Aires 35 III s needs help... !!

[AlexMax]

Hi...

I just bought a pristine Aires 35 III s rfdr, the lens ( what really matters... ) is flawless, so is diaphragm, and shutter speeds...

As usual, the meter is not working in cameras this old...

But I have amore serious issue in hands...

Despite the fact that lens moves when I move the focusing knob, the rangefinder does not acknowledge the focus variation...

Immage in vfinder is clear, so are framelines and the double image in the patch from the rangefinder, only, the patch image never superimposes with the vf image... No matter I focus near, or far...

Need some ideas here...

Is it a difficult repair... ???

I am at a loss, because except for this "minor" detail, the camera is absolutely pristine, and massively built... Can this be economically fixed... ???

Best regards,

Alex

 

[johnf04]

Two possibilities - the rangefinder mechanism is moved by a "follower", as the lens moves. This could be jammed.
Or - are you sure you have double image? Part of the moving optics of the rangefinder may be missing.

 

[Robert Lai]

A common issue is that the rangefinder mirror may have fallen off. If you hear a slight rattling inside the camera as you shift it, that's the mirror. If that is the case, then you need to send it to a pro to repair it, unless you are VERY handy with camera repairs.

 

[johnf04]

Rangefinder mirrors aren't that difficult to replace - if you have the mirror, reglue it with contact adhesive. You will then have to realign the rangefinder. Most have screws, that allow vertical and horizontal adjustment.

 

[johnf04]

I had to reglue various rangefinder components, and realign the rangefinder, on this camera:

http://cameracollector.proboards.com/thread/9192/adjusting-rangefinder-on-petri-7s

 

[johnf04]

Here is a (Japanese) page on the repair of your camera:

http://endoscopy.jp/moto/camera/camera_repair/aires3s/index.htm

 

[farlymac]

Another possibility, Alex, is that the lens follower is just stuck from old lubricant. Happens all the time. You'd have to take the top off the camera, then remove the rangefinder itself (usually a unit assembly, not that hard to do) to get to the follower linkage underneath it. Clean, and re-lube with some synthetic, and reassemble everything, cleaning and adjusting the rangefinder along the way.

Tension springs will also break sometimes, which keeps the focus follower from doing its job. Easy enough to reattach, using the last loop as a new anchor point.

PF

 

[AlexMax]

Thanks folks, I feel quite relieved...

Thanks folks, I feel quite relieved...

In fact, there are two images in the vf -> optical components of the rf are really there...

And I am inclined to the theory that eithe the arm coupling or the tensioning spring are the cuplirits here : the mirror do exist, or else there would NOT be a second image to superimpose, yet theybclearly exist, although their separation does not respond to lens throw position.

Thanks for the link in the page.

This is really an awesome camera... And has hardly been used, judging by the quality of the lens...

And the build, gosh...it is Japanese allrighg, might as well have been built by the dudes who built the Panzer, or the Bismarck... The thing is carved in a billet of steel...

Thanks a lot dudes...