RD1S focus adjustment

wintoid

wintoid

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I note from Rich Cutler's excellent RD1 site the following paragraph on this page http://www.richcutler.co.uk/r-d1/r-d1_16.htm

There are anecdotal reports that Epson R-D1s has a slightly revised rangefinder so that screw 3 no longer has any effect on the vertical alignment of the finder patch. This is incorrect: the rangefinder in the R-D1s is identical to that in the R-D1.
Click to expand...

I am wondering whether there are any R-D1S users out there who have adjusted their focus through the hotshoe successfully. I feel like I'm always going on about RD1S focus, but it really affects my ability to get out there and use the thing, because I'm babying it too much. If someone had experience of adjusting their focus through the hotshoe, I think I'd relax a little :D
 
The statement you're quoting is incorrect as far as my R-D1 and R-D1s bodies are concerned.
With the latter, the screw dedicated to RF vertical alignment has not the same orientation and is smaller than that of the R-D1.
Also that screw is now inactive so that the only way to adjust vertical misalignments with my R-D1s consists in removing the top plate of the camera instead of the hot shoe with the R-D1.
See:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=486414&posted=1#post486414
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=455392&postcount=8
 
Thanks LCT, I knew I'd read something that implied there was more to it than this, but couldn't think what. No relaxing for me, it seems :(
 
Open it up and have a look. I'm prepared to bet money that LCT's is unusual in this regard.

Ian
 
iml said:
...I'm prepared to bet money that LCT's is unusual in this regard...
Click to expand...
How much do you bet?
I am not alone he he!
See what jvr wrote here:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=455392&postcount=8
jvr said:
...It's easily corrected on the Epson RD-1 but, apparently, not on the s (I have the s, damn it!). I tried it but it dind't work. The screw that was supposed to act on the vertical aligment turns loosely and does nothing on my RD-1s. I thought that was a problem with mine but some other people in this forum reported the same problem...
Click to expand...
money.gif
 
There was a thread here recently about someone getting their camera adjusted and having a different experience. I reckon jvr's was faulty. IIRC his RF was out of alignment, possibly so much so that the screw wasn't doing its job.

I would try with mine except it isn't mine any more, it should be in Spain by now.

I bet one thousand Albanian Lek :)

Ian
 
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My R-D1s had a slight vertical misalignment but i've had to send in it to Epson who repaired it for free fortunately.
Better find out a good craftsman when the warranty is over.
1,000 Lek you said? Too cheap my friend.
 
I bought a 2nd hand R-D1 and it also had vertical misalignment problem, but since the warranty was expired so I sent it to a craftsman in Hong Kong and cost about EURO 40 for fixing. Now it is perfect.
 
Vertical misalignments are easy to fix with the R-D1.
Did i myself 3 times yet. Takes me 10 minutes now.
 
As I don't own an R-D1s, I can't speak from experience.close-focus

There are only four adjustment screws in the R-D1 rangefinder mechanism, so, ignoring the vertical adjustment screw No. 3 already mentioned, the remaining screws adjust the sharpness of the finder patch (screw 1), infinity-focus horizontal adjustment (screw 2) and close-focus horizontal adjustment (screw 4).

Apart from giving better access to the screws under the hot shoe, removing the top plate allows access to screw 4. There is no other means of adjusting the rangefinder.

So, if screw 3 is inactive, there would be no way to adjust the vertical alignment, short of bending it or whacking it with a blunt instrument! Unless of course the R-D1s rangefinder mechanism was redesigned - which I think is very unlikely as the R-D1s is a rebadged R-D1 with a firmware upgrade. It would make no sense for several reasons for Epson to go to the expense of redesigning the mechanism, especially as it would need to be quite radical: all Bessa rangefinders, of which the Epson is a variant, are very similar, including how they are adjusted.

Perhaps Epson tried to address the vertical misalignment in the R-D1s, and factory-set and locked the vertical alignment; then did not bother with the correct adjustment screw 4, since the alignment should not need resetting in future. This seems far-fetched: it would be foolish of Epson to assume that re-adjustment would never be needed.

Applying Occam's razor, I suspect a few cameras are anomalous (e.g. lct's and jvr's), which could be a fault, or deliberate for whatever reason (e.g. a variation in manufacture) - this could equally affect the R-D1 (though there have been no reports in this forum) as well as the R-D1s.

Adding weight to this, is the post in this forum by an R-D1s owner who reported that a camera technician found screw 4 disconnected from the mechanism for no good reason, and once reconnected, the camera's vertical alignment could be set perfectly.
 
bono0272 said:
3 times....which means the R-D1 will mis-align again easily
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Mine was perfect when I got it 18 months ago, went when I dropped it 6 months later :)mad:), but has been perfect since.

