Cleaning rangefinder patch

The rangefinder patch on my M3 is pretty dim. Does it need to be sent

to repair person or is it something I can do my self? I'm decent with

following directions and swashbuckling a micro screwdriver.

I'll be receiving my M3 back from DAG tomorrow. This was one of the things he took care of as part of a CLA. Mine was so much dimmer than my other M3 that it was very difficult to focus. I'll tell you how much better it is tomorrow morning.

Great. Thank You. Do you know how much he charges only for the the patch cleanup? My other M3 functions are perfect.

Depends on why -- but it's not a do-it-yourself job unless you're willing to make or buy tools to properly open the top.

 

It can be as simple as cleaning some of the glass surfaces in the RF. It can be as hard as uncementing some prisms, re-silvering, and re-cementing. (I don't think DAG tries this, he just replaces the RF, where CRR Luton will do the parts repairs.)

My M6TTL patch is clear as clear is (Forrest Gump).

 

Hey, on another note for those of you who have little kids - saw the movie Mighty Joe about a big gorilla (w/ my son of course). Well, in the movie the star uses a M6 Titainium w/ long 135mm (no goggles). Pretty cool. Only problem is the model didn't coincide w/ the time in the movie :-)

Ms. Braun-- By all means, get the ring wrenches to take off the top cover of the M3. Then disassemble the rangefinder and clean all the components. Then put all the pieces in a box and send it to DAG or to

Sherry Krauter to but back together. That way you will end up only paying double what it would cost if you sent it assembled (cost of

tools plus assenmbly and cleaning)

 

In other words, if you have to ask about doing it yourself, YOU CANNOT

DO IT!

Ok. I get it. I didn't know it was so complicated. Thanks for the heads up. Btw, Jerry, I'm a dude. Usually Renee is a femme like Renee Zellwegger and Rene is a mano like Rene Burri

Rene-- Sorry for the gender confusion. BTW, in my part of the world,

"mano" means hand.

Well I got my M3 back from DAG today and everything looks beautiful except the dim rangefinder patch...which is still dim.

 

I suspect I will need it resilvered, although Don did not really offer any opinion on this other than to confirm it seemed dim and that he cleaned it as best he could.

 

Interestingly, I have another M3 with a very snappy Rangefinder patch, but the viewfinder is noticeably darker. And in fact, if I place a neutral density filter over the viewfinder of my dim camera, the focussing is much much easier. The rangefinder patch just pops out! I'm thinking of taking it to an eyeglass shop to see if they could lightly "tint" the viewfinder window.

My M3's viewfinder is still bright and clear. It is one of the main reasons the M3 is sought after. I also suggest not to fiddle with an M3 unless you are very competent with camera repair and maintenance.

Rene,

 

FYI: I've decided to take of this right and I am sending my M3 with the dim rangefinder to John Van Stelten at www.focalpointlens.com. He can do what it takes to get it right even if it means rebuilding the damn rangefinder unit. I love my other M3 so much that I've decided it's worth the investment.

 

I'll let you know how it turns out when I get it back.