Zeiss 35 F2 Biogon + Voigtlander Bessa R2A Focusing Inaccuracy

[Apprentice_951]

Hello, I love both these pieces: Zeiss 35 F2 Biogon + Voigtlander Bessa R2A.

But...

There appears to be a near-focus issue with this combo, my first rangefinder set.

I shot a series of portraits from appx. 4 feet to 10 feet distance at F2 to F 2.8 and 1/2. After careful examination of the negatives, the lens appears to be focusing from a few inches to a foot or more in front of the focus point (eye) that I carefully set by matching the rangefinder images. I am an experienced photographer, so yes I am sure my focusing technique was correct.

Do you think the issue is a focus shift with the Zeiss 35mm Biogon F2 at wide apertures or is it due to Bessa R2A rangefinder inaccuracy?

So far, the lens has made some really beautiful negatives of landscape scenes at longer focusing distances that I have not quite seen the likes of in 35mm photography over 25 years.

However, all my wide open or near wide open portraiture with this Zeiss 35 F2 Biogon + Voigtlander Bessa R2A combo has come back soft, due to this front focusing issue, I now believe.

What does one do in such a situation?

The body happens to be on it's way back to to B&H for warranty repair due to a very very minor non-overlapping patch - which 99% of other photographers would have ignored. Should I ask them to re-calibrate the viewfinder as well?

Or do you think the front focusing issue is a design issue with the Zeiss 35 F2 lens?

Thanks in advance for any experienced advice.

 

[willie_901]

I never experienced any focusing issues, front focusing or focus shift or highly asymmetrical DOF, with my 35/2 ZM when I used it at f 2 - f 2.8 (or any other aperture). I used the lens with a ZI-M body. I have never come across a report of focusing issues with this lens. Still, your lens could be defective. One way to know is to send it to Zeiss. In my experience they have excellent service. Another way is to find someone with a EP-1/2 or G1/GF-1, a tripod and a M lens adapter. Those bodies provide extremely accurate manual focusing so you could determine if your lens is working properly.

Focusing accuracy at close distances is not a strong point of rangefinder cameras. Because you are experienced and particular, I suggest you search around and find instructions on how to calibrate the R2A rangefinder yourself. I believe this is the only way you will be satisfied. Alternately a local camera repair person who is willing to work with you may also be a way to get satisfaction. Rangefinders can become uncalibrated over time, so if you intend to rely on a rangefinder camera for critical focusing at short distances, you may have to calibrate several times over the life of the camera.

 

[mfogiel]

Most likely, the camera is out of alignment. You can check this by shoting a target wide open at exactly 1m from the film plane (as measured accurately with a tape). Also, if the alignment is out, if you focus on the moon, you should be able to see that the patch is not properly aligned in the VF. Lens misalignment is much more rare.

 

[fuwen]

I have been shooting ZM 50/2 with my R4M and 35/2 with my 35RF (R2M) at f2, no issues for me so far up to 8R prints.