GW690 Rangefinder patch

[ralphh]

This is first post, so to start with, hi all! 🙂

I've recently purchased a GW690III in cosmetically and optically mint condition. I've been happily shooting away with it, developing my own negatives and digitizing them with my 5DIII and getting great results. I have even started leaving the light meter at home recently and just using my brain instead, which is quite novel for someone who grew up with the canon EOS system (film for a couple of years, then digital).

Anyway, I have one question about the ranger finder, and bear in mind this is my first ever RF, but:

The patch doesn't seem to line up properly vertically, which makes it hard work to use as fine patterns never align and eyes etc always look blurry. I've drawn a picture of the behavior it exhibits. Despite the vertical mis-alignment it seems extremely accurate for finding focus.

Is this normal(ish) or should I send it off somewhere for a CLA. And can someone recommend where. I live in NYC and somewhere local preferred if possible and anywhere on Manhattan would be great.

Or... don't suppose this is user-fixable...? I'm reasonably good with my hands but don't want to open it up just to poke about.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ralphh]

Never mind, i didn't find instructions exactly, but I found a labelled picture of the rf mechanism so I took the top plate off and adjusted it. All better 😀

 

[JChrome]

Most people shy away from even removing the top plate. Kudos to you for figuring it out. Don't forget to clean the viewfinder windows!! 🙂

Shameless plug - I wrote a blog post on how to adjust the RF patch on the 690's a few weeks back:

Here

 

[ralphh]

Thanks for the link, I will save that

FYI, the GW690 is almost exactly identical inside the rangefinder in every single way. In fact the only difference I could see in the whole thing is that I had a cable attaches to the hotshoe to deal with as well which made it a tiny bit more fiddly, but not too much.

I was also surprised how much the vertical alignment screw moves the mirror. I gave it a good 1/4 turn and was a bit shocked.. Got there in the end though

 

[jjabad]

Most people shy away from even removing the top plate. Kudos to you for figuring it out. Don't forget to clean the viewfinder windows!! 🙂

Shameless plug - I wrote a blog post on how to adjust the RF patch on the 690's a few weeks back:

Here

wow! thanks for writing this. I have a GM670 that focuses about ~1mm past infinity. Gonna do this soon.

 

[ralphh]

Hmm, my patch does go past infinity a tiny touch. I was not sure if that was right or not; I'm used to SLR lenses which do focus past infinity (intentionally!)

It doesn't really matter I guess - infinity tends to be in focus if you're in the ballpark, and if i'm focusing just short of it i'm ok with that.

I'm more concerned about close focus.... which leads to a question; if that little screw does the infinity end then presumably there's a near focus screw too...?

Here the two cameras do seem to differ btw - I think the horizontal is adjusted inside the rangefinder mechanism on the GW690. I did not look at the front where your screw is located though. I will recheck my RF for close range accuracy and if it needs adjusting I will take the top off again and have a look, but I think it's fine so I will probably not be doing that.