempt that vertical alignment.

raytoei

Here is a sample shot of an old FED-2 which I also accidentally killed because of erratic shutter movements.

http://retro.ms11.net/industar26m-sample.jpg

(picture of my work-mates in a road-side stall eating rice and pig innards soup at 9am in the morning. Only in BKK.)

 

[martinsmith99]

Nice image!