Re: Focussing accuracy question, 35mm SLR vs Rangefinders?
Yogifi wrote:
People have been mentioning lenses need calibration even with slrs, but unless zone focussing or talking about the infinity hard stop, it doesn't matter right?
panos.v wrote:
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Now...a brand new MP should be nicely aligned. You don't know how hard the box was dropped though before it made it to the store. In any case, adjusting the rangefinder is a simple process that any rangefinder repair shop can do. If you are a bit (tiny bit) adventurous you can do it yourself too. I've done it a few times on the M4 and M246. Obviously digital with live view makes it soooooooooo much easier but if you are careful with your measurements you can do it with film too.
I know there's two screws that you can turn with a key, one for vertical and one for horizontal.
Though I imagine that's harder to test properly with a film camera - except for the infinity focus adjustment.
I read you're supposed to test it both at infinity and close distance... how are you going to do the close distance on film.
A tape measure? It's like calibrating for the lens rather than making sure the camera is right...
I know people use the tape on the back of the film plane, I was doing it last night with the fm2ns and it's kind of a massive pain.
It would be nice to have some ground glass specifically made for this so I can confirm with a loupe more easily. The tape isn't all that well defined. I did see a youtube video about a guy making his own so maybe that's the way to go.
I'm reading people saying something like "never leave home without an m2 allen key", they're joking right?
I often justify the price of a new MP thinking this is the camera for life, I'll take it everywhere.
But if I'm taking it everywhere and a single knock (or vibrations from a car ride) could require a calibration then that's delusional.
I get that in the past perhaps the expectations weren't quite as high overall - but maybe they need to make things a bit more secure nowadays. I appreciate the new phone makers with their rigorous vibration testing.
I don't particularly want to carry a screw driver with me, or make my own groundplane that secures to the back of the camera and take a loupe to check close-focus while out and about
I was reading up on calibration from a place that services Leics, and they talk about epoxying the prism if it keeps requiring adjustment.
Lots of people say they've never had to adjust their camera in decades. But equally as many saying they dropped the camera bag (not even the camera) and it needed adjusting.
Get the MP anyway? Buy some more FM2ns as well and hope they're right? Shoot only at f8? Headaches are a part of life?
They can't weld that stuff in place?
Get some microscope slides and some aluminium oxide 320 grit to make my own ground planes for testing without the damn scotch tape and just buy a bunch of cameras and send back the ones that are off?
But do you need to account for the film thickness...
I think you worry too much about it. You may have to get it done once in like forever. I had to do the M4 because I banged it hard. The 246 was just a smidge off after I don';t know how many frames.
I actually only did a 2m adjustment on mine. You can use a tripod, a tape measure or something that you know is fixed size, eg a table.
Chances are you'll probably have to do it in 10 years or whenever you get the camera serviced next. Unless you plan to shoot like a 200-300 rolls a year. But then you'd be servicing it every year too and alignment is part of the service.
BTW, I see you're in London? Aperture UK will do it on site for you (ok not on the spot but you don't have to send it). Last time I used them the tech had a week's turnaround. Could probably do it for you while you wait if you indulged him on a few stories and chit chat
Jan 23, 2026 at 09:25 AM
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