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Ted Kamp
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 03:42 pm: | 
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I picked up an old Minolta Uniomat at a garage sale. It has a nice working shutter and light meter, but the rangefinder seems off (something 5 feet away comes into focus at infinity on the scale). I have done what I can to remove the top to search for adjustment screws, but can't get it off. I removed the film winding arm, a strange little screw on the front, and a tiny screw on the flash shoe, but the top is still stuck on there. I can e-mail pics if someone needs other hints -- Thanks! |
Wayne
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 06:18 pm: |
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Hi Ted
You'll have to remove the notched nut underneath the film rewind knob to remove the top. A spanner wrench would be the ideal tool but you should be able to get it with a pair of tweezers or by gently tapping a screwdriver or similar. If you've already done that and it still won't come off let me know. I've got a very messed up Uniomat that I can check out (the top cover is still in place).
Cheers
Wayne |
Ted Kamp
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 09:48 pm: |
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Thanks, Wayne. I thought that was maybe a nut of some sort. I could move it painfully with tweezers, but maybe I'll wait until my spanner wrench arives next week to give it another shot. Any advice on what I'm looking for once I get it open?
Actually I was looking at the Rokkor lens with a loupe today when it seemed like it wasn't coming clean. May have some sort of fungus. Oh well - I guess this will be a repair-practice camera (although the sentimentalist in me wants them all to work) - Ted |
Wayne
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 02:19 am: |
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Ted
Out of curiosity I removed the top to have a look. The adjustments for the rangefinder are on the little 45 degree mirror near the rewind shaft. For horizontal adjustments you loosen the two screws that hold this mirror in position and turn the third screw which is in a cut-out. This changes the angle of the mirror and in doing so the distance setting of the rangefinder. After adjustment re-tighten the two locking screws. To adjust vertical alignment (if you have to) there seems to be another screw with a locking collar behind the same mirror. I imagine you'd loosen the locking collar and turn the inner screw to adjust the height of the mirror to correct vertical alignment.
If you need any parts Ted let me know and I'll see if I can help you out.
Cheers
Wayne |
Ted Kamp
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 04:27 pm: |
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Thanks again, Wayne - I'm looking forward to trying this. I'm getting a little kit from American Science & Surplus with a spanner wrench and some other goodies next week. Am I right that the next step is getting some tracing paper or ground glass up against the film plane to make sure the taking lens is at infinity while the rangefinder says infinity?
Ted |
Wayne
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 04:42 pm: |
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Ted
Yes, that's correct. If you adjust the rangefinder at infinity it should then be correct at other distances. Check a variety of distances after adjustment to make sure it's OK. I forgot to mention that there's another screw under the wind lever at the back if you haven't already got that one.
Good luck,
Wayne |
Ted Kamp
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2006 - 11:49 pm: |
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Wayne,
Mission accomplished (I think). I scuffed of some sort or light frosted finish off the rear viewfinder eyepiece with overzealous cleaning, but it doesn't seem to affect my ability to focus. I should try a test roll to be sure, but things seem to match up and the cover is back on OK. I may go after the fungus (or at least inner element gunk) when I feel up to it.
Thanks again,
Ted |
Wayne
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 09:41 pm: |
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Ted
I'm glad it worked out! As long as you can still see the second image in the centre of the viewfinder it should be OK.
Cheers
Wayne |
