my new R3a misaligned?

pawelU · 12-30-2005

Hi all,

Today, I have received my new Bessa R3a body. My excitement has wore off quickly when I noticed that the focusing square (not sure what to call it, I’m new to rangefinders) seems NOT to be centered in the framelines. Its actually more up, to the left. As though I dont have a lens for it to make sure, I’m wondering is this is alright or the RF is misaligned?

Any help, much appreciated.

hiwatt · 12-30-2005

Gosh! It must be broken....I can buy it for $400.
No wait, I'm just kidding: it's normal to see it that way, it's not the rangefinder patch that is off-center but the frames. If there's no lens in the RF actuator (or whatever it's called) is not pressed by the lens cam, and that's equivalent to the shortest focusing distance possible, hence the parallax correction of the frames (they are off-center, in fact towards bottom right corner).
Am not an expert, probably some of the gurus here can give you a much more prcise explanation.
Ciao, Gus.

pawelU · 12-30-2005

hiwatt, you have just saved my Christmas/new year spirit! Thank you!

Need to save up more pennies and get my self a good lens...

Hopefully, within time, ill be more active on this forum.

hiwatt · 12-30-2005

Hehe, good to hear I (a new member) could help another new member out.
If you really can't wait to use your new camera, you can always get a used LTM to M mount (screw mount to M bayonet) adapter, and buy one of the decent Russian lenses (you can go from 9 euros for a new Industar 61, to around 40ish euros for a Jupiter 8) on the bay.
IMHO all that counts is going out and taking good pictures...unless you're a desperate gearhead affected by a strong case of GAS! Have fun with your new R3A!

pawelU · 12-30-2005

I was thinking just that. At this point, I plan to outfil my RF with new equipment. my GAS is powerfull...I'll see how things go.

bmattock · 12-30-2005

Leica RF's are never misaligned. In fact, if it appears that way through the viewfinder, it means that the world is slightly misaligned and requires adjustment.

peter_n · 12-30-2005

LOL! pawelU - welcome to the forum!

hiwatt - great advice, new members are every bit as "good" as the more seasoned among us...

ClaremontPhoto · 12-30-2005

Misalignment is nothing to do with where the patch appears to be in the viewfinder.

It's to do with whether the patches line up correctly with each other to indicate focus.

When you have a lens:

Focus the lens on infinity using the distance scale on the lens.

Then look through the viewfinder at a distant object and see if the patches line up.

'Distant' doesn't have to be the moon. Anything over 100 metres or so is fine. I use a flagpole on a public building nearby.

If they don't line up left to right then you have a problem.

If they don't line up top to bottom there is no functional problem, but some people don't like it.

Either situation can be corrected.

sf · 12-31-2005

Well, it is difficult to actually make any sort of guess based on your description, but I can say that my first R3A was out of alignment (one of the two patches was vertically misaligned), but my second ( a replacement) was perfect.

I also notice, and this is truly vital, that the angle at which you place your eye to the viewfinder, that is, whether it is centered perfectly or not, will affect the apparent alignment of the rangefinder patch as well.

My RF645 will look out of vertical alignment if I shift my eye up and down in the viewfinder, and don't make a point of placing my eye-lens pretty well centered looking through the viewfinder.

I get redundant when I'm tired.

goo0h · 12-31-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawelU

Need to save up more pennies and get my self a good lens...

OMG. To buy a new Bessa and not have a lens to use? I can think of no worse torture.

12-31-2005

The Leica 40mm/F2 'cron is a good lens for the buck on the used market.

pawelU · 12-31-2005

Thanks all

I think its alright...i get stressed out with new equipment.

No lens is torture! I have put it away in the box so It wont tease me. Hopefully next week I will order me self some glass.

pawelU · 12-31-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by shutterflower

My RF645 will look out of vertical alignment if I shift my eye up and down in the viewfinder, and don't make a point of placing my eye-lens pretty well centered looking through the viewfinder.

I think the patch is right, just the framelines seem to be off center... quite off

dcsang · 12-31-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmattock

Leica RF's are never misaligned. In fact, if it appears that way through the viewfinder, it means that the world is slightly misaligned and requires adjustment.

heh.. ya know Bill.. I believe you're not too far off with that statement

Pawel, there's threads on here that you can locate that will help you should your R3A go out of alignment. It's an easy and simple fix if you're technically inclined. Read up on them as a "just in case" measure. The Bessas are great cameras but not as "rugged" (for the lack of a better word) than Leicas so a heavy bump could throw out the RF patch.

This of course is not to say that Leica's can't go out of alignment, just that I believe it may take a harder "bump" per se : )

Happy New Year

Dave

vsolanoy · 01-01-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcsang

It's an easy and simple fix if you're technically inclined. Read up on them as a "just in case" measure. The Bessas are great cameras but not as "rugged" (for the lack of a better word) than Leicas so a heavy bump could throw out the RF patch.

Personally, I wouldn't try re-aligning the thing, the patches may be aligned, but I would think the focus calibration may get thrown off in the process. I had my R3A re-aligned an calibrated for less that US$100.

As for not being rugged, my personal experience is on the contrary, in comparison to Leica, I wouldn't know since I don't own a Leica RF. My R3A is in my computer backpack and has travelled to a number of different places including going off-road in some pretty rough places in my Jeep, many road trips, plane trips, as well as being carried and jostled about and being exposed to big differences in temperature and humidity... as far as the optical aspects of the camera, no problems... the body and the Nokton has a couple of areas where the paint has been worn off, but that's about it.