KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Can someone walk me through how to do this? Infinity on mine appears to be at more like 3 meters, so obviously this needs to be corrected. My understanding (and previous experience from several years ago) is that this is a real pain, involving removing the lens. I've found nothing online. Thanks very much.
A few clues.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/3234.html?1095421049
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6900/4846.html?1121174028
I have a Vito BR but it is working well and I have not needed to touch it. I have an early B or two as well but they are waiting for the day I have time to do something about them. So I have no actual experience to offer, sorry.
As there were apparently various lenses and shutters, a more detailed description and or photos may help those who know more to assist.
Cheers
Brett
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6901/3234.html?1095421049
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/classics/forum/messages/6900/4846.html?1121174028
I have a Vito BR but it is working well and I have not needed to touch it. I have an early B or two as well but they are waiting for the day I have time to do something about them. So I have no actual experience to offer, sorry.
As there were apparently various lenses and shutters, a more detailed description and or photos may help those who know more to assist.
Cheers
Brett
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Thanks, Brett -- I didn't know there was a way to search the camera repair forum archives! But actually neither of these really gets to the question of how to adjust the focus.
There are three grub screws around the front of the focusing ring. Loosening these allows the ring with the two aperture index marks to come off, and reveals three brass screws underneath, which are partially blocked by the lens cell. What to do from there is what I don't know -- the fact these screws aren't really cleanly accessible is what makes me nervous.
There are three grub screws around the front of the focusing ring. Loosening these allows the ring with the two aperture index marks to come off, and reveals three brass screws underneath, which are partially blocked by the lens cell. What to do from there is what I don't know -- the fact these screws aren't really cleanly accessible is what makes me nervous.
Just to clarify, is it a unit focusing lens or a front cell focus? And generally what type is it? Is it an early one with the small viewfinder, or a later one with the brightline finder? And which lens? 50mm f/3.5? My BR being a later type has the 50mm f/2.8 (and a coupled rangefinder of course, but it is I believe otherwise similar to the B & BL models). Perhaps upload a photo of its front and a detail one of the lens?
Cheers,
Brett
Cheers,
Brett
Crazy Fedya
Well-known
Nick,
You will have to use something on a film plane, like a ground glass or scotch tape. Put a line or a cross on it. Keep shutter open on B with a cable release. Use an SLR with a lens longer than 50mm, focused at infinity, and look through it and the lens on your Vito onto the ground glass or scotch tape. Rotate lens cell on Vito, until your line or cross is sharply in focus. Reinstall focusing ring aligned at infinity. Tighten the screws. Enjoy it!
All of this is for a front cell focusing Vito.
You will have to use something on a film plane, like a ground glass or scotch tape. Put a line or a cross on it. Keep shutter open on B with a cable release. Use an SLR with a lens longer than 50mm, focused at infinity, and look through it and the lens on your Vito onto the ground glass or scotch tape. Rotate lens cell on Vito, until your line or cross is sharply in focus. Reinstall focusing ring aligned at infinity. Tighten the screws. Enjoy it!
All of this is for a front cell focusing Vito.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Thanks, Sam -- the Vito B is a unit cell focusing camera, I do believe. But thanks for this explanation. I have never tried this method, but merely done the "loupe on scotch tape on the film plane with shutter and aperture wide open, at infinity" method.
Crazy Fedya
Well-known
Nick,
At least you can use this method to check current collimation. I haven't used my B in a while, so I forgot it is a unit focusing camera.
At least you can use this method to check current collimation. I haven't used my B in a while, so I forgot it is a unit focusing camera.
farlymac
PF McFarland
Can't say as I did anything special when putting mine back together, other than to check focus at the film plane. The version with the slower lens and Pronto shutter is a different build (unit focus) than the one with the faster lens, and Prontor SVS shutter (front cell focus) .
Link to the photos of the work I did on mine: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjxMnCWi
I basically just put it back together in opposite order of dis-assembly.
Test photos I took after all the work was done: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjy8sC2X
PF
Link to the photos of the work I did on mine: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjxMnCWi
I basically just put it back together in opposite order of dis-assembly.
Test photos I took after all the work was done: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjy8sC2X
PF
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Phil -- can't thank you enough for your photos of the disassembly. Just what I was looking for. I think (fingers crossed) that I've got it squared away, though I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if I did things correctly.
