Zorki M3 RF trouble

[jameathery]

Hey everyone,

i have just started what i can see is going to quickly become an obsession, by getting a job with Leica, and more importantly, a Zorki M3 🙂

i have just posted a picture of it in the show off your FSU post, because i think it is beautiful, they really havent made a decent looking camera, anyone, for at least 25 years, longer than i have been around.

however, i am a chronic tinkerer (if that's a word :s ) and the other day at the beach, a post miles away, was off at infinity, so i set about re-aligning the RF and thats where i need some advice 🙂

so, i measurd out a coin on a chair exacly a meter away from my face, and was using Airplane contrails for the infinity, i have gotit down i think as close as i can make adjustments, but i still wanted to ask the experts, is there sucha thing as a "perfect" alignment? once you have a meter and infinity pretty much dialed in, dose depth of field take care of the rest? or is there some other test other than being happy with the pictures?

second, i also did the vertical alignment, and now things and people in my vauge vicinity line up perfectly, however, things past a about 60 - 70 meters away apperaing in the focusing image are slightly above the real thing (before everything in the RF rectangle was appearing under the real thing) so again, can you get this alignment perfect? or as its purely aesthetic, should i just live with it? or will it cause a problem?

I would be really grateful for any advice, and look forward to being here more often 🙂

James

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I would not worry about 60~70 meters. 100m is effectively infinity.

The vertical alignment is not easy on a Zorki 3M. Yours is close enough. If the vertical is off by a large amount, the horizontal alignment will also be off.

Your vertical is good enough at 60m, adjust the horizontal for alignment at about 100m. Will be good enough for a Jupiter-3 and even a J-9.

 

[wolves3012]

"perfect" isn't really a word to apply to FSUs but you can be as picky as you like adjusting the RF. I tend to be over-picky and want it spot on but Brian's right, it need not be exact. You'll also find that perfect with one lens is slightly off with another, so it's a compromise anyway.

There's a sticky at the top of this sub-forum that tells you how to adjust the RF, unfortunately on a 3M you'll have to remove the top cover to adjust the vertical alignment - fortunately that's not a difficult job. I tend to use a star at might for infinity, remember that adjusting the vertical WILL mean you have to re-do horizontal.

 

[jameathery]

Thanks for the reassurance guys, iv got a bit of an OCD about things being perfect. im sure once i get my B+W stuff back i should be more than happy.

one question on the rangfinder adjustmet: for the vertical, i figured the four screws on the side of the RF prism controll the elevation of the glass, however, i could only physicall reach two of the screws because of the shutter mechanism, and only loosening and tigtening one of those two, (the one closest to the "back" of the camera) seemed to have a direct affect in the VF, dose that sound right?

thanks again 🙂

 

[Sonnar Brian]

On mine, the RF prism was glued into place with no way to really adjust it. The frame must have warped/expanded slightly, it was out. I put some foam rubber on the top of the prism, and the top plate put some pressure on it. That fixed the problem.

 

[wolves3012]

Thanks for the reassurance guys, iv got a bit of an OCD about things being perfect. im sure once i get my B+W stuff back i should be more than happy.

one question on the rangfinder adjustmet: for the vertical, i figured the four screws on the side of the RF prism controll the elevation of the glass, however, i could only physicall reach two of the screws because of the shutter mechanism, and only loosening and tigtening one of those two, (the one closest to the "back" of the camera) seemed to have a direct affect in the VF, dose that sound right?

thanks again 🙂

You should be able to adjust the vertical using the circular prism that forms the window. Roatate the window to adjust. There is an inner and outer section, the inner is what needs to move. It's locked (or should be) with shellac, which alcohol will soften. The screws you mention are really a very coarse adjustment for if it's way off and can't be corrected with the prism.