jaques Posted March 9, 2018 Share #1 Posted March 9, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Havn't used my camera much for a while- picked it up today and the RF seems out of whack. When I focus at infinity the RF patch seem to cross over by a small fraction- now all shots seem out of focus at all distances- and regardless of what lens I try. This is Super annoying as I have to use the camera for a job over the next 4 days. No time to get it repaired... I might be stuck using the EVF the whole time. I am in Australian and the idea of sending the camera (long out of warranty) to Germany for a service sounds both slow and expensive. What are my options? I have a local camera tech who worked extensively on film leica cameras- he says he can do it- but that he has difficulty removing the red dot to get at the adjustment screw without damaging the red dot... I am not sure if I should trust him to work on the camera- but at the same time I am too poor to send it to Solms... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 9, 2018 Posted March 9, 2018 Hi jaques, Take a look here RF out of allignment- focus beyond infinity. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rsolomon Posted March 9, 2018 Share #2 Posted March 9, 2018 I think the EVF is a solid option Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaques Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) indeed- I think it's my only option... which for me is sad as I really love/prefer using the RF. Just rang around and I can get it done in Australia by the authorised Leica repair folks... $250 to $400+ AU- Ddepending on labor- (how does that compare to prices in Europe/USA?) plus postage, insurance. Money unfortunately I don't really have laying about... I should have known years ago that I am too poor to play around with Leica digital cameras. Buying one in the first instance was, for me, a massive stretch- I made it (sold 100 vintage cameras to do it). I also never bought a single new Leica lens- and exclusively use lenses from the 20th century- but maintaining one down the road was always a concern for me... now that day has come. Years ago I hoped by the time my Leica m started to fall apart some other manufacturer would have made a cheaper M mount digital RF... unfortunately that still hasn't happened. what annoys me is that there is no obvious reason the RF went out of alignment. I've always treated the camera very carefully- it's never been dropped. I had the same issue happen once on an M6- the RF just went way out of whack seemingly all by itself. Luckily I was in Bangkok on a trip and was able to get that repaired for $50 or something from memory the same day I noticed it. It's sad that the RF mechanisms are so delicate- and can't seem to handle even the lightest handling. Twice I purchased new M digital cameras (m9 and first m240) and they arrived with the RF out- and were then sent back and repaired (m9- took months) or replaced (m240) In both cases it seems the RF was knocked out just by being shipped from the factory in Solms to the Australian dealer. Edited March 9, 2018 by jaques Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david strachan Posted March 9, 2018 Share #4 Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) Oh Jack, i feel for you. Perhaps you take the dot off, and do a quick run to Charles. I'm sure he'll do it on the spot if you explain your work commitment. Other posts suggest it is easy enough to remove the dot...slowly does it warming the dot and easing it with your thumb. good luck...and regards. Edited March 9, 2018 by david strachan 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jk1002 Posted March 9, 2018 Share #5 Posted March 9, 2018 I think if you google and or search here, there are actually instructions how to do that yourself if your camera has lifeview. Sorry for your trouble Cheers JK 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobers Posted March 9, 2018 Share #6 Posted March 9, 2018 The adjustment behind the dot is for up/down alignment of the rangefinder patch. If it's left/right (distance) adjustment, you can do that yourself fairly easily by adjusting the rangefinder cam which is just inside the lens mount. It takes a bit of trial and error (maybe 4-5 adjustments, dismounting the lens, adjust, remount lens, take image, download image, check focus, repeat). You only need to make very small adjustments. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 9, 2018 Share #7 Posted March 9, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Havn't used my camera much for a while- picked it up today and the RF seems out of whack. When I focus at infinity the RF patch seem to cross over by a small fraction- now all shots seem out of focus at all distances- and regardless of what lens I try. This is Super annoying as I have to use the camera for a job over the next 4 days. No time to get it repaired... I might be stuck using the EVF the whole time. I am in Australian and the idea of sending the camera (long out of warranty) to Germany for a service sounds both slow and expensive. What are my options? I have a local camera tech who worked extensively on film leica cameras- he says he can do it- but that he has difficulty removing the red dot to get at the adjustment screw without damaging the red dot... I am not sure if I should trust him to work on the camera- but at the same time I am too poor to send it to Solms... If he has difficulty removing the dot I would not trust him with the camera. That is the A in the ABC of Leica adjustment... A few minutes with a 2 mm hex key will do the trick and it is an easy DIY. Just adjust the roller on the arm inside the camera mouth by small increments and check. If you are making it worse, go the other way, until you have it perfect. Mostly you don't need liveview or an image. If you adjust the patch to be lined up against the hard stop of the lens at infinity on a lens that is known to have functioned well, you are OK. Bear in mind that infinity is a long way off. There are plenty of threads in the forum - use the search function. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted March 9, 2018 Share #8 Posted March 9, 2018 Yes easy DIY normally. You just need an hex key and a bit of patience. This has nothing to do with digital so your tech should be able to do it the same way as he does on film bodies. Suffice it to remove the red dot yourself if you want to keep it. Now techs keeping the red dot is an experience i have never had so far. Mine were used to break the red dot and to replace it by a new one. I suspect your tech has no spare parts for the M240 if he works only on film cameras. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaques Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share #9 Posted March 10, 2018 thanks for all the input guys. I think maybe the dot doesn't have to be removed- as I think the issue is left right- not up down? If it's only a few minutes job and so easy- I wonder how the Leica repair people can justify a quote of $250 to $400+?? I would like to learn how to do it myself- I'll look into that next week. i had to get by at this job over this weekend using my Fuji XT-1 (womadelaide music festival)- but hey- I am only using Leica M mount lenses. 2 more days of shooting to go. The camera guy definitely is qualified- Hasselblad trained and worked at Solms but mostly on Microscopes. He is one of only a very few camera techs globally to have his own Leica approved stamp for marking the wax on the older film cameras. perhaps I didn't explain his position clearly- he can remove the dot- but he said he has found the glue on the red dots of the new digital cameras hard to budge and that he couldn't guarantee not damaging the dot? he is getting on now and semi retired. I've always wanted to replace the red dot with a black one- so maybe now is my chance... assuming I can find a black dot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 11, 2018 Share #10 Posted March 11, 2018 I wonder about that price as well. Leica Wetzlar adjusts the rangefinder on any camera that goes through their repair department - for free. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeralCoton Posted March 12, 2018 Share #11 Posted March 12, 2018 I had this issue. It is a very simple fix with a hex screw. Just tap the hex wrench, then put on the lens and check. I sent mine to Leica and it was adjusted too far before infinity. I don’t have the link, but here is one in the forum with great instruction. I am not bold with my Leica, but this was an easy fix. Message me and I’ll find the pdf I saved and send it. It’s better than evf. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo63 Posted March 12, 2018 Share #12 Posted March 12, 2018 As others have said, if its horizontal alignment, it can be fixed very easily with a small allen key. I don't know what has happened to my allen keys, I used to have two i bought specifically for the M floating around, can't find either of them now. I followed the directions towards the bottom of the first page of this thread https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/118043-m9-coincidence-at-infinity/ I found i could just adjust the cam, and not worry about the arm length to get my M240 back into alignment - it will take a bit of fiddling though, going back and forth until its perfect. Hope you can get your M back into action, I used to love shooting bands from the "pit" with my M240 and a 50mm or 90mm lens Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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