HOWTO: Vertical rangefinder calibration (with pics)

Middle infinity screw behaviour

Middle infinity screw behaviour

rogermota said:
Originally Posted by rogermota
Left Screw (Horizontal Adjustment):
CW -> moves focus towards the front
CCW -> moves focus towards the back

Middle Screw (Infinity): ?? havent touched

Right Screw (Vertical Adjustment):
CW -> move patch down
CCW -> move patch up
Click to expand...


I have used the middle (infinity) screw and it behaves this way:

CW -> Patch moves to the left
CCW -> patch moves to the right.

This screw just needs very minimal screwing!

Didier
 
Comprehensive alignment instructions....Please!!

Comprehensive alignment instructions....Please!!

Although their are numerous alignment threads, none are comprehensive enough to do a complete job. Plus, some guys will claim success and then a few days later mention that "something drifted but I fixed it again"

Has anyone developed a alignment procedure that has proven to be sucessful on the long term? That would be for vertical, infinity and near focus alignment.

Rex
 
Hi Rex,

I have used the instructions in this thread to callibrate my R3a. Was off at infinity vertically and horizontally when I got it. I had to do it several times because it drifted first. I finally fixed it with enough nail polish (in a tent in Tanzania, nail polish from a Tanzanian lady ...). I was lucky, the close focus was OK afterwards so I didn't have to play with this.

I am really anal about vertical alignment, because IMO, it makes focusing of fast lenses much easier ("the snap").

Maybe one practical thing I have done differently than other people on my Leicas and the R3a for close-up callibration: I use a very trusted long throw lens with precise distance scale (actually a Nikkor 50/1.4). I then align the patch at a distance of 4 feet on a tripod (by moving the tripod) and just measure with a tape measure. My 3 Ms and the R3a are less then a quarter inch off at this distance; with the R3a this is a bit harder to reproduce - when using this method you find the limitations of a shorter EBL quickly. On the Leicas I also use the 1.25 viewfinder enlarger to be more precise.

If you pick the right place in the house (near a window) you can do close up and infinity easily just by rotating the camera on the tripod.

Roland.
 
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Roland
Thanks. I see someone has actually got it figured out. I spent a lot of time confirming the accuracey of all my lenses because of the "issue" with the RD1 rangefinder. I even cherry picked mine from a lot of three at Calumet. All for naught as I dropped it about three weeks ago knocking everything out of kilter.

I've almost sent it to DAG a number of times, but hesitated because of 1)rangefinder withdrawals 2) wanting to fix it myself 3) discovering that zone focusing actually works rather well.

The last point (zone focusing) is sort of a revealation. I've been so anal about focusing accuracey for my entire photo career that I missed the fact that zone focusing actually works. It just goes to show that you csn become dependent on an aid that isn't as essential as you thought. Not that I don't want my focusing patch back.

I'm off to the UC botanical Gardens with my visiting sister, camera in hand, zone focusing all the way.

Rex
 
sr20det_fung said:
Thanks to everyone.
I've finally adjusted my RD-1, after I owned it for nearly a year!
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I am sooooo jealous. I still haven't sent my RD1 to DAG to re-align my rangefinder from its inceremoneous fall to the asphalt at Lassen Volcanic National Park. I keep taking pictures with it and try to deal with the probems with zone focusing. I've been told by many that I am an idiot and that I should just get it fixed. Well, 1) I know I'm an idiot 2) I keep hoping that someone will just show me how to fix it, because I know I'll just drop it again.

I almost tricked fereder into a go at it. But as I already had him fixing my Canon 135mm F3 Serenar, I thought I might be pushing my luck. Plus, he was a little more willing to probe the insides off an $85 lens than my $3000 RD1.

Your success gives me hope again. Any tips you can give me? Roland, now that your finished with the Canon, how about a little surgery? I'll buy coffee and a roll.

Rex
 
Thanks to threads on RFF - I did also success in adjusting the vertical alignment.

Must say it took some time, due that one tiny adjustment lead to
another fault, like the infinity alignment. So you really need to be
patient and work slowly.

As long as I did succeed, with 10 thumbs, everybody can do it.

Does anybody know how many meters “infinity” at the closest range are?
 
I spent time shooting with Sean Reid about 10 days ago. He was impressed how accurate my R-D1's RF was, even with a Noctilux. He said the focus shifts on one of his bodies.

I attribute my success both to a bit of luck with my R-D1 (which did need DAG's help initially), plus my becoming familiar with the RF adjustments. I have no foicus accuracy complaints, either with 50/2, 90/2, etc. Anyone can do this if they are patient.

Ed
 
ferider said:
even though it seems trivial from the posts above, it is not.....You are shooting
among others with a Canon 50/1.2, so your close focus better be spot on. Your camera is currently off by about 20-30% of the RF
patch size, and could be not fixable with the above procedure at all, but might need the top plate removed and be fixed differently.

don't want me to try to fix your RD1 but send it to DAG, Bald Mountain or Stephen instead. Plus They do this for a living, I don't.

Tell you what: if you are reluctant to send it in because you will be without it for a month or so, you can use one of
my Leicas in the meantime. How's that ?

Roland.
Click to expand...

Roland

Your're generous offer is much appreciated and accepted. I feel that you are "making me an offer I can't refuse" for my own good. I just went thru another group of last weeks photos and had to throw out about half of them because of focus errors. Zone focusing precludes using any of those cool fast lenses I have, including the Canon 50mm F1.2

Here's a couple of shots with the Canon before I dropped the RD1. Focus was spot on.

