Sears 35rf rangefinder calibration ?

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spystyle

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UPDATE :

btgc said:
Some small RF's like Ricoh 500G and Oly 35RC provide access to horozontal adjustment from film chamber. Look at upper film rail, there should be tiny screw. Remove it and in opened hole you'll find adjustment screw.
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ORIGINAL POST :

Hello from Maine,

Well I have an Argus C4 with good rangefinder, now a Sears 35 rf. I like them both and they will be my first rolls of film through a rangefinder (as opposed to evil-SLR)

So I got the Sears 35 rf in the mail today and it looks great ... but the rangefinder is way off, I can't get it to focus infinity or even close.

How do I adjust that ?

If I can dismantle this thing and correct the rangefinder, then all I'll need to do is replace the foam :

http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/ricoh_reseal.html

Thanks,
Craig







 
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It's a clone of the Ricoh 500G. Not easy to open up and repair, as you have to take the whole front of the camera off to access anything. That means removing the leatherette first to get to the screws. I have one too, and am looking for a repair manual so I can figure things out. Some cameras have an access port under the hotshoe, while others have one on the back of the camera. Not sure about the 500G. I've been waiting for some seal material so I can work on mine. Don't want to get into it until then as I have a scad of cameras needing help (three torn down right now).

PF
 
When you go to do the seal replacement, make sure you remove the pressure plate so as not to damage it, and to make room for manouvering the various pieces of the seal. Interslice has kits for just about any camera out there, and can make one up special if not in stock.

Oh, and there is a BIG difference when writing about your camera as to the usage of upper and lower case letters. The 35rf is a totally different animal from your 35RF, so remember that in your correspondence so you don't get the wrong parts.

PF
 
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My Sears 35 RF looks slightly different from yours. Getting the top off of mine was quite easy! I found a screw under the little circular leatherette that covers the film advance lever which I removed. There's a tiny screw near one of the lugs which I removed. And lastly, I wedged a flat bladed screw driver blade between the two prongs of the film rewind and unscrewed the top of the rewind lever. I hope this is of some help.
 
Some small RF's like Ricoh 500G and Oly 35RC provide access to horozontal adjustment from film chamber. Look at upper film rail, there should be tiny screw. Remove it and in opened hole you'll find adjustment screw.
 
btgc said:
Some small RF's like Ricoh 500G and Oly 35RC provide access to horozontal adjustment from film chamber. Look at upper film rail, there should be tiny screw. Remove it and in opened hole you'll find adjustment screw.
Click to expand...

Well I think that's true :) I found that but I still wanted to dismantle the camera because the viewfinder was too dirty. I was able to dismantle, clean, and calibrate my Argus C4 and it's really nice :) But this one was too hard :(

Below are pics to show how far I got. Does anyone want to give this camera a try ? I bought it for $15 so it's not like I have a lot invested into it :) I coudl mail it to you and you could fix it for me for small bucks or keep it, I'm easy going.





















 
As for me, I'll pass, thanks. I had Ricoh 500G, out of interest calibrated RF though didn't do seal work...it felt like not my cup of camera - advancing, focusing and release - so I gave it a chance to be small film camera for a student. Besides that I already have small RF or two to use.

Good news - somewhere on Net is guide how to open 500G, bad news - I haven't saved bookmark...it were written by rather competent person.
 
Wray, there was more than one version of the Ricoh 500G/Sears 35RF. The later one had a plastic body that was easier to work on, with the hotshoe more centered and higher. And Sears could always switch manufacture partners while keeping the nomenclature the same, so it always depends on what year a Sears branded camera was marketed as to who built it. The 35rf (wind-up motor drive/viewfinder) and the 35RF (conventional compact rangefinder) are two completely different cameras, so one has to watch out for that too.

BTGC, that wouldn't have been the "Unofficial Information Depot for Ricoh 500G" by Gyudong would it? It's the only one I can find that was referenced as having teardown information on it. If it is, it is no longer in action, as all the links I found for it no longer work. And I can't find a repair manual either, just a parts listing.

PF
 
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More info: The Sears 35rf came in at least two different models, one was the aforementioned second generation plastic Ricoh 500G body, the other was the wind-up/motor drive model that I cannot find an OEM version of (most likely Ricoh) and somtimes labled as the Auto 35. The 35RF was the original metal bodied 500G.

PF
 
Spystyle: To open this camera to get to the viewfinder you need to remove the whole front panel of the camera body. To do this you first need to remove the finger grips from the shutter speed selector ring around the lens barrel by removing the screws; then you need to remove the aperture selector ring from around the lens barrel by removing the three very small screws, and lifting the aperture ring off the lens barrel; then peel back the leatherette from the camera body front and undo the screws beneath-- you can now remove the front panel.

The lens doesn't come off with the front panel; rather, the front panel slips off over the lens, leaving the lens in place.
 
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