Servicing Rollieflex 2.8E focussing mechanism

[waterq2]

Can anyone tell me how difficult it would be to free up a sticky focus mechanism on a rolleiflex 2.8E?

The front lens housing need a bit of jiggering to come to rest at a parallel attitude sometimes.  I hope the fix isn't a daunting prospect. No dings, no pinch points or rub marks visible, I believe just aging lubrication grease or realignment of mechanism between sides.

Any comers?

Water Q2

[mitspooner]

MIKE!!!

[Dean Williams]

Do you mean thet the top of the lens set comes out uneven with the bottom, or vis-versa?  Or the lens standard doesn't come out evenly from side to side?
Can you wiggle the lens standard side to side or top to bottom?

In any case, to adjust slack out of the focus, so the lens comes out smooth and even, you need to go into the side covers, unless I'm just not getting your meaning.

Write back with more info, please.

[Dean Williams]

Baird, I'm putting your message to me here so others can see it too.  There are some pretty good camera heads on this board, and if they can read this too, you may get more suggestions than just what I can offer.


"Top to bottom unevenness is the problem. I usually can solve with a back and forth jigger of focus knob, but also can straighten with direct manipulation of assembly by top to bottom movement; not side to side."


To your camera;
Play in the lens board from top to bottom is regulated mainly by a long bar in each side of the camera.  The lens board itself is screwed to two arms that run in and out in the sides of the camera.  The bottom of this arm is machined flat and it runs on the long bar mounted in the side chambers.

This bar has slots cut in it so it can be adjusted up and down, and beneath the bar is a wedge that helps to position it.  It sounds like one or both of these bars is loose or worn, or maybe the camera has taken a knock at sometime.  If it's been knocked on the lens front though, you would probably see some evidence of it.

To make adjustments is a fairly big job, and involves removing the leather, side plates, focusing knob, wind crank, and, in the wind side, all the counter and frame spacing gear, (quite a bit of stuff!), so you can get to the regulating bars.  There are also focusing slack adjusters in this area which may need adjustment.

It's not really a job for a first time repair, and I don't know what experience you've had.  Do you plan to do this yourself?

[Mike Kovacs]

Are there not shims under the screws holding the outer cover of the lens standard down?  These are to make the plate parallel with body when you rack the focus to infinity, but there should be no play.  Really that is the best case scenario - its more likely that Dean is correct.

Fortunately, I have not yet had to deal with this kind of problem! (Dean is THE TLR master around here)

[waterq2]

Dear Dr Dean
I do intend to do the work myself. The problem still seems to me to be a uneven lubrication rether than slack adjustment if my guess is correct, but it appears that getting to it would still be the same procedure-eh? No squirt of lighter fluid through a thin tube?  It is a minor hesitation, not a jamming mechanism.

Well, I'll setttle in when I have plenty of room and patience at my workbench to tackle this.  I am just distracted by checking if it is askew or not, when I am usually trying to take a photo (as opposed to playing with it). @@**##



Baird

[Wayne]

Hi Baird

I've encountered Rollei's with side to side play in the lens panel, but not top to bottom. If you manipulate the front panel by hand to correct the unevenness do the lenses move as well or just the front fascia? If it's just the front fascia moving then some of the screws holding it to the lens board may be loose (easy fix).

If this is not the problem, then it'll be a much bigger job. As Dean mentions, the focus gear on the wind side is in deep! You have to remove a lot of parts to get to it for adjustment. On the focus side everything is pretty easy to access.

This pic shows the bits Dean was talking about:



The focus cams (top left) move the lens panel in and out as you turn the knob - one for moving out and one for moving back in (lens panel would be to the left of this pic). The adjustable cam followers determine how stiff or 'soft' the focus action is. If they're set unevenly some side to side play or binding might result, but not up/down play. You can see the guide rail Dean mentioned with 2 screws in it, under the big rail guide screw. I agree with Dean that one of these rails is probably loose or worn - that could explain the up/down play.

If you want to do it yourself, I suppose you could initially look at the focus side where everything is easily accessible. You might be lucky and find that something is loose on that side so you won't even need to get into the wind side.

Good luck
Wayne

[Dean Williams]

Yes, to lube these things you still have to go inside, and you need lube, not lighter fluid.

Try Mike Kovacs' tip first though.  Peel the leather off the front of the camera and check all the screws that were hidden by the leather.  They should all be nice and snug.  I don't think this is it, from what you describe, but it sure is eaiser to check it before getting out the hack saw :wink:

If just lube will help the focus, use something like lith grease, and work it in running the focus back and forth.  If that's all it takes, good!  You will still have to reset the focus, though, since you will have taken off the focus knob and then moved the focus rails to lube it.  It may be finicky to reset, but take your time, and keep at it.

Best of luck!

Dean

[waterq2]

Now I see why Dean speaks about turning blue. He dares to tread where most mortals do not.  I have joined a bully good forum!

This Viking will gird himself with armor, helmet, magnifier and fine tools.  He will study repair manual and diagram well before lifting a single square centimeter of leatherette.

Excuse me Wayne, but if you have it, could you please directly e-mail me a higher resolution version of the diagram that you posted?  I just tried to download and blow it up. It is too small a file.  It would be very helpful.

Baird

"Make me one with everything"  Zen Master at the hot dog stand.

[Wayne]

Baird

Maybe you copied the thumbnail version (it's clickable to see the larger version)? The larger version should be clear enough, but if not I'm happy to email it to you along with any other info you may want. Let us know when you start (check the front panel first as Mike & Dean suggested) and I'm sure we can talk you through it. Is your camera the first E model (non-removable hood)?

Here are some (crap quality) pics which may help. I think this was a C model which is pretty similar.





Cheers
Wayne