Rangefinder mis-alignment Hexar RF? Anybody?!

I have a Konica Hexar RF that I've been having a &^%$#@!! of a time with!

When I first received it (bought it used) the rangefinder (vertical alignment)

was off.

So I sent it in to Konica, NJ and had it CLA'd and aligned- no problem.

In October while photographing a wedding, I dropped the camera about 3.5

feet onto a grassy surface- that knocked the rangefinder (vertical alignment)

out again- I sent it in to Konica. It was returned about 3 weeks later, seemingly

fine. I pulled it out of my bag a week later to use at a Christening- when I

raised it to my eye-bam- out of vertical alignment!! Mind you, I use this usually

with 3200 speed film and a Leica 35/1.4 and Canon 50/1.4- usually wide

open in existing light- focus is CRITICAL!

So, I send it in again. 3 weeks later it is returned and BOOM right OUT OF

THE BOX IT IS OUT OF VERTICAL ALIGNMENT AGAIN!!! I called Konica

service- got the name of one of the engineers, talked to him- he said there is

no ongoing problem with these rangefinders. So in she goes again- and, yes,

thistime it comes back- seems fine. I shoot one roll of film around the house of

my kids- I just picked up the camera and now the vertical alignment is off!!!!!!

 

Anyone else having this kind of nightmare with this??!!?? I sold my Leica M6/

M2 and kept this for the features... wondering if I should've kept the 'pain-in-

the-arse' film loading/slow flash sync/no AE lock... at least my leica never

seemed to go out of alignment- even with a couple of good "thumps"!!!

You really should have posted this in the Leica forum. We do allow Leica clone people admittance (grin). And don't forget that Leica rangefinders go out of alignment too. It usually takes a drop of 4 to 5 feet onto concrete, but it does happen. Then it's time to dig out the jewelers screwdriver and realign it in two or three minutes right there, yourself. It's also a good idea to carry two bodies on an assignment. Screwing up one job can cost you as much money as another body.

 

If you're shooting at f/1.4 with 3200 speed film why do you even care about flash synch speed? They already increased it from 1/30 second to 1/50 second back in the 1950's! My M2 and M3 bodies are still making me money. Still work good as new. Don't need batteries or suffer corroded contacts. Good for another 40 years. Still INCREASE in value every year.

I know 4 people with this camera (including my boss - who has dropped his body at least 3 times), and those lenses. They average only about 6000 frames per year, per body. You have had far more problems than all of them, combined! Any decent tech facility shoud be able to repair the problem, especially if you warn them of it and it occurs repeeatedly.