Rangefinder alignment in the UK

[jimbobuk]

OK folks, this is a thread that got nuked in the recent site problems.. here i'll post the threads that were on there from the cache of my browser

Hi folks..

I've seen the thread that talks about the French epson R-D1 service center, and how for repairs its the place to go.. what about for proper rangefinder alignment?

I dabbled with my vertical alignment, and made a post about it a year or so ago.. sadly my ISP has gone so the pics are missing, but there are plenty of others providing similar information now.

Last night, after receiving a canon 50mm f1.2, i realised that the focus alignment is just a bit too out to be usable at 1.2. I took the hot shoe off and had a go at tweaking it, following RichC's instructions on it.

After a while it was too late and i left it, unfixed.. I found it really hard to adjust the 1,2 screws, where as the 3 one that i had adjusted before wasn't easy but at least was a lot bigger and easier to reach..

I think at one point i'd got things working a bit better, but noticed by looking at the moon that infinity focus was out.. fixing this, and then i just couldn't get focus working well at short/normal distances.. flipping between front focus and back focus each time i try to make the tiny adjustment on the screw.

At one point, having read if you turn the screw far enough it goes in reverse i tried going round a whole revolution, in doing so the vertical alignment was out and needed fixing.. i don't know if its cause i put pressure on the screw as i tried to turn it, or just because the whole mechanism some how relaxed.

On going back the other way i had to undo most of the vertical alignment change i'd done, but i was still back to never being perfect..

I'll continue to have another go, and would appreciate more discussion on peoples experience at actually playing with it, but i'm starting to think a full alignment could be in order, complete with gentle fixing of the screws once set to try and avoid any drift.. I fear screw4 may be needed, and i don't fancy fully stripping the camera down.

Anyone know anyone who does alignments in the UK.. I'd try with Epson but fear a very high fee, and perhaps it not being that great on return anyways.

Cheers

I can only mention that Robert White realigned mine whilst it was under warranty. Some have said that RW aren't doing this as a service, but it's got to be worth a phone call, right?

Jimbo

This may not be of any use to you as it is in London but there is a camera repair place in Russell Street (whose name I forget) just by the British Museum run by a guy who claims he can align and indeed service the R-D1. Or, put it this way, he has done the odd bit of work on R-D1 from time to time. I'm going to take mine in there at some point for an alignment and to see if he can fix my non-operating user button.

If you plan to come down to London at all PM me and I'll try to get the exact name of the shop for you (although I pass it regularly enough).

LouisB

It may be a pain, but it's a lot easier to adjust the R-D1 with the top plate removed. Also, if you can't adjust the rangefinder using the screws under the hot shoe, it may mean that the near alignment is so far out that you need to adjust it using the dedicated close-focus screw, which is to the left of the main viewfinder window - which can only be reached with top plate removed.

If you're going to this trouble, check close focus using several lenses wide open, to ensure that you're confident that the lens you're using is accurately collimated. (Browsing rangefinderforum, a common complaint about Canon lenses is that their close focus is off. This was the case with my Canon 50/1.2. To fix this, I had to grind down an internal brass shim (see http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...d.php?t=37162). If you want to know how to get to this shim (it's easy), PM me.)

It's not difficult to take off the top plate, but I do suggest you take notes and make rough sketches of the alignment of the parts that you remove. (That said, even if you don't and forget how things go back, you should be able to reassemble it using my website. And if you need advice, you can always PM me.)

Jimbo

This may not be of any use to you as it is in London but there is a camera repair place in Russell Street (whose name I forget) just by the British Museum run by a guy who claims he can align and indeed service the R-D1. Or, put it this way, he has done the odd bit of work on R-D1 from time to time. I'm going to take mine in there at some point for an alignment and to see if he can fix my non-operating user button.

If you plan to come down to London at all PM me and I'll try to get the exact name of the shop for you (although I pass it regularly enough).

LouisB

That'll be Camera City in Little Russell St methinks.

http://www.cameracity.co.uk/

That'll be Camera City in Little Russell St methinks.

http://www.cameracity.co.uk/

Mark, thanks for reminding me of the name. Do you have any experience with the repairs that you can pass on?

LouisB

No, sorry. I usually just drop in there to chuckle at his used prices, for deep belly laughs try York Cameras around the corner. The shop's been there as long as I can remember so he's probably doing something right.

Thanks for the input guys.. I was making good progress with infinity focus last night using very distant street lights at night (nice small points of light to see alignment with).

Still having problems getting the front focus working.. I could try other lenses and will do.. i'd tried the nokton 50mm f1.5 and it seemed similar, but i'd not tried recently..

Last night i was noticing a lot of times that my shutter was not firing all the time.. turning the camera off, then on again caused a click and then a wind on and it typically then worked.. until last thing when it just wouldn't fire the shutter at all.. brilliant!

