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adventure with
Konica S3
by Rick Lam
calibrating rangefinder
I've checked the image on focal panel from 0.9m to infinite. They are all sharp.That means the lens works fine. When checking
the image at 0.9m, you need to make sure the distance between the focal panel and focusing object is 0.9m.
Then I check the image on viewfinder against the image on focal panel. The problem is when the image on focal panel is
sharp, it cannot coincide on the viewfinder. That is the reason why all the photos taken are out of focus and it is obviously
the problem on rangefinder.
Here we go . . . remember to take off the battery.
Open the top of the camera.
Remove paper covering the viewfinder
The red arrows pointed are the two screws that serve to calibrate the rangefinder.
The left one is serve for horizontal image coincidence (direct affect focusing on
viewfinder). The right one is serve for vertical image only, not affect focusing.
The red circle shows the three screws to fix the position of the rangefinder. Do
not remove these screws at this stage.
You may start to adjust the rangefinder from the closest image or infinite image.
Start from closest image. Place the camera on tripod with focal distance 0.9m.
Check the focal image again, it should be sharp while the image at viewfinder is
not coincided. Adjust the left screw to have a coincided image on viewfinder. After
that, try to focus at infinite (of cause focus to the object at infinite) and check the
viewfinder. If the image coincided at both closest and infinite ends, congratulations!!
You've got it right. If possible, check the linear focusing accuracy from 0.9 to 5m
If you are not able to have coincided image at both ends from the above adjustment,
there are further calibration requested. I removed the whole rangefinder part so
I'm not the lucky guy too!! Be careful when removing and place back the
whole rangefinder, the metering needle can be broken easily. The green
circled part is extension part of the rangefinder to get touch with the end of the
lens. That is why rangefinder works when the lens is focusing. The red circle shows
the bottom part of the left screw that I 've adjusted. This end is an oval shape
design. By adjusting the this part and the yellow arrow pointed screw, you will
be able to have a coincided image at both ends. It is not easy to do that because
it also affected by the placement of the rangefinder when you try to fix it on the
original position.
I'm not a technician on camera. This adventure story is just for exprience
sharing. Do not treat it as any technical reports. I just hope this may take
some help if one day we were unluckily got another 70's rangefinder that
need services.
THE END ... and NEVER again
The rewind lever side: remove the screw
and use something to hold the folk inside
the film room. Then turn the rewind lever
anti-clockwise to release it.
The lever side: just remove it as what
we usually do.
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