Hogarth Ferguson
Well-known
I owned and loved my nikon s3, I even have it tattooed on my leg. The rangefinder patch was dim, and upon reading more, and having handled quite a few, I find them all dim. Is there a way, or service I can use, to make it brighter?
I really intend to buy another one soon, and I'm not too big of a fan of the SP or s2, the s3 really is the bread and butter, but I am hesitant because of the patch.
I really intend to buy another one soon, and I'm not too big of a fan of the SP or s2, the s3 really is the bread and butter, but I am hesitant because of the patch.
The patch contrast can depend on eye position, but the key is to buy a camera that exhibits a strong patch. They do exist. 
The thing that makes the *most* difference in bringing a faded Nikon rangefinder focus patch back to life is cleaning the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism. I've cleaned that surface on a Nikon SP and several Nikon S2s with faded focus patches, and after cleaning the focus patches went from almost unusable to almost or on par with a clean Nikon SP 2005.
It goes without saying that cleaning the front and side surfaces of the half mirror prism and the surfaces of the main prism will help, but that's only good for a 20% improvement. Cleaning the diagonal surface gives you the remaining 80% improvement. Below is a half mirror prism from a Nikon S2 rangefinder (removed from the camera for ease of cleaning). There is only a small gap between the prism and the metal casing so the trick is to slide some lens cleaning paper slightly dampened with lens cleaning fluid through that small gap. The Nikon pros at Kiitos Camera Repair in Tokyo use bamboo paper because its thin and rigid.
With the S3, you could also put a blue color filter (I used a B20 Fujifilm filter) on the main viewfinder window. It will make everything look blue through the finder, but the focus patch will stand out a lot more.
You don't need to take the rangefinder out of the camera to clean the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism. Instead, you can can access that diagonal surface by removing the front plate and small RF window, and then gently sliding dampened cleaning paper into/out of the above mentioned small gap. Repeating the cleaning six or so times should make a big difference. Just be careful not to get any damp lens cleaning paper stuck in there.
It goes without saying that cleaning the front and side surfaces of the half mirror prism and the surfaces of the main prism will help, but that's only good for a 20% improvement. Cleaning the diagonal surface gives you the remaining 80% improvement. Below is a half mirror prism from a Nikon S2 rangefinder (removed from the camera for ease of cleaning). There is only a small gap between the prism and the metal casing so the trick is to slide some lens cleaning paper slightly dampened with lens cleaning fluid through that small gap. The Nikon pros at Kiitos Camera Repair in Tokyo use bamboo paper because its thin and rigid.
With the S3, you could also put a blue color filter (I used a B20 Fujifilm filter) on the main viewfinder window. It will make everything look blue through the finder, but the focus patch will stand out a lot more.
You don't need to take the rangefinder out of the camera to clean the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism. Instead, you can can access that diagonal surface by removing the front plate and small RF window, and then gently sliding dampened cleaning paper into/out of the above mentioned small gap. Repeating the cleaning six or so times should make a big difference. Just be careful not to get any damp lens cleaning paper stuck in there.
MikeL
Go Fish
Great info Jon, thanks
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
I can see good reasons for moving this to the repair forum, but is this not a case where it would be equally useful in its original place of the Nikon RF Forum?
I appreciate the remaining title in that forum is useful as a guide to why it is moved and is still accessible but if "cleaning" were added perhaps it would be more so?
I appreciate the remaining title in that forum is useful as a guide to why it is moved and is still accessible but if "cleaning" were added perhaps it would be more so?
jja
Well-known
Is there a good repair technician in the U.S. who can do this cleaning as part of a CLA? I recently purchased a Nikon S3 with the matching 50/1.4 lens. The camera and lens are very clean but exhibit the faded patch. I may sell it eventually, but first I'd like to shoot the camera and see how well I get on with it.
I thought this thread was fine in the Nikon RF forum too. I probably wouldn't have seen it and thus not replied if it was initially posted in the Repair / Camera Care forum. Hmmm...
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
That would have been a shame as your contribution is unlikely to be improved upon for the OP, and we all enjoy looking under the hood, especially when someone else is taking the risks.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Alpsman
Well-known
Thanx for the Tip.
jja
Well-known
Thank you! I'll contact Dave.
Hogarth Ferguson
Well-known
Thank you for the info. I have to say, having been on many forums in my life for many different hobbies and interests, this has to be the best and most informative reply I have ever gotten. Thanks so much.
Highway 61
Revisited
Don't remove the half-mirror unit or it will be a mess to reinstall it properly afterwards and to get a vertically aligned rangefinder patch.
If you remove the camera top cover, the camera front cover and the small window in front of the half-mirror unit, you'll be able to slide a sheet of paper damped with Eclipse cleaning fluid between the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism and its metal surroundings.
Like Jon said, use some rigid paper - you don't want the damped paper to tear out and stay trapped between the half mirror surface and the metal casting...
You'll need to repeat the operation several times before the half mirror diagonal surface gets clean enough. Then, the RF patch will be day and night if compared with what it was before indeed.
If you remove the camera top cover, the camera front cover and the small window in front of the half-mirror unit, you'll be able to slide a sheet of paper damped with Eclipse cleaning fluid between the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism and its metal surroundings.
Like Jon said, use some rigid paper - you don't want the damped paper to tear out and stay trapped between the half mirror surface and the metal casting...
You'll need to repeat the operation several times before the half mirror diagonal surface gets clean enough. Then, the RF patch will be day and night if compared with what it was before indeed.
Glad to hear that
Many repair guys don't realize that the diagonal surface of the half mirror prism can be cleaned, so I'd recommend checking with Dave that he knows to clean it.
True indeed. Its definitely best to leave the rangefinder mechanism in place.
Pablito
coco frío
Frustration with the weak focus patch is what led me to the Leica. I prefer the index-finger focusing of the Nikon RF but I never saw a Nikon RF with a real bright, contrasty patch. But then, I have not handled that many of them...
M9reno
Member
Many years later, the tip to clean the back of the prism still works perfectly. Tried it yesterday on an S4 with a barely visible focus patch, and the results are immediate and astounding. It’s easy, too - I am not in any way DIY-gifted, and this was a ten-minute job.