RD-1 rangefinder backlash: Has anyone fixed that yet?

[jim_buchanan]

Upon brief inspection of #45xx refurb unit just received, the vertical 2nd image is very slightly below the 1st, and infinity/horizontal stops short of a coincident image, as expected I suppose.

I attempted to test close focus with the 50Summicron at 1 meter, and noticed 2 focus points depending on whether I focused down from infinity or toward infinity. There is a backlash or slack that can cause misfocus in additition to the baseline/close focus not adjusted right.

Has anyone tried to correct this? Also, could I get a link to instructions on removing the top plate.

Thanks for any help.

 

[jlw]

tmessenger's top plate removal instructions are here: Click this link. The instructions are text he added to his original RF-adjustment post, so scroll down to the end of the first post to read them.

Back when people started sending their R-D 1s off to DAG to have the RFs adjusted, someone posted here that DAG had noted the backlash issue on some R-D 1s and said he couldn't do anything about it. If he can't, I doubt if anyone else can, either ... although it's possible someone has figured out something since then.

Since you just got your refurb, I would think it's safer to tell Epson it's defective and you want another one. The refurbs don't have a warranty but they do exchange defective ones, right? That's what I think I read on the Epson Store...

 

[Topdog1]

Yeah, exchange them and then sell them to the next unsuspecting Joe.

/Ira

 

[Sparrow]

Yeah, exchange them and then sell them to the next unsuspecting Joe.

/Ira

I know he’ll have had one of everything in the end but I don’t think that’s very fair on Joe







😀

 

[jim_buchanan]

Thanks, for the advice. I have successfully aligned the vertical adjustment and the infinity adjustment thru the hotshoe. That infinity screw is sensitive! (refering to the #2, middle screw...). Then with these 2 adjustments made to MY tolerances, I checked 1 meter focusing on the 50 Summicron AND 5 feet focusing on the 135 Tele-Elmarit. Except for the aforementioned backlash, the 50mm was almost exactly focused with matched rangefinder images, and the 135mm was within 1/2 inch of exact focus! These results are general, as I need to investigate the backlash issue and how that relates to an effective focusing technique.

At this point, I have to consider #45XX a keeper, as I have no assurances a replacement would be any better. The focusing of this camera is accurate to the point of being able to evaluate the effectiveness of focus on longer fl lenses and faster f/ratios. I am very encouraged with the 135mm results, as this is one of those worst case scenarios.

Thank you, all forum members for making this camera work. I am sure I will eventually remove the top plate in order to get to the bottom of this rangefinder issue. I feel there is alot to learn under there...

 

[Joe Mondello]

Rich I am in awe! I 'm just not handy enough with powertools to take this on, so I'll likely send mine off to DAG at some point and let him do whatever it needs to perfectify it!

 

[Didier]

The vertical disalignment is one of the less painful of all R-D1 issues. You may adjust it yourself. See this thread here.
Didier

 

[Adam-T]

Horizontal isn`t too hard either so long as it`s been back to Epson at least once to have the gunk removed from the screw ;-) .. I wish SLRs were this easy, curing the heavy rear focus from my Epson-"serviced" RD1 took minutes, I spent half a day getting a Nikon D100 even in the ballpark 🙁 .