Epson RD1 and Zeiss 21mm Problem

[xpress_on]

I'm having problems with this combination. I can't focus the lens... Terible front focus 20cm. Please see the pics.

I also tested my VC 35mm 1,7 wide opne an it is perfect.

Do you think the lens is defected?

I can't focos on anything below 0,8 meter, the range finder simple stop working even with the lens moving from 0,8 to 0,5 (which is the minimum focus) and It didn't focus on infinit also (but I need to test it again).

It's a vey expensive lens... and it's not working. please help.

336 Zeiss 21 focus on the fuji 100
337 VC 35 focus on the fuji 100

100% crop

thanks in advance

Best Regards

Nuno Cruz

 

[xpress_on]

both on the fuji 100 from the same distance with 1 minute diference. the first one is the zeiss the second one is vc35

I focussed on the fuji 100 just because I was notecing a very big front focus problem.

Thanks again

Nuno Cruz

 

[nyx]

It's normal - rangefinders in camera don't focus closer than some distance (0.7m normally)...if the lens allows to focus closer, you have guess / scale focus.

 

[xpress_on]

thank you, at least that problem is solved,

but what about the front focus problem? Those two pictures where taken at more than 1,5 meters away. Why the focussing problems?

Best Regards

Nuno Cruz

 

[xpress_on]

Just to clarify, the two pics are 100% crops of the full pic, and the focus distance were much more than 1,5mt. I tried the same picture at 3mt and the results were even worst!

I need to understand why my VC is focussing perfectly wide open and it is a 35mm 1,7 and a 21mm 2,8 (much more DOF) miss the focus by 20cm, this means that I can't even use the lens for zone focussing. I need to try infinite focussing as my final test. I hope I'm wrong and in the end is just me making some error because this lens is my most expensive lens of all times... and I'm feeling really bed.

 

[elshaneo]

Yeah it looks to me like front focusing, if the lens is still on warranty, send it for proper calibration.

 

[xpress_on]

No one used this lens on this camera? Is it possible that the problem is on the camera? I almost can't believe that the lens is so OFF. To focus at 2 meters I have to set the lens to infinite. And the lens doesn’t focus at anything above that.

I have all the docs for the warranty but I bought the lens in second hand, I don't know if Zeiss is going to repair the lens. What a bad experience.

Thank you

Nuno

 

[Al Kaplan]

Tell Zeiss that you got it as a gift.

 

[RFNewbie]

My Zeiss 21mm is pretty accurate. I really don't have focusing issues with the R-D1. When I used the Voigtlander (several different focal lengths), each would focus a little off, either front or rear. Almost all my Zeiss ZM (21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm f2), are all dead on. The other Zeiss lens that I have (50mm f1.5) Sonnar has focus issues wide open but that is a known issue.

Here are a few random images taken with the 21mm Zeiss ZM.