Leica IIIF Horizontal focus adjustment issue

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TheodoreC

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Dec 21, 2018
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I noticed the other day that my IIIF wasn't focusing at infinity like it should have (which explains several unfocused landscape shots from my last roll).

I've followed all the instructions online and got the vertical tweak no problem. But the seemingly easy one for horizontal adjustment behind the screw below the viewfinder, is giving me a real issue. I get the top screw off and have a 1.2mm screwdriver into the hole but there doesn't seem to be a screw in there to adjust. I've tried slowly feeling for the slot to no avail. Shining a light into the hole makes it look like there's a horizontal slot but when I line that up with the screwdriver and turn I get nothing - no bite to the screwdriver and definitely no adjustment.

Am I missing something simple or a trick to this?

thanks!
 
Finding the hidden screw head can be tough, but I've never had a Barnack that couldn't be adjusted this way.

Is the screwdriver definitely locating in the screw head? In terms of order of potential issues from most common to least common, I'd say:
  1. your screwdriver is the wrong size
  2. you're just not finding the slot
  3. the screw is very stiff and will need a bit of force to move
  4. some idiot's rounded off the head and you'll never be able to move it
I'm not about to mess with my IIIf's rangefinder (it's a cloudy night with no moon and I don't want to be heading outside to find a bright light in the distance), but at least on the IIIa that's been on the shelf for a while, I need a 1mm x 0.25mm screwdriver to adjust the rangefinder. I can't remember offhand if I use that or the 1.5mm x 0.23mm on the IIIf.
 
Thanks for the tips.

I was able to shine a light while taking a picture into the hole and I do see the screw head and slot in there. After giving it another go, I think my screwdrivers aren't thin enough at the head to slot in. Even though I have a 1mm and 1.4mm, the heads on them are actually thicker than the one on my eyeglass repair one (which unfortunately is too wide to get at it). Gonna have to source a better one.
 
TheodoreC said:
Even though I have a 1mm and 1.4mm, the heads on them are actually thicker than the one on my eyeglass repair one (which unfortunately is too wide to get at it). Gonna have to source a better one.
Click to expand...

Sadly, a lot of screwdrivers don't specify blade thickness, only width... and a lot of cameras need wide blades that are simultaneously much thinner than the average screwdriver.

I've been gradually buying more and more Wera screwdrivers as and when I need new sizes for specific jobs. They have a pretty good range, are very high-quality, and feel comfortable in the hand - and, importantly, they also specify the blade thickness for each one. Can't recommend 'em enough: 2035 Screwdriver for slotted screws for electronic applications - Wera Product finder
 
Coldkennels said:
Sadly, a lot of screwdrivers don't specify blade thickness, only width... and a lot of cameras need wide blades that are simultaneously much thinner than the average screwdriver.

I've been gradually buying more and more Wera screwdrivers as and when I need new sizes for specific jobs. They have a pretty good range, are very high-quality, and feel comfortable in the hand - and, importantly, they also specify the blade thickness for each one. Can't recommend 'em enough: 2035 Screwdriver for slotted screws for electronic applications - Wera Product finder
Click to expand...
Where are Wera products sold?
 
hap said:
Where are Wera products sold?
Click to expand...
You can't get them direct from Wera, but most specialist tool suppliers in the UK carry them. You can also find them on eBay and Amazon - you do have to be specific with your search because both platforms seemingly prioritise all the generic no-name Chinese stuff at you instead, but they are on there.

I find referencing the Wera site I linked to and searching for both the blade width and thickness at the same time helps cut through the noise quite a bit. For instance, I had to search for "Wera 1.0 0.18 screwdriver" to get this listing: Wera Kraftform Micro Precision Screwdrivers, Choose From Slot,Phillips,Pozi,Hex | eBay
 
Coldkennels said:
Sadly, a lot of screwdrivers don't specify blade thickness, only width... and a lot of cameras need wide blades that are simultaneously much thinner than the average screwdriver.

I've been gradually buying more and more Wera screwdrivers as and when I need new sizes for specific jobs. They have a pretty good range, are very high-quality, and feel comfortable in the hand - and, importantly, they also specify the blade thickness for each one. Can't recommend 'em enough: 2035 Screwdriver for slotted screws for electronic applications - Wera Product finder
Click to expand...
Most interesting. We have similarly specified and high quality screw drivers from Germany here in Melbourne: the brand is Wiha. Red and yellow livery. Maybe the same parent company. Or arch rivals.
 
I thought maybe this was an Aldi situation(1), but apparently not. The two companies were started within 3 years of each other (Wera in 1936, Wiha in 1939), both companies are named after their founders (Willi Hahn for Wiha, and Herman Werner and Heinz Amtenbrink for Wera), and while both were founded in Wuppertal, Wiha is now based about 475km away.

(1): Aldi was started by two brothers who ended up disagreeing about how the business should be run, so they split it into two - Aldi North and Aldi South - and divided the various territories up between them with an agreement to not compete in any region. To this day, the Aldi in your country can be operated by one of the two groups, and the Aldi in the next country over might be the other one.

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