Super ricohflex viewing lens alignment and repair?

Army35mm · Jun 18, 2017

The viewing lens on my neww super ricohflex doesn't sync with the taking lens. I shot a couple rolls yesterday guesstimating distance, tried to reset infinity on the lens. It works, kinda, but the lens is only synced at 5-10ft focus. The viewing lens does not move from this position.

When i opened up the camera, the only things inside are a nut on the outside of the camera body, on the screw mount for the lens, and another nut with 2 notches on the inside of the body. does anyone have some guidance?

shutterfinger · Jun 18, 2017

Here is a user manual for your camera http://www.cameramanuals.org/ricoh_pdf/super_ricohflex.pdf . It appears that both the taking and viewing lens have movable front elements for focusing and are synced by the gear ring on each lens. One or both lens gear should be removable from the lens barrel or loosen for focus alignment setting. One or both will be attached with small set screws, 3 is common at 120° intervals.
Now cut a piece of ground glass, plain glass, clear acrylic, to fit the film guides of the film plane. On plain glass or the clear acrylic place strips of Scotch Magic transparent tape next to each other, touching but not overlapping.
Mount the camera on a tripod and point at an infinity target at least 5000 feet away, the further the better. Position the ground glass ground side or tape side facing the taking lens. With the lens gears disengaged focus the taking lens on the ground glass on the infinity target then focus the viewing lens on the infinity target then mesh the gears and secure their positions on the lens barrels without disturbing the focus settings.

The ring on the back of the view lens is the mount/lock ring, it should be tight. There should be a similar ring on the back of the taking lens shutter also, it may be hidden by the rear lens element.

Dali · Jun 18, 2017

What shutterfinger said... No need for a target 5000 ft distant. 1000-1500 ft is enough. Also, don't forget to remove the old grease from the moving parts and lightly re-lube. Ricohflex are often hard to focus because of this gummy grease.

shutterfinger · Jun 18, 2017

Dali said:
No need for a target 5000 ft distant. 1000-1500 ft is enough.

Celestial objects will be soft with the lens wide open and at infinity when set up on those shallow distances, farther is better.

Cholentpot · Jun 18, 2017

It's a super easy fix. I did it myself a few years ago. I don't remember the particulars but I know it was pretty simple.

Good camera with nice viewfinder but my copy tends to vignette.

Dali · Jun 18, 2017

shutterfinger said:
Celestial objects will be soft with the lens wide open and at infinity when set up on those shallow distances, farther is better.

The sky is the limit! Shoot for the Moon then.

More seriously, everything beyond the hyperfocal distance is considered at infinity distance, even stars.

shutterfinger · Jun 18, 2017

Dali said:
More seriously, everything beyond the hyperfocal distance is considered at infinity distance, even stars.

Corner cutting is corner cutting despite nice names.
Technically accurate is technically accurate.

Its you equipment, treat it as you like but others may not subscribe to your "good nuff" or my precision.

I sometimes use Jupiter as my infinity target.

Dali · Jun 18, 2017

shutterfinger said:
Corner cutting is corner cutting despite nice names.
Technically accurate is technically accurate.

Its you equipment, treat it as you like but others may not subscribe to your "good nuff" or my precision.

I sometimes use Jupiter as my infinity target.

Hyperfocal distance is not a "nice name", it has an optical reality.

Dan Daniel · Jun 18, 2017

Dali said:
Hyperfocal distance is not a "nice name", it has an optical reality.

Yes, it does, and part of that reality is the acceptable circle of confusion. Which varies depending on the intended final use of the film; Rollei, for example, states in their manuals that their depth of field chart on the focusing knob is for ~8x10 prints and if you intend to print larger you should use the next larger aperture (wider opening) instead of the actual aperture in use. Meaning that a smaller circle of confusion is needed for larger prints.

shutterfinger · Jun 18, 2017

A DOF calculator shows that the 8cm f3.5 lens focused at 300 feet has a dof from 133 feet to infinity. I don't play dof when setting up rangefinders, focus scales, infinity stops, or variable focus lens elements.
I do use DOF when composing with correctly calibrated equipment.

Dali · Jun 18, 2017

No need to play with dof, it is there, that's all. Run your calculator and show me a meaningful (i.e. you can see on a print) difference between a lens set a 300 ft and the same lens set at 3000 ft?

Army35mm · Jun 19, 2017

So, here's what I did. I opened the camera up, took off the viewing lens.

Realized much to my face-palming and self ass kicking for my stupidity, that the focusing lens had frozen, and the axis it was turning on was simply the nuts holding onto the camera body. I alleviated this with a few daps of WD40, and then want to work calibrating the camera. I focused on an estimated 800-1000 foot distance outside of my window, which matched with the taking lens screwed all the way into the body, and the infinity marking on the lens. I set it up, and reattached the focusing lens into the body. I am now realizing that the infinity focus on the viewing lens is somewhere around the 60ft mark. I have everything in focus at that point from approximately 300 feet to 1500 feet. Anything past that, I can't really say. My next step is going to see about finding a piece of ground glass. Should a spare viewing screen from a Nikon F suffice? I have an old K screen floating around I am never going to use again

shutterfinger · Jun 20, 2017

Army35mm said:
My next step is going to see about finding a piece of ground glass. Should a spare viewing screen from a Nikon F suffice? I have an old K screen floating around I am never going to use again

A Nikon focusing screen will be too small to fit across the film guides of 6cm x 6cm and holding it at the precise film plane will be next to impossible unless you have a 35mm insert then you might be able to get by with it.

Super ricohflex viewing lens alignment and repair?

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