RC sharp or not?

[DaveP]

I recently aquired an Olympus RC and cleaned it up and ran a roll through it. The lens does not appear to be as sharp as ive read about, not as sharp as my FSU lenses. Im going to try another roll just to make sure its not processing before the tools come out. What are your experiences as far as sharpness??

 

[pshinkaw]

If you're not satisfied with the results from an RC, you may have a camera that needs some adjustment. Ordinarily it is a fine lens and you should find the photos to be indistinguishable from any other fixed lens rangefinder up to 11X14 prints (full frame, ISO 100 film).

-Paul

 

[ruben]

Dear friend,
The RC is definitely among the sharpest RFs of the 70's, this is broadly accepted knowledge. Perhaps shomething went out of alignment ?

If I was in your shoes I will start with the simplest check: does the viewfinder/rangefinder yellow patch coincides exactly with the the distance scale on the lens, both at minimum distance and infinity ?

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The one I had was very sharp. Look for haze in the lens. Look that the lens' focus does not agree with the RF or with the Distance scale. If the lens is Okay, SOMETHING should be in sharp focus in the picture., If it is just the RF out of adjustment, should be an easy fix.


The front name plate comes off and you will see the entire lens module sitting in front of the aperture/shutter mechanism. It is held in by some set screws and can be adjusted to agree with the lens-distance scale. I looked at the few marks on my lens, looked at the perfect lens module replacement for it that I have, and decided it was not worth it.

 

[back alley]

i've had quite a few over the years and they all have been sharp.
i think it's a great lens.
joe

 

[DaveP]

Brian, exactly how does the nameplate come off? Unscrew that ring around the lens? Thanks........

 

[Frank Granovski]

I find my 35RC to be extremely sharp and it is an amazing little camera.

 

[SergioGuerra]

Although my Oly 35rc has several scratches on the front lens, it is very sharp 🙂

If you dont see any haze on the lenses, there must be something wrong with the rangefinder or the lens scale? Can you see any sharp part on your pictures? If it is only out of focus on the part that was supposed to be?

 

[DaveP]

Thanks for the info guys, i'll get it straightened out shortly........

 

[tedwhite]

I just got a 35RC. Needs a battery - what kind? Also, the rf patch is misaligned. Where can I send the camera for a CLA?

Thanks, Ted