I've charged my Epson battery this morning but still cannot get it to fire.. as always

i) turn off
ii) turn on - hear a click
iii) can then wind the shutter again, with no lens you can see its already down, and is pulled down slightly at the end of the wind
iv) press shutter nothing happens.

rinse and repeat.

I guess i will be sending it back to epson now then.. dammit

I do love this camera, and haven't used it in a while, I will get an M8 or perhaps M9 (tho i fear that wont be released for 10 years??!) but i just dont like the asthetic of the m8 versus the R-D1.. too menu heavy, not enough information readily to hand, it feels too much like a digital camera, not like a film rangefinder.

Anyways dunno how much money we're talking, but i'll try to chase up the paris branch, unless there is someone else who could work with the shutter.. like some of the suggestions above perhaps? I assume its stuck rather than damaged, but who knows.

Thoughts appreciated.. its gonna put me in a fowl mood for the rest of the weekend !!!

 

[jimbobuk]

And then an update.

Thankfully last night after trying desperately for a long time, i tried the shutter again and it didn't work at first so i just kept trying and then i got a couple of attempts that worked, so i kept trying again and eventually got it to firing every time..

I've had a go at aligning it again this morning and i think its fired every time so hopefully its back in a happy state again.

I'm tempted to get it fully serviced though i'm also wondering if it was more down to the dodgy batteries, or that they've sat for months and perhaps aren't showing their charge that accurately on the dials.

Anyways i've wrestled and wrestled with the alignment.. its sooooo fiddly, through the hotshoe anyways.. .but after a while now i'm pretty practiced and can get infinity to look good using a distant church or two.

I'm a little unsure about getting the focus of the patch right, i think right now its not the best it could be as i certainly struggle to see the image clearly when trying to take a portrait in the shade.. I've been relying on it though to minutely adjust the front focus problems i'm having so am usually using it more to try and improve that, rather than actually stick with it at its sharpest and clearest.

With all but the height adjusting screw i've reached the point where either turning a screw just too far shifts the infinity left/right and path height out.. either adjusting or perhaps putting the dreading pressure on it as i'm trying to get grip on the screw to turn it.

I may call Robert White and ask.. the camera shop you linked i called up and they were closed for summer holidays i assume till the end of August.

I'm also considering taking the top off, though with the problems i've had and the dismay i felt when it was broken i was quite worried about damaging it further.. I'd love a chat with you RichC about this.. your pages more than make up for my photos being down on the original hotshoe removal thread i made a year or so ago..

I've seen your descriptions of taking the top off but i feel its missing a fair bit of detail on the beginning stages.. i'm not too clear where i'd start, and i'm guessing you have to peel off the rubber padding to get to the places to start taking the top off.. I'm worried about tearing this rubber so it'll never go back on right, i'm also concerned of how i'll reattach this rubber to make it feel like new again afterwards.. use the wrong glue and it'll never come off again!!!

Beyond that i'm reasonable with my hands, but dont probably have all the gear i'll need.. I've modded my old Creative Jukebox3 hdd mp3 player by swopping the hdd which was quite a delicate circuit board based thing that was fairly fiddly so i'd say i could have a go at doing it.

One thing i dont get.. with the top off can you even still using the camera to check your adjustments.. surely light is getting in, key things aren't connected so its really hard requiring you to rebuild the camera every time you wish to take a test shot to confirm that your adjustments are ok.

Finally i was wondering today if the lens focus setting mattered as you were adjusting the rangefinder.. is it preffered to leave it locked at infinity focus, or say close focus, or perhaps even no lens at all whilst adjusting.. I figure all things are connected and you may not want one disturbing the other.

Anyways enough.. help as ever appreciated.. for now i think i'm going to chill out and maybe test my new Tamron 90mm Macro lens i've got for my Canon 5D... so long as i dont get obssessed on checking its focus plane it may be quite relaxing 🙂

 

[jimbobuk]

To be fair RichC you're page is quite clear, i guess i didn't read it properly at first.. still i do wonder about whether you have to re-assemble all the time or whether shots can be done with the top off.

 

[jimbobuk]

Another update.

I phoned Robert White today and asked about potential for rangefinder alignments... they do offer it for out of warranty and in warranty.. They take the top off to do it, however they are not capable of resolving near focus problems. Even though the screw required should be exposed with the top off.

They are also told by Epson with regards to front focus that they should use a 35mm f2.5 lens and test this on a ruler at close focus.. they're tolerance with this setup is 1-2" i think.. As you can see a 50 f1.2 is quite a leap from this.

They also said that dealing with Epson could be a bit difficult, relative to Leica who are all over receiving the camera and lenses to setup together.. Obviously they are used to servicing cameras, something Epson isn't really.

I'm not sure what to do right now.. and will leave it for now.

 

[markinlondon]

Jimbo, I'll be passing that shop sometime in the next few days. I can check the note on the door for you to see when they're back. I'll let you know.