Retina viewfinder

[Moto-Uno]

Hello Everyone
Recently cleaned the viewfinder in my Electro GSN and was delighted with the clarity.However the same can't be said for my Retina 111c.Are these viewfinders generally yellowish? Am I expecting too much from these older kodaks? I must say the focusing is way faster with the Yashica because of it ! Any input would be welcome,I'm waiting for my first roll to return to see if I'm capable of sharp focus

 

[Brian Legge]

My Retina IIIc rangefinder is a bit dark and yellow tinted but very contrasty. I find it easier to focus with than several other fixed lens rangefinders I've used. Not the biggest finder but still pretty good.

 

[Chris Sherlock]

The yellow is a feature, not a bug....it helps show the water-clear rangefinder patch in contrast. The more common problem with IIIc finders is haze from dust and miniscule oil droplets. There are about 15 or 16 glass surfaces in the finder system to gather the haze. Fortunately this haze is something that cleans away very well in an ultrasonic cleaner. Regards, Chris

 

[Moto-Uno]

Does one take the view finder assembly out for this ultrasonic cleaning or is it the entire
camera that 's done at the same time?I was only able to get at about 4 glass surfaces.
Thanks for the responses,Regards Peter

 

[Roscoe]

Possibly some helpful info here?http://rawhiti.tripod.com/

Not sure about the IIIc, but it helped me with my IIa

 

[Chris Sherlock]

G'day Peter,

Yes, to do the job you need to remove the rangefinder from the camera body and dismantle it, some of the glasses in the finder are sandwiched with metal masks and other components, and these bits get removed before cleaning.

Three components have silvered surfaces, and that silver just rubs off VERY easily. Other glass components are much more robust and can be cleaned just like you probably already cleaned the outside surfaces on your viewfinder.

Once the job is done, with the rangefinder reassembled, it has to be adjusted for image alignment, vertical and horizontal. Not a job for the faint-hearted. It takes me about an hour to strip, clean, reassemble and adjust one.

Regards, Chris