Petri RF

[puderse]

I spent way too much for this 6 X 4.5 rangefinder through the mail. Allthough I am not dissatisfied enough to ask for refund etc. I discovered upon first inspection that the focus is tight and up to snuff when on infinity but seens to get looser and looser as one screws the lens out to minimum focus. Someone in the camera's past has tried to address this issue and only succeeded in buggering the tiny brass screws that hold the front element to the second.

Here I stopped.

Is there a way to seperate the elements after I take out the focus stop screw and remove the elements in front of the shutter? I could always drill out the screws and install three slightly larger screws after threading the holes. My arthritic hands might leave an ugly mess and/or F--- it up beyond all recognition. I have a small drill press and the taps and screws. Could even go on an expedition to find a small backward drill that might get the screws out and not mess up the threads. These set screws are brass and very tiny so that possibility is not bloody likely!

I've had a well known Penn. repairman CLA and replace bellows on a couple of AGFA RF folders and it took a return but it was made right in the end.

Advise on repairs or repairmen?

 

[FallisPhoto]

Advise on repairs or repairmen?

Best I know of is Essex Camera Services, in NJ. http://www.essexcamera.com/

 

[charjohncarter]

Here is my FirstSix made by what would become Petri. I have taken the focusing ring off and the screws were buggered, I use a little liquid wench and a very small screwdriver. With the focus ring off you can unscrew the front element (marking infinity position first) and then clean the thread throughly. Then reassemble with the very thinnest oil you can find. Replace the focus ring at the infinity setting and either do as I did live with the buggered screws or re tap.

 

[Windscale]

charjohncarter,

I am glad that you have actually started to do something to your First Six. I am sure once you got rid of internal reflections and adjusted the focus and added a hood you will be surprised what it can do provided you did not shoot into the sun. Please let us know how you got on. Good luck.

Sorry for sidetracking from this thread.

 

[charjohncarter]

I will, Windscale.

 

[Eastwestphoto]

The front three Brass screws merely hold fast the distance scale to the first front cell helicoil, however it does contain the infinity locking pin stop. if you can get those screws to loosen, then remove the distance guide. next totally unscrew the front focus cell optic. You can now use a solvent to remove that congealed grease and regrease it for smooth operation. Place it back in and open the shutter on B and focus a infinity object on a ground glass very sharply. At the RED triangle place a thin scratch across the lens brass all the way to the front. ( Make sure that line goes to the very front). Now heres the trick, back out the lens one full rotation till the brass line comes back to the same spot. Now you have room in the Chrome distance scale to get that locking pin in behind the groove. Put the chrome ring back in with the infinity line lined up at the RED Triangle. You are almost done, Now the trick use your fingernails only and rotate that front cell until the brass line line up to the red infinity line and the red triangle. Last STEP-- The three little brass screws have to be locked down evenly around the front cell. -- if you screws were Bugged from the start when you have that chrome ring off take a long nose plier and turn them gently so the heads stick up out of the ring. At that point perhaps you can fix the straight slots better? **** Now turn them in clock wise doing it evenly around the ring. Retest infinity with the ground glass and shutter open at B lens wide open. You should have correctly set this front cell focus lens to infinity focus. Aligning the top rangefinder has nothing to do with this procedure as this is a uncoupled rangefinder design. Aligning the rangefinder to infinity with vertical & horizontal collimation is a different task, better contact me. Regards, Don

 

[oftheherd]

Here is my FirstSix made by what would become Petri. I have taken the focusing ring off and the screws were buggered, I use a little liquid wench and a very small screwdriver. With the focus ring off you can unscrew the front element (marking infinity position first) and then clean the thread throughly. Then reassemble with the very thinnest oil you can find. Replace the focus ring at the infinity setting and either do as I did live with the buggered screws or re tap.

I never cease to be amazed when I see one more Japanese MF RF camera. While looking on ebay, I also found another, a Proud Six. Luckily the seller only has it listed at $999. He has a lot listed at that. I don't know what he ends up selling items listed for that amount. Nor why he would do so in the first place. Reminds me of Camera$'s pricing.

How is the First Six as a picture taker charjohncarter?