I think the rangefinder is off a little on my IIIc. The image aligns perfectly but when looking at the feet scale on my lenses the distance shows a little less than it really is. For example the scale on the lens might read 6 feet when the real distance is 8 feet. It might read 100 feet when the real distance is really 200 feet. I first noticed this with my recent pictures with my 90/4 were out of focus. Is there any simply way to adjust this without taking the camerea apart or sending it out for repair?

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), May 30, 2001

Answers

What is it like when focused at infinity (an object at least two miles away)?

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), May 30, 2001.

Hi John, I couldn't find an object 2 miles away but focused on an object between 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile away and the scale on the lens read between 100 and 200 feet. In the recent past the lens would go to infinity on an object less than a 1/4 mile. I Don't think I droped the camera recently. Anyway I don't want to send the camera away for a month or more for an adjustment that might be done myself.

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), May 31, 2001.

See the screw on the front of the cover, next to the VF window? Take it out and put your smallest jewelers screwdriver into the hole. Somewhere directly behind the hole where the screw was is another screw which adjusts the RF setting at infinity. To make the adjustment you find something REALLY FAR away, and set the lens at infinity; then mess with the little hidden adjustment screw until the RF agrees with the lens and the images coincide when the lens is at infinity, looking at the distant object. Adjustments are on the order of a _couple of degrees_ twisting of the screw--not full turns or half turns, etc.

Vertical alignment is adjusted by removing the bezel of the RF window nearest the shutter release (without messing it up!!!) and turning the window using the indentations in its mounting ring, revealed when the bezel is removed.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

By the way, to make the adjustment you've got to do better than 1/4 mile. I'm a mile from the target I usually use, and that's not quite far enough, as I discovered when I found something even more distant.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 31, 2001.

Michael Thanks for the advise. I found an object about a mile away(best I could do at the time) and made the adjustments as you recommended. It's amazing how such a small adjustment affects objects 5 or 6 feet away. Now that I know how easy it is I can put the camera on a tripod and double check closer objects. Off subject, but if this happened 10 years ago I can't think of how much time I would of spent getting this info. The internet never ceases to amaze me.

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), May 31, 2001.

Sorry, I wandered away there for awhile. I guess I am geting old and forgetful...

Try here for a visual guide on how to set up your LTM rangefinder:

http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/lrc_e/index_e.html

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 01, 2001.

Decades ago, I adjusted my IIIf rangefinder, to do a perfect aligment you need

• Adjust Leica rangefinder for infinity
• Then you must also check the accuracy at 1 M

Only when the far end and the near end match the lens markings then aligment is done. YOu may need to go back and forth between infinity and 1 M a few times until every thing is right

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 01, 2001.

Hi Martin, With the help of Michael's instructions I adjusted the rangefinder as you just suggested. Last night I set the rangefinder and lens to infinity using the moon (can't get much farther than that)then I measured 4 feet(my 90mm lens has a line there)and focused on an object on the wall to see how accurate the rangefinder was. It was off by 3 or 4 inches. Then I continued to adjust the rangefinder focusing on the moon and the wall at 4 feet a few times until it was only off by an inch or so at 4 feet and the moon was basically aligned at infinity (I made a slight compromise on both ends). I then measured 10 feet from the wall and the rangefinder was right on. I put my 50 Elmar on the camera and got the same results. All of my wide and normal shots have been in focus but this answers why all of my 90 shots were way out of focus.

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), June 01, 2001.

Gerald, it is fun fixing a high precision camera yourself isn't it ? It was fun to me.

But don't get finger itchy afterward and try your hands on Leica lens :)

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 02, 2001.

Martin, I have a 90/4 Elmar which is a real nice lens but has some faint haze, only seen thru a strong light source. Since the front screws off and is only 4 elements I've been thinking. But I should take your advise.

-- Gerald Widen (gerald@sfa1.com), June 04, 2001.

Don't need 1/2 mile full moon is best infinitey and easy to adjest

-- (rakeshcw@vsnl.com), September 09, 2001.