cleaning close-up rangefinder

[costakarl]

Hi all,

I have the most recent version, like new except it is cloudy enough inside to be almost useless.

Does anyone have any experience in opening up and cleaning these things?

Costakarl

 

[costakarl]

CLA close-up rangefinder

CLA close-up rangefinder

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; } I will answer my own question, having opened up this close-up rangefinder, cleaned and adjusted it.


The model involved is the one designed for the Retina 2c and 3c (which I use on a 2a) with two supplementary lenses n1 and n2. It has a red Kodak badge on the front.


The tools needed are a pin spanner with two tiny pins 4.5mm apart and a couple of jeweler's slotted screwdrivers—3/64 and 5/64 inch.

1. Entry. Remove the pin screw holding down the focusing disk. As I could not obtain a pin spanner I clipped off the hinge part off a safety pin and found I could exert enough torque to
   remove it. Then remove the disk. Now the chromium top plate can be removed.
2. Cleaning. The two windows slide out as does the 45 degree tinted filter. The lens of the eyepiece inside the rangefinder can be unscrewed. Removal of the outer lens requires a special clamp. Pliers will work at the cost of chewing up the black paint. So try a Q-tip cleaner.
3. Reassembly. Trial and error is required to get the tinted filter properly vertical to the light ray. To adjust the focusing mechanism the main shaft running through the device should be turned such that the foot is in its neutral position parallel to the rangefinder body. Replace the steel collar on the shaft, then the chromium cover. Screw the disk to its collar. Without disturbing the main shaft, set the disk at its limit anti-clockwise where the reading will be infinity lens n1. Tighten the pin screw so the focusing mechanism is locked together.
4. Checking. Using the lens table to establish the distances for settings with n1, n2, n1+n2 see if the focusing through the eyepiece is correct. An enlarger column could be useful for this.