Cracks in R2A rangefinder patch

[RZetter]

I recieved a new-to-me Bessa R2a and was greeted by an unwelcome surprise. The rangefinder patch is covered by a spider web of lines/scratches! The rangefinder itself works fine though.

The seller says it wasn't there when he shipped it(or that he'd ever heard of a cracked patch). I'm inclined to believe him.

I found a few threads about similar problems with a quick google, but those problems seemed to be mostly with 50 year old M2s and M3s.

Any idea if I can do anything about it or if I just have to live with it? I'm guessing repairing it would be expensive.

Here's a lousy P&S picture to illustrate the problem:

Also, what's the little notch on the framelines(left side)? Is it dust or should it be there?

EDIT: Before anyone asks: Yes, I've cleaned the rangefinder opening.

 

[ferider]

The dot on the frameline is dust.

Hard to tell about the spider web. Could be fungus.

Look at the front of the camera, through the small RF window. Shine a light through the viewfinder. Check if you can see something. It can probably be cleaned but you need to take the top plate off.

Sorry,

Roland.

 

[RZetter]

I tried looking through the rangefinder window, but can't detect the spider web. It doesn't look like fungus to me, it's more like the thin cracks you can see in the ice covering frozen puddles.

 

[Vilk]

lessee whether this contributes anything...

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86512

 

[RZetter]

Thanks, that was the thread I was referring to in the OP. Seems it's just something I have to live with.

Maybe I could use this as a reason to upgrade to a Zeiss Ikon in the future 😉

EDIT: Maybe the lines/cracks could have been caused by sudden temperature change while in transit?

 

[Vilk]

at the risk of increasing the unhelpful redundancy of my contributions--yes, the lines become much more visible in very cold weather. my first common-sense shot was different coefficients of thermal expansion for some kind of coating and its support surface, causing cracks, then changing their width with varying OAT... not that i know anything about these things

😎