Bessa RXX rangefinder advanced calibration

[Shaocaholica]

So I've started fiddling with my R3A RF adjustments as per the R-D1 instructions and a few things have come up:

1)Horizonal alignment is not the same for close(1m) and infinity. If I make it perfect at infinity, it goes off for ~1m and vice versa. Can this be fixed?

2)At ~1m, the patch was ever so slightly off horizontaly looking at a series of test photos. ~0.5-1mm at the subject. I corrected for this via "screw 1" but now the patch stops short before reaching infinity. I set it back so that infinity is back but now my ~1m focus will be slightly off. Is this even worth fixing by changing the baselength?

 

[Shaocaholica]

I think I know what I did wrong. I should have adjusted for close focus via screw 1 and then adjust for infinity alignment via screw 2.:bang:

 

[Spyderman]

Yes - Bessa R#@ rangefinder can be adjusted for infinity AND the close to infinity ratio.

For Infinity adjustment you move the brass thing holding a small lens to the left and right.

For close focus to far focus relative movement you move it to the front and back.

You cannot just adjust close focus independently - close focus adjustment always upsets the infinity and vice versa. It takes a lot of time to fine tune it... be patient.

 

[psvensson]

For Infinity adjustment you move the brass thing holding a small lens to the left and right.

For close focus to far focus relative movement you move it to the front and back.

Anyone know if this holds true for the Bessa T? I've almost given up on using mine because of the apparent lack of ratio adjustment.

 

[clintock]

I think the rangefinder in the T is not similar to the ones in the R series.
I've done the close/far rubik's cube adjust for the T.
The screw under the screw cover does one thing, while the slotted middle part of the roller on the end of the arm does the other (close vs far).
If I remember right the close focus is the one on the arm, the infinity the one in the hole. -My vert was ok, but I think that's adjusted via an optical wedge behind the rf window bezel just like classic types.

The screw under the access hole is easy to hit with the screwdriver if the lens is on infinity, I remember that!

As always, adjusting one will affect the other...

I think this is the way many leica are adjusted too.

 

[CameraQuest]

what many people don't seem to realize is that the internal parts and the calibration of different generation Bessa RF's, is indeed different.

so when take the RF instruction instructions for one Bessa model(which may or may not be right to begin with), and try to use those instructions on another Bessa model, they can easily end up with results they do not want.

Cosina does not publish repair instructions, or parts info, or sell parts to gray market sellers. This is why the gray market Bessas often can not be fixed by dealers (or non authorized professional repair shops) claiming otherwise.

some tinkerers successfully adjust their Bessa's RF. Others waste a lot of time and damage the RF mechanism because they don't know what they are doing. Like Dirty Harry said "Do you feel lucky?"

Stephen

 

[clintock]

Is there an available list of legitimate repair centers worldwide that can adjust the Bessa series?

 

[rxmd]

Hi Stephen,

while I understand that attitude, the problem with it is that it's not always an option to have the RF adjusted by some official service center or by Cosina, only to receive it back on a long bumpy ride in freight planes and UPS trucks.

I understand that Cosina wants to have some amount of control over parts distribution and repairs and to make some money out of used cameras by selling services. However, on an interchangeable lens rangefinder camera rangefinder misalignment is such a frequent ailment that the ability to do it yourself (or at least have any competent camera repairman do it) would actually be a big plus. Especially on the used market and/or for expensive cameras such as the ZI.

I know people who have not bought Bessas and/or ZIs because they argued (rightly IMHO) that sending their camera away for weeks for a small-scale adjustment like this is not an option for them. It's also one of the main gripes people have against the Hexar RF. Having a slightly more open policy on behalf of the company would do them good IMHO.

Philipp

 

[CameraQuest]

Is there an available list of legitimate repair centers worldwide that can adjust the Bessa series?

in the US there are two, CameraQuest and PhotoVillage.

worldwide the list of distributors is on the Cosina site.

Stephen

 

[rxmd]

Ringfoto (Germany) http://www.voigtlaender.de
Cameraquest (USA) http://www.cameraquest.com/
Photovillage (USA) http://www.photovillage.com
Robert White (UK) http://www.robertwhite.co.uk
Mainlinephoto (Australia) http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au
Sun-Photo (Korea) http:// www.sun-photo.com/
Merrica Trading (Canada) http://www.merrica.com/
Photomasterskie RSU (Russia) http://www.bessa.ru
Chiif Cameras (Singapore & Malaysia) http://www.chiifcameras.com

Plus Cosina itself in Japan makes ten worldwide, in nine countries. And it's unclear how many of them will do the adjustment themselves, as opposed to shipping the camera around half the globe. Hmm. Do you really wonder why people are interested in having simple adjustments made locally?

Philipp

 

[clintock]

Wow no China?
China is a large market.

Only ten souls worldwide eligible to have a service manual. Sort of weakens the 'Don't buy an old FSU/Canon/Leica- they are old and hard to have repaired, get a Bessa so it can be fixed if it breaks' argument. Granted there are perhaps only as many factory service center worldwide for the older bodies, but assuming the local tech can read, he can get the alignment literature via Google. Information is power.

Perhaps we should make a sticky thread in the repair forum with links to or instructions for the specific models.
Someone could make a buck on a third-party manual!

Oh this no-info 'cept for the dealers thing is common.
I just went to Geneva, and took along my Braun watch, thinking I may just get lucky and find a shop in Switzerland that could replace a battery in a watch.
(I could, but the back is on really tight and has only the tiniest little place for a pry bar, so I thought i'd contribute to the economy a little and have a watch shop have a go.)

Turns out that no shop would even try to change the battery in a German watch! They had the tool, had the battery, but when they saw 'made in Germany' no dice.

I'm gonna send it to Germany just to be contrary!

 

[Shaocaholica]

I just took the top plate off my R3A. I would gladly make a online guide for it. Its not quite the same as the RD-1 but close. The RF adjustment screws for the R3A are in the exact positions as the RD-1 and do pretty much the same functions from observation.

 

[psvensson]

Clintock, thanks for the advice. I gave the Bessa T a thorough workover. The roller on the spring arm does adjust the ratio, but I found that whichever way I turned it, the problem worsened. So I left in the default position and adjusted the infinity setting so that the camera now focuses accurately at close and medium range. It's off at infinity, but I don't need the rangefinder to tell me where infinity is, so I'm better off now than before.

 

[minoltist7]

I just took the top plate off my R3A. I would gladly make a online guide for it. Its not quite the same as the RD-1 but close. The RF adjustment screws for the R3A are in the exact positions as the RD-1 and do pretty much the same functions from observation.

Can you publish this instruction how to remove top plate ?
I'm in unlucky list of countries "forgotten" by Cosina dealers.