Revere Stereo 33 Rangefinder Adjustment

Punkinhed7

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
222
Format
Multi Format
Hi all. I've been working on repairing a Revere Stereo 33 for a friend and have gotten the shutter, aperture and shutterspeed adjustments working again but am not quite sure how to proceed in tackling this rangefinder issue. The focusing patch is almost in alignment at infinity when the focus dial is set to 3 feet... I've searched around quite a bit and haven't been able to find any repair information for this camera--there was quite a bit of trial and error getting the other issues addressed up to this point.

So, I guess what I'm wondering is if anyone has any advice/information regarding getting access to the rangefinder mechanism for adjustment--do I need to remove the top casing somehow in order to access it? If so, which screws need to be removed? Does the top leather need to come off, etc.?

It'd be great if there was a convenient access hole or something somewhere that I've overlooked, but I'm not holding my breath.

Any and all information/advice would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.
 

shutterfinger

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
5,020
Location
San Jose, Ca.
Format
4x5 Format
I haven't a clue about this camera but here is the basics of rangefinders.
The focusing mechanism of the camera is mechanically connected to a movable mirror or prism , light is reflected to a 50% beamsplitter mirror either directly or indirectly via other mirrors.
All mirrors are mounted at an angle of 45° to the optical path and 90° to the optical path for vertical coincidence., the movable mirror is at a 45° degree when in coincidence at infinity. The lens position, connecting mechanism or movable mirror position is changed to make coincidence at infinity on a target at least 5000 feet away with the lens at maximum aperture, a closer infinity target results in the lens needing to be stopped down to make farther objects in focus. The position of the beamsplitter top is moved forward or back to to make vertical coincidence.

You may need to remove the top cover to service the rangefinder. Dried lubricant can make movement sluggish or prevent the mechanism from reaching its proper position. Haze buildup on the mirrors will make the image dull and unsharp. The silvering on old beamsplitters frequently comes with cleaning requiring replacement. New beamsplitter are thinner than the old and the new have to be shimmed to sit at the same position as the old.
 
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