By using the scotch tape method (noted above), I had determined that infinity was really right about 3 meters as indicated on the focusing ring. It got this far out of whack a few years ago, when I had removed the lens assembly to get at the shutter, which seems more or less OK now. As you mentioned in the Flickr series, loosening those brass screws too much leads to big problems since they come out of the clamps. In just trying to get everything back together (a struggle late one work night), I'm sure I paid no attention to lens collimation. The camera itself I sent out to have the shutter worked on, but the repairer never got to it. So after two years, I got it back this week.
Anyway: at first I was thinking I could simply loosen those brass screws (mine are single slotted, unfortunately) and simply turn the focusing ring so that what was 3 meters would now be infinity. (In my defense, I was able to do precisely this with a prewar Nettar recently.) But of course that threw the whole focusing ring off -- near focus stopped somewhere around 1.3m and the infinity stop was well past infinity.
Reading the Flickr text again, I realized it's the front element that has to be turned -- I know: duh. I used a rough justice method by noting that on my camera, the 3 meters setting aligned just about with the umlaut A in the Voigtlander engraving on the lens name ring. So with the loosened focusing ring held at infinity and aligned with the index marking on the DOF ring, I turned the front element clockwise until the A aligned with the infinity and index marking. It should now be in the general ballpark; getting the infinity mark to stay lined up and right at the stop wasn't quite straightforward. But at least I think am doing it right. We'll see what daylight shows, and adjust accordingly.
By using the scotch tape method (noted above), I had determined that infinity was really right about 3 meters as indicated on the focusing ring. It got this far out of whack a few years ago, when I had removed the lens assembly to get at the shutter, which seems more or less OK now. As you mentioned in the Flickr series, loosening those brass screws too much leads to big problems since they come out of the clamps. In just trying to get everything back together (a struggle late one work night), I'm sure I paid no attention to lens collimation. The camera itself I sent out to have the shutter worked on, but the repairer never got to it. So after two years, I got it back this week.
Anyway: at first I was thinking I could simply loosen those brass screws (mine are single slotted, unfortunately) and simply turn the focusing ring so that what was 3 meters would now be infinity. (In my defense, I was able to do precisely this with a prewar Nettar recently.) But of course that threw the whole focusing ring off -- near focus stopped somewhere around 1.3m and the infinity stop was well past infinity.
Reading the Flickr text again, I realized it's the front element that has to be turned -- I know: duh. I used a rough justice method by noting that on my camera, the 3 meters setting aligned just about with the umlaut A in the Voigtlander engraving on the lens name ring. So with the loosened focusing ring held at infinity and aligned with the index marking on the DOF ring, I turned the front element clockwise until the A aligned with the infinity and index marking. It should now be in the general ballpark; getting the infinity mark to stay lined up and right at the stop wasn't quite straightforward. But at least I think am doing it right. We'll see what daylight shows, and adjust accordingly.
farlymac
PF McFarland
Glad to have been of service, Nick. I've worked on three Vito B's, and they've all been different (two B's and a BL). I couldn't get the BL apart, so gave up on it. Some kind of key-lock arrangement on the lens barrel that just would not budge, and I couldn't find the info I needed. So I don't mind helping out when I can.
When setting focus, always set Infinity, then check the other distances. If they are off, then adjust the Infinity setting again until the other distances come into line. I use a target that is over 100ft/31m away. Mine happens to be an evergreen tree top I can target from the window next to my workbench.
PF
When setting focus, always set Infinity, then check the other distances. If they are off, then adjust the Infinity setting again until the other distances come into line. I use a target that is over 100ft/31m away. Mine happens to be an evergreen tree top I can target from the window next to my workbench.
PF
btgc
Veteran
I got intrigued by your observation and looked at my late B with f/3.5 lens and Prontor-SVS shutter. As I focus, not only front cell moves but also aperture blades follow. As it is loaded right now I didn't open back to look from back at Bulb but to me it seems internal implementation of unit focusing...but I'll check it again later.
farlymac
PF McFarland
It was an f2.8 model I was referring to, btgc. At least, that's what I remember about it. It's been over two years ago, so I could be a little mixed up on the details. I only took one photo, and one video of the shutter, but it does look like a front-cell focusing mount.
First shutter repair by br1078phot, on Flickr
PF