Here's a strange one —

Bike Tourist · 10-22-2007

My first two rolls of film through my T suggested that I was not being very careful aligning the horizon and keeping the camera level.

Then, I happened to look at the 40mm viewfinder mounted on the hot shoe, The brightline frame is SKEWED about 5 - 7º within the finder!!!

That's a new one on me. Has anyone had a similar experience? Can it be disassembled and fixed?

Thanks.

Bike Tourist · 10-22-2007

I guess no one has ever had this problem. Well, for those of you breathlessly awaiting the solution, I gave the finder several judicious raps and taps on the table until the frame went back into alignment. Maybe a little glue would hold it in place if necessary. Man, that Cosina QC is fabulous isn't it?

ferider · 10-22-2007

Hi Dick,

never heard about the 40 finder doing this, but remember that people
had similar issues with the 21. Maybe Vince or Kim - not sure. Somebody
posted notes how do disassemble and fix the 21.

Sorry,

Roland.

Mr. Inky · 10-28-2007

I've had a similar problem with an external viewfinder on a 21/4. I exchanged it and the new one is perfect.

Bike Tourist · 10-30-2007

I don't know . . . Adorama told me it was after the 10 day exchange period. Since the value of the finder is not too expensive (unless one looks at it as a tiny piece of glass and plastic) I called Stephen Gandy, as the rep for Cosina Voigtlander, to ask what the replacement policy might be.

It might be, and is, nothing.

So, having nothing more to loose, I rapped the damned thing on the table repeatedly until the bright-line frame lined up squarely with the finder opening. I then cemented the glass to the plastic in along the edges with silicone sealant. That sucker's not going to move again.

For good measure, I cemented a corrective eyepiece cut down from an old Nikon to the finder.

Now, I have a bright-line finder aligned perfectly with the camera and the view is corrected for my eyesight. Of course, it may not be as pretty as it once was but it's far more functional.

Kim Coxon · 10-30-2007

It wasn't me. I have had the 25 and 28 finder and have had no problems with them.

Kim

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferider

Hi Dick,

never heard about the 40 finder doing this, but remember that people
had similar issues with the 21. Maybe Vince or Kim - not sure. Somebody
posted notes how do disassemble and fix the 21.

Sorry,

Roland.

Stanton · 10-31-2007

For what it is worth, I have exactly the same problem in the viewfinder of my Bessa R, bought used. I may do a little gentle rapping too. At least with there being a considerable area around the framelines, I can always straighten the image in Photoshop. Other that that I really like the camera. Dave

tedwhite · 10-31-2007

My Bessa R's viewfinder is OK. The viewfinder in my Pentax istDS DSLR "seems" OK, but when I upload images into the computer skylines are always slightly skewed. Even after I became aware of this and spent excruciating moments making sure I was dead on, they still come out that way. It's not much, a mere degree or two, but enough so that a viewer would wonder about the photographer.

I've learned to live with it as straightening the image in Picasa takes about five seconds vs a minor career in PS.

I had an external viewfinder for my CV 25/4 on a Bessa L. Mistreated that rig something fierce (motorcycles, backpacking, etc.) and it never came up misaligned.

Go figure.

Hey Stanton, you and Bike Tourist are both in Bakersfield. I lived there back in the fifties when I was a young punk just out of the service.

Ted

Stanton · 10-31-2007

Ted -- Whether it's Picasa or PS, the problem is easier to correct than spending the money for the camera repair cure, once you realize that it isn't you, but the camera. Thanks for the heads up re Bike Tourist being in Bakersfield too.

And Bike Tourist, are you aware of the camera club here that we are attempting to start? (For all I know, you may have been at the first meeting.) If you are interested and need information, let me know and I will fill you in with what I know.

Dave

tedwhite · 10-31-2007

Dave, yeah, I've learned to relax and not worry about it.

Bike Tourist · 11-02-2007

Stanton —

An email sent to you today. Thanks.