R-D1 RF alignment effectiveness by Epson vs. DAG/Repair Service?

[edhohoho]

Having adjusted the vertical alignment using the DIY instructions on RFF, I was pleased to finally get an improved matching of RF images, but am unable to get perfect alignment at close (0.7-1.0m), middle (3-5m), and far (10m+) distances simultaneously. Since I am only adjusting one parameter, does it mean that something else needs adjustment, or is absolute perfection unattainable for the R-D1? (Btw, it takes forever to get a good adjustment because sometimes I barely feel the screw turn and the patch goes way off again.)

For those who have sent their camera back to Epson for an adjustment or replacement, has it been hit or miss, or have they finally gotten the hang of things? Most of the threads I have seen are from those who sent their cameras in early on (late 2005), but what have more recent experiences shown, and what has the durability/stability of the alignment been since getting the problem fixed?

Same questions for those who chose to go with DAG or another repair service.

Lastly, after adjustment/replacement, has anyone gotten perfect alignment at all focusing distances? And if it does eventually drift, can you get it back to that perfect alignment yourself with access to that one screw?

I'm just wondering whether the problem is actually fixable, and who I should enlist to fix it.

Thanks!

 

[Didier]

The close up adjustment is done with a separate screw at the left of the rangefinder unit and not with those screws below the hot shoe. This requires to disassemble the top plate.

But consider that every lens reacts differently especially for close up accuracy. I have tested all my M and LTM lenses except 15mm and 21mm, and none has the same behaviour close up. Epson makes the standard RF adjustment with a CV Color Skopar 35/2.5 PII, but even these can have collimation tolerances from sample to sample. I could fiddle the Jupiter-3 with paper shims to work correctly at close-up, but wouldn't try to adjust the more expensive lenses in lack of experience.

If you want to be shure, add your most important lens and sent it together with the Epson to DAG. He will adjust it for THAT lens. I know from another user group (LUG) that many Leica M geared professionals used to send all their bodies and lenses to DAG, Krauter and others, to get it adjusted all together.

Didier

 

[Tuolumne]

I have sent two R-D1s to Essex Camera Repair in New Jersey. Both have come back with the RF perfectly aligned, and they have stayed that way.

/T