The Naughty Child.

[mickbroughton]

I recently purchased an R-D1.

When it arrived I was overjoyed at my new arrival, it was everything I had hoped; it gave me the tactile and simple picture taking experience that I missed from using modern SLR equipment.

I derive the same pleasure from using it as from my M2, but with all the conveniences associated with digital capture; I even like the workflow of the software.

But it seems my new arrival is a bit of a naughty child; I am finding my pleasure somewhat tarnished: barely a week goes by without the rangefinder going out of aligment and despite only having one lens, which is never interchanged, I have a constant battle keeping dust from the sensor.

Does anyone else have a similar ambivalent relationship with their Epson, or are these issues peculiar to me? (Or simply peculiar?)

 

[coqueiro]

I'm a noob with rangefinders but how exactly can one tell if the rangefinder is misaligned?

 

[mickbroughton]

OK.

So it seems the issues are peculiar to my camera, and can be resolved iwth a good clean and adjust.

So the question has to be, can anyone recommend a trusted place to perform this work, with a reasonably quick turnaround?

Cheers.

 

[Ezzie]

I´ve read on several occasions that Epson in France still do service (not free of charge) the R-D1. In the sense that they take it in to be shipped to Japan for service. Do they still offer such a service in the UK is what I wonder?

 

[porktaco]

before you do anything rash, consider rich cutler's excellent rd-1 page

for example, http://www.richcutler.co.uk/r-d1/r-d1_15.htm, on sensor cleaning.

my advice:

1. get a bulb blower (like a rocket blower) and blow the sensor clean on a pretty regular basis (like maybe every other time you change lenses).

2. get a swab kit and give your guy a wet clean.

3. get a set of specialty screwdrivers (that go down to 000) and make the viewfinder adjustment yourself. rich's page has excellent resources for this. i'm really good at taking things apart and not so good at putting them back together, and i've adjusted my viewfinder a couple of times to get it JUUUUUST right, and i'm very, very happy with the results.

4. if all else fails, steve's camera is the way to go.

 

[kuvvy]

Thankfully mine has never suffered misalignment but I can vouch for the Cutler way of cleaning though I have only ever used the blowbrush method.

 

[Ezzie]

I´ve cleaned the sensor twice, and its not difficult. No mirror in the way as with SLR´s etc. I´ve also aligned the RFF patch horizontally through the accessory show opening.

 

[mickbroughton]

I have successfully adjusted the rangefinder thanks to the Wonderful Mr Cutler's site.

The problem is it seems to go out of alignment again easily. I treat this camera with a certain care; it is not knocked or harshly treated. One almost gets the impression that it is simple use which is taking the aligment out.

Similarly with cleaning; I have cleaned the sensor on several occasions, but to be fair I can never get it quite perfect. This notwithstanding, after a little use it certainly gets worse. As has been commented above, this could be a case of getting the sensor clean, but not the rest of the internal camera.

(When the camera arrived it was boxed but had neither lens nor body cap fitted, so there was plenty of opportunity for internal contamination)

Cheers.

 

[f16sunshine]

Cleaning an pro repair shop can do if you don't get the results you want. It does not require an Epson specialist. The alignment issue is likely that the mechanism is loose from to many adjustments over the years.

 

[mickbroughton]

I suspect you are right Andy.

I think the course of action needs to be to adjust the rangefinder once more, but then try to get some thtreadlock onto the adjustment screws (Cocktail stick?)

I will then get the sensor / internal camera cleaned via the local camera shop, who I believe have an "arrangement" with a local camera repair chap.

I will then see how long this keeps the "naughty child" towing the line.

Cheers.

 

[mwooten]

Mick,
There is a type of Loctite that is useful for fasteners that are already tightened. The "green" Loctite 290 seeps into the treads after you've torqued them down. It sets up in a few minutes, and reaches full strength in a few hours. Works great.

But after reading the above please do not try using Loctite 290 under the hood of your camera. The viscosity is rather thin and through capillary action the risk is very great that the stuff will lock-up the entire rangefinder assembly.

I just don't want you to stop by an auto suppy store and have the clerk tell you "this is the stuff you need!"

--michael