VIOOH/Imarect repair

[captainslack]

Just got an Imarect finder from Ebay. Looks like an old one! Even has the 73mm frame for that old, unpopular Hektor lens.

It works fairly well, but the lenses are hazy. Anyone ever taken one of these apart? If so, is there anything to it?

 

[Solinar]

The one that I have for my IIIf was CLA'd by DAG before I bought it and it is clear as a bell. Awkward, but the framing is on the money, making very easy to compose.

Also, the 7.3 cm frame is supposed to be there.

 

[captainslack]

Hmmm.... Maybe I should ask DAG how much he'd charge to CLA this one.

 

[Nikon Bob]

It is fairly easy to clean an Imarect. If I remember correctly it is a simple matter to remove the screws on the back to remove the cover plate. The prisms are then easy to get at and remove for cleanig and replacement.

Bob

 

[amateriat]

I'm trying to stifle a laugh about the thing's name, lest galfriend inquire what I'm chuckling about...that could turn into a "who's on first" conversation, albeit with a salacious punchline. 😉

 

[clintock]

When I cleaned my imarect I found the main haze was between the lenses so I had to remove the ring that holds the lens elements in. I got to it with the back cover off, the ring needs to be taken out by a lens spanner.. Or a pair of needle-nosed pliers that have been converted to a lens spanner on a grinding wheel. I found the main haze on mine was naturally on the most difficult to reach lens elements.

It's a little challenging, or it was for me, to get the frame bottom parallel to the shoe when getting it all back together.. But I managed. Great with a bessa t..

 

[captainslack]

DAG only charges $30US to CLA. Think I'll go that route. Less headache for me.

 

[Solinar]

30 bucks beats guessing how everything goes back together.

 

[clintock]

I know how, have done it before and have the tools, and I may STILL send my other one to DAG if all he wants is 30 dollars to clean it.. That's a great deal.

 

[peterm1]

These happene to be extra ordinarily easy to disassemble and clean. Undo the 4 screws at the back and you are in. Inside you will see screws (two I think from memory) holding the optical group in place. Undo these and the optical until lifts out for cleaning. I have never had to disassemble the group itself however. Only slightly fiddly bit is aligning the screws to reassemble the group inside the body once you have finished. But took me an extra perhaps 5 minutes and I was done.

Here is another thread discussing exactly this http://www.leica-camera-user.com/discus_e/messages/2/118669.html?1110556946