It's just as robust as a Bessa, and Bessa owners seem perfectly happily with the robustness of their cameras, in the main...

I am reasonably careful with the camera though, and try not to sling it around!
 
bono0272 said:
3 times....which means the R-D1 will mis-align again easily?:bang:
Click to expand...
Not that much in my experience. The first time was in 2006 (i bought the R-D1 in 2004). Second time was a few minutes after to prove to myself that i could have been a great craftsman instead of a not-so-bad lawyer (!), third time recently after a travel. But again vertical misalignments are easy to fix actually.
 
RichC said:
As I don't own an R-D1s, I can't speak from experience.close-focus

There are only four adjustment screws in the R-D1 rangefinder mechanism, so, ignoring the vertical adjustment screw No. 3 already mentioned, the remaining screws adjust the sharpness of the finder patch (screw 1), infinity-focus horizontal adjustment (screw 2) and close-focus horizontal adjustment (screw 4).

Apart from giving better access to the screws under the hot shoe, removing the top plate allows access to screw 4. There is no other means of adjusting the rangefinder.

So, if screw 3 is inactive, there would be no way to adjust the vertical alignment, short of bending it or whacking it with a blunt instrument! Unless of course the R-D1s rangefinder mechanism was redesigned - which I think is very unlikely as the R-D1s is a rebadged R-D1 with a firmware upgrade. It would make no sense for several reasons for Epson to go to the expense of redesigning the mechanism, especially as it would need to be quite radical: all Bessa rangefinders, of which the Epson is a variant, are very similar, including how they are adjusted.

Perhaps Epson tried to address the vertical misalignment in the R-D1s, and factory-set and locked the vertical alignment; then did not bother with the correct adjustment screw 4, since the alignment should not need resetting in future. This seems far-fetched: it would be foolish of Epson to assume that re-adjustment would never be needed.

Applying Occam's razor, I suspect a few cameras are anomalous (e.g. lct's and jvr's), which could be a fault, or deliberate for whatever reason (e.g. a variation in manufacture) - this could equally affect the R-D1 (though there have been no reports in this forum) as well as the R-D1s.

Adding weight to this, is the post in this forum by an R-D1s owner who reported that a camera technician found screw 4 disconnected from the mechanism for no good reason, and once reconnected, the camera's vertical alignment could be set perfectly.
Click to expand...

Well... I posted on this forum that my technician found out the fixing screws were off :) I also posted that there could be a chance that the vertical screw worked as on the R-D1. I was nor brave enough to open again my R-D1s hotshow and fiddle to make sure...

Unfortunately, in the rush of a photo session, my Epson just fell on the floor, baseplate down. Fortunately, focus is ok (phew!!!) but vertical aligment went a bit (just a bit!) sour.

So, I went back to the old routine of opening the hotshoe and fiddle with the vertical screw. To no avail: it still does not work.

Three explanations:

1) My camera is really defective (so as LCT's) and all other R-D1s are exactly like R-D1 on this regard. I buy this one, agreeing with RichC quote on Occam's Razor...

2) Epson really decided to do something to the vertical misaligment problems on the R-D1 and made a strange choice

3) My RF mechanism is again out of place with the shock and the vericastl screw disengaged again...

As sson as I find the time, I'll bring my R-D1s back to the technician and, this time, I'll ask him to sort out the enigma... :)
 
Or perhaps a little gremlin decided to play with our/my rangefinder(s)?
Just kidding but, seriously, my R-D1s is not defective. It had a slight vertical misalignment that has been repaired by Epson. Now its vertical alignment screw is still smaller than that of the R-D1 and it is still inactive, exactly the same way as it was before the repair...
loupe_anim.gif
 
jvr said:
As sson as I find the time, I'll bring my R-D1s back to the technician and, this time, I'll ask him to sort out the enigma... :)
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear you have to go through this again, but on the bright side I'm looking forward for hearing what he has to say. I'm sure I won't be the only person who will be very grateful to know the situation for sure.
 
wintoid said:
Sorry to hear you have to go through this again, but on the bright side I'm looking forward for hearing what he has to say. I'm sure I won't be the only person who will be very grateful to know the situation for sure.
Click to expand...

Well, last time it just went out fine and smooth, let's hope this time it's the same story...

I'll post news on this ASAP. I'll even try to convince him to repair the camera with me around and shoot some pics... :)
 
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