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.
- IMG_1069.JPG (135.81 KiB) Viewed 15515 times
Here the lens is at 8m at dial, it moved around 2 mm from the previous position.
- IMG_1072.JPG (120.78 KiB) Viewed 15515 times
Here the lens is the most far from the film plate, 1m in dial.
- IMG_1070.JPG (121.53 KiB) Viewed 15515 times
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?