Maybe we can meet this weekend at your Starbucks? You can borrow my 90mmF4 collapisble.

See ya,

Rex
 

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Off the subject but had to comment

Off the subject but had to comment

Roland

I was just reviewing the 2 pictures I just sent and noticed something interesting. The file size of the rose is double the picture of my sleeoyhead wife even though the are about the same pixel X pixel size. This, I think, is entirely due to the "grain" in the rose picture (caused by huge crop).

Rex
 
This is a fantastic page, which I'm going to save, and many thanks to all of you who have contributed to it. Is there some specific advice on horizontal alignment I'm missing, or is it all about vertical alignment? My R3M is out at infinity a minute amount--I have to turn the lens ever so slightly back to get the r/f to snap into focus at infinity.
 
mc_vancouver said:
This is a fantastic page, which I'm going to save, and many thanks to all of you who have contributed to it. Is there some specific advice on horizontal alignment I'm missing, or is it all about vertical alignment? My R3M is out at infinity a minute amount--I have to turn the lens ever so slightly back to get the r/f to snap into focus at infinity.
Click to expand...
I've only done the vertical, so I can't really answer your question, but I doubt if a slight misfocus at infinity is ever going to be noticeable in the real world. More important seems to be whether the focus is off at portrait distances. At least that's what I've found. YMMV
 
pfogle said:
I've only done the vertical, so I can't really answer your question, but I doubt if a slight misfocus at infinity is ever going to be noticeable in the real world. More important seems to be whether the focus is off at portrait distances. At least that's what I've found. YMMV
Click to expand...

Phil, I'm reasonably experienced as a photographer but I don't know if a rangefinder, being slightly out at infinity, would mean that when I focus closer, say on a flat field such as a focus chart/newspaper/grid, would it be in focus on the print? I mean, if its out at one lens setting, wouldn't it be out by the same amount, or greater, at all distances? So I'm going to shoot a chart this morning, wide open, and then examine results with loupe and get back to you. Mike
 
Is anyone aware of someone able to do align RD-1 RF like DAG, but in the UK?

My RD-1 is spot on, for now, but I am wondering about what will happen if I hit accidentally something with it, and the RF becomes misaligned, now that the Epson warranty has expired.
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

My R3A was sent to Japan for 3 months under warranty to fix this.
It came back better, but not really perfect.
No longer under warranty, I heard of people fixing it themselves.
Using this thread I have adjusted it myself in about 10 minutes!

I removed the hotshoe plate without toothpicks.
Just slight pressure with a screwdriver on the front part of the plate near the little bump allowed it to slide back.
Then I stuck a small flat screwdriver to keep the front lip lifted as I slid the whole plate back.

Thanks again!
Jon
 
I returned my M8 and got a R-D1 instead (for more info on why, read this: http://www.majid.info/mylos/weblog/2006/11/23-1.html). Interestingly, the M8 also had an alignment problem, although nowhere near as severe as the R-D1 (I have an old new stock model in the low 1800s).

The instructions were very helpful. I cut the hollow plastic tube of a Q-tip-like cotton swap to pop off the front lugs (the curved shape of the tube makes it easier, as long as the cut is slant), put in a small 2mm flat blade scredriver to raise the cover towards the top of the keyhole-shaped incision, then shimmed the rear with plastic floss sticks so I could unlatch the two side springs easily. All in all, less than 5 minutes.

Finding the right screwdriver for the 4 Phillips screws was the hard part. I ended up buying a Wiha #00 Philips scredriver from my local Ace Hardware, it fits perfectly.

Thanks again for the detailed walk-through.
 
B&W Norway said:
Does anybody know how many meters “infinity” at the closest range are?
Click to expand...

I recall reading that "photographic infinity" is normally assumed to be 1000 times the focal length (e.g. for a 50mm lens, "infinity" begins at 50 meters) but that only applies to lenses themselves.

An optical rangefinder is capable of much finer discrimination and should be adjusted with a more distant infinity reference. I normally look for targets at least a block away, and preferably farther. Out my window I can see a television tower that's almost exactly 1 mile away, so I usually use that. The tower is a good target because it has nice, definite vertical lines.
 
fgianni said:
Is anyone aware of someone able to do align RD-1 RF like DAG, but in the UK?...
Click to expand...
In the UK i don't know but looks like most if not all European R-D1 and R-D1s bodies are currently repaired under guarantee by Epson Engineering in France at the address below.
They've just fixed my new R-D1s in a couple of weeks although i bought it in Italy.
Best,
LCT

Epson Engineering Europe SA
60 rue August Perret
Europarc
94000 Créteil
France
Tel: +33 892899999
Fax: +33 156715726
 
Ok, I got the Vertical or Right Screw, what about the other two???

Ok, I got the Vertical or Right Screw, what about the other two???

70727223.pz3WBdSO.screwed.JPG
Ok, as instructed, I popped open the hotshoe, very easy. Adjusted the RIGHT screw for VERTICAL alignment. Tested and it was perfect.

Now comes the problem🙁, when focusing on infinity it is out of alignment again. And there is one screw I belive controls the infinity alignment? Which screw controls that- the screw I drew in blue or green?

My horizontal is off just a tad. Do I align GREEN? or BLUE?

Lastly, thank YOU Jimbobuk and everyone else who pitched in on this BEST RD-1 thread, ever.
 
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