I'm considering purchasing a 135/2.8-M telephoto lens with goggles. It's in beautiful condition, but the rangefinder doesn't focus accurately at infinity. Can this be adjusted or should I pass on the lens?

-- Pat Dunsworth (pdunsworth@aryarch.com), January 31, 2002

Answers

Pat. If the rangefinder doesn't focus accurately at infinity, that could be a camera problem. Does the lens focus accurately at infinity with another M body. If the problem is with the lens, it will require a professional adjustment. If this is the problem, it needs to be fixed by the seller before you buy.

In my view, amateurs should NEVER in any way perform any internal adjustments on a Leica camera or lens. These are precision instruments, and must be worked on by experts, either Leica USA or any of a small number of competent Leica repair people (such as DAG in Wisconsin or Sherry Krauter in NY).

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), January 31, 2002.

Is it the horizontal alignment or the vertical alignment that is off? If the camera's alignment is fine with other lenses (many not just one other) then you will have to have the lens adjusted. Test with film first to make sure that the lens does not need collmination. It is a simple to adjust the finder if you feel competent with tiny screw drivers. Let me know and I will post instructions and schematics.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), January 31, 2002.

John, am I correct in thinking that once the adjustment is set, it's glued into place? I've always wondered what that means--a drop of something on the screws, or burying the whole floating element group in a pool of epoxy, or something specific in between. ???

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Wax in the adjusting screws. If they glued it into place they would have to change very expensive parts everytime it needed tweaking.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), February 01, 2002.

Pat:

I have the same lens and have adjusted it without much difficulty. Questions:

Is the body accurate at infinity with other lenses?

Yes, the lens needs adjusting.

No, the body.

The lens can be adjusted for both horizontal and vertical independent of the body adjustments. It is time consuming (about 1 hour) but relatively easy. E-mail me privately if you would like my procedure.

-- M. A. Johnson (logical1@catholic.org), February 02, 2002.