RB67 focusing screen assembly... yes, I am an idiot.

elmontanero · Jul 1, 2018

New to me RB67 and of course I dive in to clean it up. Took the focusing screen apart to clean up and though I was going great and slow.... I'm now second guessing the assembly.
Anyone know the order of which bits - shiny, matte, ground, circular.... and can explain it to a numbskull like myself?

Yeah I know, been kicking myself as I should have simply taken notes or been meticulous and set them down correctly.

shutterfinger · Jul 1, 2018

Download https://www.manualagent.com/mamiya/rb67-pro-s/repair-manual

The manual does not show the focus screen well. The mat side should face the mirror/lens.
More parts, post pictures.

elmontanero · Jul 1, 2018

Shutterfinger,
Thanks for linking that. Might be useful for a dodgy film holder. But like you said, no information on the focussing screen assembly.
I'll dig into the camera and post up later.

paul ron · Jul 6, 2018

Dull side down towards the mirror. Some have a plain glass over them as well, that goes on top of the GG or Fresnel.

So glass first, GG dull side to the mirror and clips screw in.

You'll have to be more specific what screen you are talking about if the above seems like it doesnt apply.,.
Pictures help too.

elmontanero · Jul 6, 2018

shutterfinger said:
Download https://www.manualagent.com/mamiya/rb67-pro-s/repair-manual

The manual does not show the focus screen well. The mat side should face the mirror/lens.
More parts, post pictures.

paul ron said:
Dull side down towards the mirror. Some have a plain glass over them as well, that goes on top of the GG or Fresnel.

So glass first, GG dull side to the mirror and clips screw in.

You'll have to be more specific what screen you are talking about if the above seems like it doesnt apply.,.
Pictures help too.

Thanks both paul ron and shutterfinger.
Heres a set of photos. The screen has two glass parts. After too many years of monkeying around with cameras I've still not learned the names of them. I'm going to give you an idiots description unfortunately. (mine came with no guide lines on the screen, so a nice sharpie and some measuring)

The disassembled screen

Both have a dull and a shinier side:
Dull side (Ground glass?)

Shiny side:

Second glass (fresnel?) dull:

Shiny side: (Fresnel?)

So I'm lost on the order. Anyone with help, please let me know the construction of the thing in proper order. Lets say from the finder to the camera to keep things in order.
NOT EVEN A GUESS but if anyone can shoot the correct way to me something like this:
WAIST LEVEL FINDER
Shiny side fresnel
Dull side fresnel
dull side ground glass
shiny side ground glass
CAMERA BODY

I bought the RB hoping for the best, but so far I've taken four rolls of marginal sharpness, even with a beafy tripod, f45 on the lense, shutter release cord. I know how to get good images on every other camera I own... so a bit miffed. Thanks.

paul ron · Jul 6, 2018

put the clear thingie in the frame first... dull side to you.
then the other thingie... dull side to you.

then screw the end clips back in.

now when you put the screen in its frame back in the camera, the dull sides are down to the mirror.

hows that?

elmontanero · Jul 6, 2018

paul ron said:
put the clear thingie in the frame first... dull side to you.
then the other thingie... dull side to you.
then screw the end clips back in.
now when you put the screen in its frame back in the camera, the dull sides are down to the mirror.
hows that?

I'm truly laughing at your use of "thingie"
Clear being the ground glass (or what I've indicated in the 2nd, 3rd photos)? or the fresnel (or what i've indicated in the 4th, 5th photos)?
Thanks.

shutterfinger · Jul 6, 2018

Doohickey 1, your photos 5 & 6. If its a fresnel it will have a smooth side and a ribbed side. Ribbed side up (facing you).
Whatchamacallit 1, your photos 2 & 3, focus screen/ground glass. Photo 3 side against the ribbed side of the fresnel.
Secure in the frame, mount the frame on the body/finder.

Grid markings work best on the dull side of the focus screen (plastic) or ground side of the ground glass (glass0.

shutterfinger · Jul 7, 2018

Let us know the results, please.

elmontanero · Jul 7, 2018

Assembled as directed. it'll be fall till I'm back in the dark for testing out if it's fixed the sharpness issues I've had.

shutterfinger said:
Let us know the results, please.

shutterfinger · Jul 7, 2018

Tripod mounting the camera, holding a piece of ground glass at the film plane, loupe focus the taking lens wide open on a target, the view should match perfectly. A spare focus screen can be used in place of the ground glass. Film plane is usuall across the inner guide rails or across the pin rollers at the edges of the image box.
Any of a number of image test targets https://www.google.com/search?q=len...-X9o3cAhUJslQKHSxfDmsQsAQIKA&biw=1920&bih=966 printed at high printer resolution and pinned flat to a wall or frame make good focus test targets. I like the Norman Koren, USAF 1951, and ISO 12233 charts.

elmontanero · Jul 7, 2018

Thanks... I'll get to it and report back when I do. As usual, boredom then things get crazy busy... Guess which one came up?

shutterfinger · Jul 7, 2018

elmontanero said:
then things get crazy busy..

Insprion 3647 started showing defective HD. Replaced with known good HD. Cloned the system to the good HD. 3 days later that drive started showing failure. Norton full system scan, power eraser, Norton boot disk scan, AVG boot disk scan, Bitdefender boot disk scan all found no problems. Seatools bootable repaired the drive, to be wiped and a fresh install of the OS and programs yet to be done. Very time consuming. All backups of the corrupt system being wiped also.
Went to use my 1936 Speed with period correct cut film magazine and the cut film magazine jammed up, having to refurbish it.
Rolleicord II and V also tore down for repairs, to be finished by the 32nd.

elmontanero · Jul 8, 2018

Want to take a crack at my crummy little Lenovo... what a cruddy little piece of junk it is. Always was... no love at all even to boot up. 2 years old.

Good luck with your projects Shutterfinger.... And Thanks again.

timwomble · Jul 28, 2020

Sorry to ressurect this dead thread, but I have a question! I have the glass and the holder for my screen, but ruined the fresnel. I found a microprism/split fresnel only online. Is it possible to just combine my glass and it, screw them in and be able to nail focus? I'm worried that there is more involved, but it would be nice to have it work this way. Help!

RB67 focusing screen assembly... yes, I am an idiot.

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