Voigtlander Bessa RF 6x9

[alexvaras]

I think it has the spring is well put and I found the film tight, but from now I will remove the film just in the shop and I will cover it with "dark magic" spell.

[alexvaras]

New test roll, I put some marks along the corridor with laser measure distances, with each shot I wrote down the setting on the camera's dial.
The collimation I tried with the digital camera said at 8 metres in the dial, inf is becoming sharp.
Film Delta 400 pull 1, 100 at f3.5 (I wanted maximum DOF)

Distances in the corridor are: 27.7, 21.3, 18.9, 13.5, 7.6, 5 and 3 metres. See A4 papers with numbers.

Dial at inf, we know the results

Dial at 8 metres

Dial at 7 metres

Dial at 6 metres

Dial at 5 metres

Dial at 4 metres

Dial at 3 metres

Dial at 2 metres

So, it seems that around 8m at cameras dial everything start to be focused and sharp at inf and for me the camera now its consistent, I mean "it works" but the lens its not in place.
How the lens could go to this position? My guess is someone opened it and put it back not very well.
The next pictures show one rail where the camera goes when focusing... at inf the position is the closest to the film and when its 1 m at focusing dial I can see a lot of space that the lens can go ahead.

Blue line=distance of the lens traveled, no blue line inf position at dial, the longer the less distances says the dial.
Red arrow= where the lens is located.
Green arrow = distance that it can be traveled by the lens. (actually its two mm less from the end)

Here the lens is closest to the film plate, inf position in dial.

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Here the lens is at 8m at dial, it moved around 2 mm from the previous position.

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Here the lens is the most far from the film plate, 1m in dial.

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Here now goes my guess:
Checking the camera is obvious to me it has been opened in the past, I think the last time was for a CLA or at least reposition the internal rangefinder, but when they where doing it they lost the point when the lens should be at inf, thats why now its at the closest position.
To confirm my theory I need to check the position of that rail in a collimated camera.
Mike, can yo check yours if you still have it?
Meanwhile I only can measure the distance from the actual position to the position I think it should be the lens, quit the shutter, open the rangefinder and start working with those mechanisms to put the shutter where I want at inf position. Again put the shutter back and do another collimation test with the digital camera, if I see its good, go and shoot again.
EDIT: I could go directly to the rangefinder, try to fix its internal rangefinder, position the lens where I want and put the dial at inf (without touching the gears inside) It seems a easier fix.
Any more ideas?

[alexvaras]

I went for the easy option and I ended with all disassembled

If you go till the end, congrats.

This is an older version of Bessa 6x9 rf rangefinder I saw on other forum and explained in german.

For every step, a picture, I will try to write comments later.

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That tab on the ring is the infinite spot focusing

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For the test I did, infinite start to be sharp at 8 on this dial.

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So with a calliper I measure the distance of the lens plate to the camera.

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For quit this ring just continue turning ccw

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6x4.5 mask

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Detailed view of the rangefinder. Dirtiness, loose screws, welded screws, glued screws, dirty mirrors, I-dont-know-why-this-screw-is-here.
Who ever came before me... it seems to me he was a blacksmith.

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[alexvaras]

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Red arrow: Screw that make pivot the rangefinder middle mirrors, vertical calibration. Axe pivoting in blue.

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Green arrow: That screw was too tight, not allowing the rangefinder arm (blue) come back to the rest position (infinity)
Red arrow: welded screw.

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Loose screws.

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Homemade shims, paper glued.

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Removing the gears of the of the focusing arm better to take all the arm out, easier.

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Now, clean, lubricate and adjust (last part mostly unlikely) and put everything back in place.

[Julio1fer]

Very impressive!

[OpenWater]

Welded screws! Wow. Good luck with this.

[scott]

Hat’s off to you Alex. Very ambitious. Good luck!

[alexvaras]

Welded screws! Wow. Good luck with this.

I have the un-welder and I know how to use it, but... the position of that screw is on place atm until I do the new focusing test among the rangefinder.

Hat’s off to you Alex. Very ambitious. Good luck!

Thanks, the rangefinder is on the position again but its dark already, tomorrow I will adjust it (try at least) with daylight.
So far I have two screws that I don't need, its not that I dont know where I found them, its just even before where placed doing nothing!
And I need one to attach the left mirror, the previous one is out of thread already or the thread is broken. Once I have the rangefinder calibrated, I need a solution for it... Electric liquid tape? Or new hole thread + new screw?

EDIT: Im gonna try to get the left screw of the pivotal system of the rangefinder, it was glued and now it is short, need a longer one, when I visit the watch shop I will look for a sample.

[PFMcFarland]

Quite the project there, Alex. But sometimes you just have to do it to fix what someone else has messed up.

PF