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90mm Elmarit knocked out my r-d1 rangefinder?


Guest mc_k

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A brand new 90 Elmarit 2.8 worked fine on the M8. But on the r-d1 the lens is not coupling correctly--I cannot focus past 15 ft. (the two images will not come together, and there is no resistance like usual when you turn the focus ring.) It's as if something is slipping. I have used numerous lenses on both cameras without any problems. I put the 90 back on the M8 and it works o.k. I tried some other lenses on the r-d1, and now they are all off at infinity (two images will not align). They were all o.k. before.

 

I have not read about any problems with this lens on the r-d1. The cam and mount look o.k. Can anyone tell me what is happening, since I don't know anything about the insides of rangefinder cameras? Is the lens at fault or the r-d1? Is it safe to use the lens on other cameras?

Thanks for any help you can give me...

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Thank you POP.

If I put another lens on, the rangefinder does work, it's just no longer aligned at infinity. If I put the 90mm lens back on, the rangefinder is "stuck," but not until you are past 15 ft. on the scale. So maybe no coincidence?

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Thank you lct for the help and pictures. Yes, the roller travels freely and the patch moves smoothly.

OK now do it again and watch the rangefinder patch in the middle of the viewfinder. Aiming successively at infinity and at a close up subjects, can you make the two images coincide in the patch when you press the roller cam with your finger?

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I mean thanks Philipp

 

I answer both to Philipp and POP, it's OK.

 

If I am reading your problem description correctly, the camera now will focus with all of your lenses (i.e. the 90 mm Elmarit and the other lenses) from the closest distance up to roughly 15ft. The rangefinder will not work properly for any distances farther than that.

 

If you closely observe what happens in your lens if you change the focus from close up towards infinity, you will observe that the lens pushes the lever with the roller into the camera. If the camera will not measure distances greater than 15ft, that means that either the lever with the roller does not travel far enough into the camera, or, if it does, the mechanism within the camera does not follow through.

 

Both alternatives sound ugly, I'm afraid. I hope that I'm wrong, though.

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Philipp, I guess I wasn't clear. I'm just talking about the r-d1 now. The 90 works o.k. until you get past 15 ft. At that point the focus ring feels odd (no resistance) and the two images freeze and won't coincide.

 

For the other lenses, the focus ring turns freely throughout the range. But they are a little off at infinity, the two images do not quite line up.

 

I will go try your test. Thank you.

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The camera passes Philipp's test.

 

Does it seem like the camera has just been knocked out of alignment at infinity, and there might be something odd about the lens?

 

Shouldn't the 90 Elmarit be compatible with the r-d1?

 

Thanks

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I thought I had checked around, but I did just find a RFF post about the same problem with the same lens

 

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39356&highlight=90mm

 

That's what I was wondering--if the lens is a trouble-maker on the r-d1? I was wondering if I should try another copy. Of course, I also have the r-d1 to worry about now.

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I mean horizontal misalignment; vertical is o.k.

OK looks like the horizontal alignment of your rangefinder needs to be calibrated a bit. Can be done by DIY through the hotshoe of the body AFAIK. See:

 

Epson R-D1: Rangefinder adjustment

Epson R-D1: Hot shoe removal

 

Vertical misalignments are easy to adjust this way but i have no experience of horizontal ones personally.

 

As for your Elmarit 90/2.8, its focus cam does not like much the roller cam of the R-D1 apparently.

 

Due to the short base length of the R-D1's rangefinder, 90/2.8 lenses can hardly be focused accurately at full aperture anyway. Don't expect high hit rates below f/4 if you don't use a magnifier.

 

yll9wz2

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