Gotta clean this retina IIIc viewfinder

[Alan W]

Has anyone out there actually disassembled a retina IIIc to clean the viewfinder.I've been looking for a decent link but can't find one:confused:

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

My own experinece cleaning a Retina IIIS:
Don't! Don't!! Don't!!!

While the IIIS is more complicated than the IIIc, all Retinas are nasty beasts to work on. I've cleaned several RF viewfinders successfully, but the IIIS ended up as a total disaster (anyone want to buy a complete, disassembled IIIS?).

And even in the best of cases, the IIIc viewfinder is pretty murky anyway...

 

[bdial]

Chris Sherlock's site has some of the best Retina information I've found; http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~Srawhiti/index.html
He has some repair info, but it looks like he doesn't have much for the IIIc.

If you decide to give up on a DIY project, Zack's camera in Providence RI did a CLA on a Retina II for me and did a really excellent job, including cleaning the viewfinder.

 

[elekm]

The IIIc is fairly easy to service, although there are a lot of pieces for the viewfinder.

Remove the rewind knob by opening the back and sticking a screwdriver between the fork while twisting counterclockwise on the knob.

Next, remove the screw under the rewind knob. Remove the screw on the right side of the camera. I can't remember if you have to remove the accessory shoe.

The top deck should now lift off. The shutter release has a spring underneath and sits in a very specific manner. Make note of that.

When cleaning the viewfinder, be VERY cautious about cleaning the semi-gilded mirror, as the reflective coating is very fragile. If you wipe that off, you essentially won't be able to use the rangefinder, because the secondary image won't be visible.

One of the important things is to be very careful that you have screwdrivers that properly match the heads. The screw heads can be damaged easily, so you'll want a screwdriver that fits the slot.

 

[Alan W]

The IIIc is fairly easy to service, although there are a lot of pieces for the viewfinder.

Remove the rewind knob by opening the back and sticking a screwdriver between the fork while twisting counterclockwise on the knob.

Next, remove the screw under the rewind knob. Remove the screw on the right side of the camera. I can't remember if you have to remove the accessory shoe.

The top deck should now lift off. The shutter release has a spring underneath and sits in a very specific manner. Make note of that.

When cleaning the viewfinder, be VERY cautious about cleaning the semi-gilded mirror, as the reflective coating is very fragile. If you wipe that off, you essentially won't be able to use the rangefinder, because the secondary image won't be visible.

One of the important things is to be very careful that you have screwdrivers that properly match the heads. The screw heads can be damaged easily, so you'll want a screwdriver that fits the slot.

Excellent instructions,this camera will see a whole lot more action now that I can actually see through it.Thank you