how to adjust the Leningrad RF?

[busch-koeln]

My Leningrad is in good working condition for the short times and shall not rest in a cupboard, but the RF is horizontaly and verticaly misalligned. Setting the measured distance to the DOF-point for aperture 2,0 does unforunatelly not work for moving objekts. Any help starting with disassembling the top cover is wanted. Thank you.

 

[Doug]

Welcome, Jochen! There's some expertise on former-soviet cameras here in RFF but I've seen very little mention of the Leningrad. Good luck, and hopefully one of our FSU camera experts has some answers for you!

 

[jlw]

My Leningrad is in good working condition for the short times and shall not rest in a cupboard, but the RF is horizontaly and verticaly misalligned. Setting the measured distance to the DOF-point for aperture 2,0 does unforunatelly not work for moving objekts. Any help starting with disassembling the top cover is wanted. Thank you.

I know I've answered this before, but can't find the post. I'll try to locate the info when I get home.

The horizontal adjustment is a tiny screw under a cover screw on the front. I believe you have to unscrew the round 'porthole' on the top to get at the vertical adjustment; sometimes this porthole is difficult to unscrew. It has two tiny holes for a pin wrench, but I don't own a pin wrench small enough to fit it.

If you need to go farther than that... removing the top cover on a Leningrad is easier than on most cameras because it was cleverly designed so most of the controls and levers are "captive" and do not have to be removed separately; they stay with the cover as it comes off.

As I said, I'll see if I can turn up my other info later. I've had the top cover off my Leningrad several times. The range/viewfinder is a very interesting design.

 

[busch-koeln]

Thank yo very much. You need not search any more, because Jerry already mailed the description from Jim Williams (is that you?).
The trick with the small plate on top is, that it is not screwed, but has a bajonett mount. With the pinwrench in after 1/4 turn I could lift it easily, and acces the vertical adjustment-screw.
Unfortunately I cannot find anything suitable to my small screwdrivers under the screw near the rf-window, to adjust horizontally. So I will have to lift the top completely, but seems to be not so difficult.

 

[jlw]

Thank yo very much. You need not search any more, because Jerry already mailed the description from Jim Williams (is that you?).
The trick with the small plate on top is, that it is not screwed, but has a bajonett mount. With the pinwrench in after 1/4 turn I could lift it easily, and acces the vertical adjustment-screw.
Unfortunately I cannot find anything suitable to my small screwdrivers under the screw near the rf-window, to adjust horizontally. So I will have to lift the top completely, but seems to be not so difficult.

That screw is VERY small. It's hard even to see, let alone to adjust. So removing the top might be the best bet.

You're right, the top is fairly easy to remove. Just watch out for the spring inside the winding knob! (Contrary to what is written in the Princelle book, the spring is NOT in the film spool; it's in the knob.)

The knob can come off with the top cover if you run down the spring all the way; to do this, release the shutter until the camera stops winding, then release it a couple of MORE times by recocking the shutter by turning the speed dial. The goal is to get rid of all the residual spring tension. The tail of the spring fits into a slotted steel pin that sits on the winding gear train; when you lift off the top, this pin will lift off too. (Take care it does not get lost.) When the time comes to put the cover back on, you may find it difficult to line up the tail of the spring with the slot in the pin; it may be easier if you pulll off the outer shell of the winding knob (held by tiny setscrews around the base) so you can see the spring and make sure it is lined up.

Two things of which to be careful when the top is off:

-- The self-timer lever, which is a weird-shaped bronze spring that goes down into the front of the camera body. Leave it alone if you possibly can. It is very easy to distort its shape, and then the self-timer won't work. (Many Lenis have faulty self-timers, and this is probably why.)

-- The flash sync delay dial under the winding knob. It stays on the cover when you remove it, and has a pin which fits into a slotted arm underneath. When putting the camera back together, make sure the pin lines up with the slot in the arm. If you miss, it is easy to damage the delay circuitry.

The Leningrad is a very interesting camera inside. Good luck and have fun!