How to you calibrate a lens on a film rangefinder?

pk851667

Member
Local time
1:27 AM
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
24
I've posted this on another thread, but posting here in hopes to get some more help.

Pardon my silliness on this one - I've purchased the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 but I've been having some serious focusing issues on mine and also SEVERE vignetting. I'm using it on my M5.

I think it's in need of some serious calibration but there are two issues:
-It was bought used, so I don't have the charts
-I have no idea how to calibrate a lens on a film rangefinder...

Little help from anyone here?
 
Small piece of ground glass held against the film rails can help. Back open.

Lots of film tests. I used to hand load 12 shot rolls for testing.

Or send the lens to a professional to evaluate.
 
And make sure the rangefinder on your M5 is properly calibrated.

A lens like the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 is going to make very clear any calibration issues with your camera or the lens, especially when shot wide open.

Best,
-Tim
 
Start with ground glass if it is way off. I made my own from tiny picture frame purchased at dollar store. CD covers with frost, milky plastic will do as well. Ground glass doesn't need to cover entire frame. Viewing is better by macro lens on another camera. Or trough the loupe. You could also try to use reversed RF lens for viewing.

Place target on one meter and illuminate by table lamp. Camera on B, shutter open and hold by release cable.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GFGCmpRcmpuEcMBJ2

Target download http://www.peleng8.com/how-to-detect-back-focus.html#.Wo7irNQrLRY
 
Pardon my silliness on this one - I've purchased the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 but I've been having some serious focusing issues on mine and also SEVERE vignetting. I'm using it on my M5.


DO NOT USE IT ON THE M5!!!

The back of the lens will hit the meter stalk and can damage it.

The M5 is not on the list of Leica cameras that 7Artisans says it will work with.
 
DO NOT USE IT ON THE M5!!!

The back of the lens will hit the meter stalk and can damage it.

The M5 is not on the list of Leica cameras that 7Artisans says it will work with.

I was thinking BS since the voigtlander 50 F1.1 protruded 0% into the body. But looking at the lens online, holy shirt it really does protrude far into the body. Really interesting for a 50mm.
 
I was thinking BS since the voigtlander 50 F1.1 protruded 0% into the body. But looking at the lens online, holy shirt it really does protrude far into the body. Really interesting for a 50mm.

Another M5 user here (apologies for not remembering his name) tested this and it hits the meter stalk. This is also why this lens does not work on M43 and APS-C bodies (I tried), the back of the lens hits the insides of the lens mount.

7Artisans does not include the M5 on their list of compatible Leica cameras.
 
Another M5 user here (apologies for not remembering his name) tested this and it hits the meter stalk. This is also why this lens does not work on M43 and APS-C bodies (I tried), the back of the lens hits the insides of the lens mount.



7Artisans does not include the M5 on their list of compatible Leica cameras.



I was this guy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey all,

I'd like to thank everyone for the help. I tested the focus of the lens last night, but alas it is fine. I then tested my M5 with a lens I know to be calibrated and it, too, is fine.

I suppose most of this is just simply to the poor quality control of the lens itself. I know much has been written about the 7Artisan line - some quite positive reviews and others quite mixed. This will be the latter.

My apologies for this rant below - but I feel it needs to be said about the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1.

Compared with other budget 50mm lenses out there, it is simply not worth it. Not to say that out of the 20 rolls or so that I've put through the lens, there weren't some stellar shots - there were. But the total lack of consistency, reliability is not worth the money or time spent using it. Other budget lenses out there offer far more consistent results (Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5 (NEW $600-700), Canon 50mm 1.8 LTM (USED $120-150)). I'm now debating whether to sell this off to fund a better alternative or just keep it as an edgy cult lens in the stockpile.

The results I've found online with this lens and this community, compared with the erratic ones I've found when using it have led me to question every part of my shooting process from the film, to dev, to my camera, my own abilities, and lastly found the lens itself.

I honestly get more consistent and better results from the lens on my Canonet QL17 than with this one. And the fact that it is an f1.1 shouldn't cloud everyone's judgment on its actual usability and reliability. Yes, the physical build is great. Yes, it's a super wide aperture that gives you some fun results. But if it doesn't function at the base level of being able to consistently take decent pictures in the mid aperture range - what's the point. Furthermore, if you're purchasing a product that is $350 NEW only to require a $100 lens calibration 2-3 months after purchase or need to do it yourself - what savings have you really gained?

End Rant.
 
Your inconsistent results with a lens on a camera that they do not claim compatibility with, and which users have specifically suggested should NOT be used with it, is not a flaw in the lens. It's a flaw in how you are using it. I suggest your review be revised to reflect that with YOUR camera, it's a bad match. Not a problem with the lens quality control.
 
Truth be told, I purchased this a fair while ago - before this was passed down by the company and these users about any incompatibility with the M5. The issue of which, has nothing to do with the focus - but because of it touching the metering stalk (which only effects focus at infinity). You can see my review a while ago about it.

My gripes are with the lens itself, and yes, perhaps there is a compatibility issue. So I will admit this may be specifically an M5 issue. But overall, my comments above still stand about cost, value, and reliability overall.
 
I have two of these lenses (black and silver), and have had no issues. Both were bought used. The silver one was perfect out of the box, I did not have to adjust anything. The black one was way off. It was obvious that the previous owner had taken advantage of the 'convenience' of being able to fine tune the focus, but had totally messed it up.
Using my M240 with live view I was able to re-tune it and calibrate it correctly. It took me about 20 minutes. It now focuses perfectly on digital and film bodies.

Buying this lens used is not like buying other lenses used. Nearly all other lenses do not allow you to fine tune the focus, so the previous owner cannot mess with it. The 7Artisans allows focus tuning, but if the previous owner did not know what he was doing he can really mess things up.
I would not blame the lens. At all.

FYI from all the test I've seen, new out of the box this lens requires no adjustments.
 
Back
Top Bottom