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Jesus Perez
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 04:13 pm: | 
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Hi guys...looking for a little help with my recently purchased GSN. Everything on it works great except for one thing.
Per the manual: "Sight through the Viewfinder and turn the Focusing Ring until the two images in the center focusing area form one clear image." But when I turn the Focusing ring, nothing happens and the images do not align within the bright center diamond. They remain disaligned regardless of how much I move the focusing ring.
Any thoughts on what I should look for? |
Jesus Perez
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 05:38 pm: |
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Just got the floowing reply from Matt Denton (a nice guy indeed)
"Ah - that would be one of two things, really - either the focusing ring is not actually focusing the lens (does the lens move in & out when you turn the ring?), or the rangefinder/viewfinder is not adjusting. If the ring turns the lens and it is actually focusing, you'll need to take the top off the camera to find why the rangefinder/viewfinder isn't moving. If the ring is just turning but the lens stays in the same place, all you will likely need to do is tighten a couple of small screws on the ring. Hope it's the easy one!"
Since the lens does indeed move in and out when I turn the focusing ring I'll need to take the top off and investigate.
If anyone else wishes to chime in, please do. I look forward to the help. |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 01:46 pm: |
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Maybe the bearings of the rangefinder mechanism are gummed. You can check this by taking off the top cover and removing the rangefinder/viewfinder assembly. Usually this is held in place by three or four screws close to the corners of the viewfinder subchassis. |
Jesus Perez
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 04:22 pm: |
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Winfried, you are correct. But I'm not sure it's gumminess. It appears to be some sort of white powdery residue. Any tips on how to get it off safely and then lubricate appropriately? My first gut instinct is white vinegar but I'd rather ask the pros first ;)
Below is a picture of the precise damage. I noticed this same powder in sporadic places around the camera but in very small quantities.
Link to Rangefinder Powder |
Jim Brokaw
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 04:34 pm: |
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In the picture it looks like it is corrosion, possibly from water damage. The rust on a nearby part leads me to guess this. This probably happened due to condensation/high humidity rather than an actual underwater episode, usually there's more extensive evidence if the camera has been scuba diving .
I'd use a screwdriver blade to carefully scrape away all the white powder (and clean up the rust, too) and then maybe apply a thin coating of oil to the parts to prevent further corrosion. The one problem with oiling though is it may attract and hold dirt/dust causing future problems. If you know the camera will not be subject to condensation and high humidity in the future you can scrape clean and leave it, although you might find it more susceptible to corrosion due to scraping off the original factory coating/plating on the parts. Still, its not good to leave the corrosion in place. |
Jesus Perez
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 05:56 pm: |
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Well, I took to the rust with WD40 and that immediately loosened up the lever as well. I don't mind having it collect dust, etc since I now know how to pull it apart and fix it.
It's assembled and the rangefinder is working great. Unfortunately, in the process of fixing the focus, I now find the red/white arrows no longer light up. Time to take it apart again 
Thanks guys! |
