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M6 rangefinder alignment by oneself

>> Removal of this disk IS necessary. It is 'glued' on. Some people can remove it without damage, most will probably damage it upon its removal and in the process MAY also scratch the surrounding areas!!!!!! Exercise caution here. <<

For what it's worth, the red dot can be removed with a pencil eraser by pressing down on the dot and twisting back and forth until the dot starts to come off. Then prying it out very carefully with a small knife. It sould be then cleaned of the old glue with a methilated spirit and glued back with a transparent cement like UHU or yellow rubber cement.

On the other hand, Leica used to sell them (even give them away) in strips of five or six on a paper backing. They are self-adhesive.
 
So, with the variety of responses we see that some adjustments can be done with care by the sensible owner/operator and some are best left to the "experts" For those fortunate enough to live close to a Leica distributor(not dealer), I would wager that they would undertake this horizontal correction,while you wait in their foyer, at no cost. Frequently Leica offer "camera clinics" in their dealers showrooms. The technician will do this on the spot at no charge in under 5 minutes.(after you actually get to talk with him having waited in the queue). I have had my "Panda" done twice.
The real question we should be asking ourselves, or rather Leica, is why the M6 is prone to this drift out of alignment, when other M series (earlier only??) are not.Is this another design flaw like the early light-leaking M6's?
Colin
 
Emboldened by the discussion yesterday I tried this on my M6 last night. It worked OK, my viewfinder was out of horizontal alignment only. A very small (almost undetectable) movement of the screw corrected this after 2 attempts. In my case the "ghost" image was displaced to the right and I found I had to turn the screw to the left, anticlockwise, when viewed from the base of the camera.

I used the largest of my set of jeweller's screwdrivers, this type has the advantage of being turned by finger and thumb pressure on the barrel of the screwdriver thus limiting the torque applied. The screw was stiff to turn, in fact I was not sure I had moved it until I remounted the lens and checked. The jeweller's screwdriver was not a good fit in the slot and I think a small instrument mechanic's screwdriver - often sold as precision screwdrivers - would be a better bet.

After doing this I checked the focus at 3.5ft and 10ft with 28,50 and 90mm lenses with the camera on a tripod and measuring the distance with a tape from the focussing object, in my case the edge of a white bookcase, to the film plane.
 
Dear Mike,

Also check it at infinity; More than 500 times the focal length. I use the moon !!!

Well done.

Justin
 
Hi Justin. Thanks for your comments, actually I did check it at infinity - a building about 3 miles away - I did the additional checks to make sure I hadn't messed up the close focus in making the adjustment. If it stops raining and we ever get to see the moon again in Belfast I will try the infinity test as you suggest. Best regards
 
Mike,

Marc here, he who started this thread. How did you negotiate the angle of approach to the screw through the lens opening. I was afraid of damaging the slot in the screw. Also, I assume you mean the screw in the middle of the roller?

Marc, NYC.
 
Hi Marc

Yes, it is the screw in the the middle of the roller. I used a jeweller's screwdriver, which, although it was the largest in my kit, has a blade significantly smaller than the slot in the screw. Because of this I was able to get the blade to bottom in the slot despite the angle,it does mean that the blade of the 'driver is operating corner-to-corner in the slot so there is some risk of slipping, however if one uses a 'driver which is an exact fit I suspect the angle would prevent complete entry of the blade into the slot and the risk of slipping and damaging the screw or some other internal part might be greater. I think a kit of instrument screwdrivers, which are a bit bigger than the jeweller's version, would be bound to have a 'driver of suitable size and their longer blades will also help to negate the angle. You could use a mini right-angle tool, I would not reccommend this as the torque applied would be much greater and you might twist the arm.

I should say that I didn't find this at all difficult to do. The image in my finder was quite noticably misaligned at infinity and a very small adjustment corrected this, I think I turned the screw no more than 2 or 3 degrees. By the way thanks for starting this thread. I was about to send my M6 for repair, so you have saved me that trouble!
 
If instrument makers screwdrivers are difficult to find, a small gunsmith's screwdriver would probably do the trick. They have very straight blades and as well as various widths, come in various thicknesses. For ex&le those needed for old Austrian rifles tend to have thinner blades than those needed for old British rifles. Your local gunsmith might well lend you one if you explain what it is need for. Wilson
 
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