Bronica ETRS with AE II Finder is blurry? Diopter problems?

Hey all,

 

So I recently acquired a stunning Bronica ETRS with AE II Finder from a friend. I've been shooting film for a while (namely with 35mm cameras) and my beloved Mamiya RB67 and M645 1000s. However this is my first Bronica experience and I'm a bit confused.

 

So I placed the AE II prism on the body, heard a click and it appears to be rigid/firm in place. When I look through the viewfinder, it's blurry. Not completely blurry but enough I can't be certain of the focus when shooting. I wear glasses (-2.75) whilst my flatmates (both 20/20 vision) also struggled to see through it. So after doing some research, it appears that the diopter on it could be responsible?

 

I unscrewed it and it was a -1.5 diopter. When I looked through it without the diopter, it was nice and crisp but lacked the magnification to see the details. So I put it back and now I'm a tad confused.

 

I was planning on gifting my dad the Bronica but I'm unsure what to do now. He has 20/20 vision (lucky guy) and I'm wondering what diopter I need to buy or magnifier for the Bronica so he can use and for it to appear non blurry?

 

Secondly, after I screwed the diopter back, it appears that I can't unscrew again (screwing anti-clockwise). The screw just turn & turns in place. How do I take it out?

 

Really appreciate your responses.

If the eyepiece is marked -1.5 dioptres, then it isn't the eyepiece glass that's factory fitted.

According to the AEII finder manual in 2 different places - specifications and eyepiece, the -1.5 diopter is identified as the standard one with a 50mm lens. You can get a manual here : Zenza Bronica ETR AE-II Finder E instruction manual, user manual, free PFD camera manuals

Having been down that road myself, I strongly encourage you to get an AEIII finder, which has an adjustable diopter in the finder. That flexibility makes a world of difference.