rangefinder alignment problems - how serious?

[JT2007]

Hello everybody!

I'm going to buy an Epson R-D1 but the one I have my eyes on has a some problems with the rangefinder alignment. The seller tells me that it's only a cosmetic problem and doesn't effect the focusing. He tells me that the rangefindet on spot is on/okay so focusing should be ok. Could you please shed some light on how serious is this rangefinder alignment problem. Reading these forums I see that many people try to fix this problem, but is it true that it doesn't effect the focusing in reality?

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,

Vertical errors will not affect the accuracy but can be annoying. Horizontal errors do affect the accuracy. Vertical errors can be seen quit easily. Horizontal errors can only be seen when focusing on something that has to be a infinity.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[Charles D. Orze]

Framing errors

Framing errors

Hi,

I wonder if he means framing errors? Ultimately rangefinder calibration can be performed by the user (thanks Rich Cutler), but many of us have cameras with tilted framelines (the patch is straight). This is annoying but not fatal. Mine are tilted clockwise about 3 degrees and I've yet to get help on actually fixing them.

Nonetheless--this is a great camera.

Charlie

 

[JNewell]

This sounds like a very unsympathetic thing to say, but I think it's true...canted framelines really aren't a big deal in terms of practical framing accuracy. Even Leica M framelines are only approximations. The R-D1 framelines are undersized enough that it's more an annoyance than a photographic impediment.

 

[LCT]

...Vertical errors will not affect the accuracy...

That is what i thought as well given my slight vertical misalignments but as soon as i've had adjusted them (10 minutes DIY for the R-D1, 15 days at Epson for the R-D1s) my results became immediately better at wide aperture.

 

[JT2007]

I checked the camera today, the problem was with the vertical alignment. And true: the horizontal alignment is crucial (glad it seemed to be fine), but the vertical probabably does not matter so much while focusing. But what do you mean that it could effect the quality of the pictures at wide aperture? How could the vertical alignment affect the picture if the focusing has been done right with the horizontal alignment.

Some of you'll thought the seller ment the framelines, but no it was the rangefinder - the focusing system.

I'm still pondering should I buy the camera which I've seen with the horizontal misalignment or get one through ebay from abroad at about the same price, which could be with no problems or on the other hand have it's own problems (and this case the seller would be abroad and things more difficult to settle). Any advice?



Thanks a lot for your help. This is big money for me, and a big decision.

 

[LCT]

...How could the vertical alignment affect the picture if the focusing has been done right with the horizontal alignment.

Can't tell you how it could, only that it did. Remember that the base length of the rangefider is very short compared to a Leica M or a Zeiss Ikon so that focussing say a 50mm lens at f/1.4 is partfectly feasible but not that easy everyday. So if your RF is a bit misaligned, even vertically, your success rate will drop more or less, at least i guess that's what occured to me.

 

[JT2007]

Voigtländer lenses - ultron 35 or color skopar 35

Voigtländer lenses - ultron 35 or color skopar 35

One more question:

after purchase I won't have too much money for lenses for a while. So I'm looking for a 35mm (digital about 50mm) lens for about 200-300 euros second hand. I was mainly looking at the Voigtländer lenses: ultron 35/1.7 or color skopar 35/2.5. Which one would you pick? I guess the Epson is pretty good at the low light so I'm not sure do I need the extra aperture stop, but what do you think I should consider while choosing between these two?

Any advices on other good 35mm (50mm) lenses good for R-D1 which could be gotten for about 200-300 euros second hand? Any extra special tips where to get them relatively cheap?

Thanks again!

 

[LCT]

...I'm still pondering should I buy the camera which I've seen with the horizontal misalignment or get one through ebay...

Horizontal or vertical? If it's only a vertical misalignment and the body is a R-D1 (not R-D1s) it is easy to adjust actually, i did it 3 times already and i'm not a DIY-adept at all.

 

[JT2007]

Horizontal or vertical? If it's only a vertical misalignment and the body is a R-D1 (not R-D1s) it is easy to adjust actually, i did it 3 times already and i'm not a DIY-adept at all.

Hah, yeah I mixed it up (now edited it), as I said before the misalignment is vertical. Thanks!