Rangefinder misalignment?? R3A

[dcsang]

Well, I figured it may have happened at some point.

Heck, I've been using and firing off this camera since I got it 🙂
It's just that much fun.

Anyway, I think I have a slight vertical misalignment with my R3A and wanted to hear if anyone else has ever experienced such an issue. Horizontaly the images seem to line up just fine but the vertical portion is just a smidge off - and it would appear this is happening at or near infinity.

Any thoughts? 🙂

Cheers
Dave

 

[jlw]

I've suspected mine might be off very slightly. Remember that this is sensitive to eye alignment -- if you position your eye a bit higher or lower, the vertical alignment shifts slightly. This means that the alignment might have been perfectly adjusted for the guy who set it up at the factory, but still be slightly off for you (people are bound to line up the viewing eye differently because of differences in grip and face shape.)

Anyway, since the adjustments are exactly the same as for the Epson R-D 1, for which someone posted instructions here a while back, I touched mine up just a bit so the vertical alignment was perfect for MY eye.

Like the horizontal adjustment, the vertical adjustment is accessible through the top once you've removed the accessory shoe. It's a large gray screw that's slightly under the right side overhang of the opening (as viewed from the back of the camera) so you have to reach in on a slight diagonal to turn it. You don't need to turn it much! It's got some sealer on it, so it will be a bit stiff.

If you don't over-turn it and don't press down too hard while turning it, you should be able to make this adjustment without affecting the horizontal adjustment. If you overdo it or damage anything, though, I'd guess that you'll have voided your warranty by attempting it (and they'll be able to tell by the broken seal on the screw head) so DON'T try it unless you're confident and willing to assume the consequences.



BTW, if you don't know how to remove the accessory shoe: It's held down by four crosspoint screws, which are concealed by a black spring-metal cover along the bottom of the shoe. To remove the cover, gently lift up its back edges by prying them backward and upward. I use two sharp-pointed toothpicks for this -- they're strong enough to do the job, but soft enough that they won't scratch.

Once you've lifted the two sides of the back of the cover clear of the shoe, press forward slightly so that you can lift the front edge (sliding a toothpick underneath from the back helps) and slide the whole cover backward. It will slide off, revealing the four screws. Loosen them, lift off the accessory shoe, and you'll see the adjusting screws. The large one on the right, described previously, adjusts vertical alignment; a tiny one to its left, toward the front of the camera, adjusts infinity position; and another tiny one behind it supposedly adjusts the focus of the relay lens to improve the clarity of the rangefinder spot. The two tiny screws are heavily sealed, so I suggest leaving them alone.

To replace: put the shoe back on and tighten the four screws. Slide the cover on from the back until the front lip drops down over the front of the accessory shoe, then press back slightly and let the two sides of the back edge clip down over the back edge of the accessory shoe.

 

[dcsang]

Thanks for the imput 🙂

I've looked at the camera and I haven't got a clue where the screw is for the hotshoe - that being said, I'll look at it again today - I did look through it however and noted that you're absolutely correct - adjusting the camera to my eye does indeed make the patch seem "more aligned" than I would normally look at it.

It could just be that my eye is off.. but... again, it was late last night and I plan on reviewing this today 🙂

Cheers
Dave

 

[SolaresLarrave]

The eye position? That explains a lot! One of my cameras seemed to be out of whack... or so I thought before reading this thread.

One learns something new every day here! 🙂

 

[dcsang]

The eye position? That explains a lot! One of my cameras seemed to be out of whack... or so I thought before reading this thread.

One learns something new every day here! 🙂

After reverifying it - it looks as though it may be about 0.5 mm out of position vertically - it's not a killer but it is annoying.

I'm not sure I want to get it fixed yet though as that would mean spending at least a week away/without it.. and, I have to admit, I've grown to love the stupid thing 🙂

Dave

 

[jlw]

The eye position? That explains a lot! One of my cameras seemed to be out of whack... or so I thought before reading this thread.

Yes, and it's interesting to note that this can happen on the horizontal axis as well. What's alarming about this (at least in theory) is that horizontal misalignments can affect focusing accuracy.

It's because the rangefinder and viewfinder are a distance apart (the base length), so misalignments are greater for the rangefinder patch because it's a greater distance from the eye. I whipped up a crude little sketch (attached) to illustrate this.

There are optical tricks the designer can use to lessen the effect of this, but it's unavoidable that the patches always line up better when the eye is looking straight through the RF/VF optics.

Now you know why the old-time designers made those eyepieces so dratted squinty! Harder to see through, yes, but they wanted to make sure you lined up your eye correctly. With those old tiny eyepieces, it was almost impossible to see through the finder at all unless your eye was centered correctly. Today, we've traded off some of that in favor of greater viewing comfort. Still, amazingly, the vast majority of us can focus our cameras correctly the vast majority of the time! Sometimes I'm amazed that photography works at all, and yet it does...

 

[iMacfan]

I've had exactly the same problem, and managed to fix it myself only a few days ago. Do a search for something like "R3 RF alignment" on this site, and you'll find a thread with pictures. You have to flip up the thin metal plate which covers the screws on the hotshoe, starting with the two sides at the back, pulling it backwards and releasing each bit which gets caught - Take care not to scratch the camera. The main part of the shoe then comes off with four screws.

Use a torch to look through the hole which is now visible on the top plate of the camera. You will see two smaller screws to the center and left, and a larger one to the right. It is this larger one that you want, and a small turn will adjust the vertical alignment fine.

I really thought that I'd have to pay to have someone to do this, so I was really chuffed when I managed it myself.

Also, please realise that the eye viewpoint does make a difference, especially with the high magnification of the R3a VF, so make sure that this is not the only problem.

The usual disclaimer re damaging your camera or starting a nuclear war applies.

Hope this helps,

David

 

[dcsang]

Ahhhhhhhhh..

After re-reading and studying etc. yours and jlw's instructions I was able to do it myself. 🙂

I removed the shoe cover, the shoe and saw the screws - I accidently addjusted the horizontal in error but reset it easily enough and verified distance to subject using a tape measure.

I then adjusted the vertical screw (which I initially didn't see as I didn't look hard enough *DOH*!! :bang: )

All is good in the R3A now 😀

Thanks for all your help.
Cheers
Dave

I've had exactly the same problem, and managed to fix it myself only a few days ago. Do a search for something like "R3 RF alignment" on this site, and you'll find a thread with pictures. You have to flip up the thin metal plate which covers the screws on the hotshoe, starting with the two sides at the back, pulling it backwards and releasing each bit which gets caught - Take care not to scratch the camera. The main part of the shoe then comes off with four screws.

Use a torch to look through the hole which is now visible on the top plate of the camera. You will see two smaller screws to the center and left, and a larger one to the right. It is this larger one that you want, and a small turn will adjust the vertical alignment fine.

I really thought that I'd have to pay to have someone to do this, so I was really chuffed when I managed it myself.

Also, please realise that the eye viewpoint does make a difference, especially with the high magnification of the R3a VF, so make sure that this is not the only problem.

The usual disclaimer re damaging your camera or starting a nuclear war applies.

Hope this helps,

David

 

[iMacfan]

Great! Glad one Dave could help another.