Rolleiflex "Old Standard" questions

<p>Hello all. Over the weekend I received a K2 Rolleiflex Model 621 that I had purchased from a seller on eBay. It's fairly rough, cosmetically, but seems pretty good mechanically. I'm having a bit of an issue with the focusing mechanism, though. When I try to focus to infinity, The knob stops turning at about the 5m mark, and it doesn't really feel like a very positive stop. I'm trying to determine if this is a problem with the knob itself just being out of position, or if its a more serious problem with the focusing mechanism. The focusing knob does turn smoothly and quietly. No rough spots in the action that I can feel.</p>

<p>My first question is a simple one. I'm assuming that the distances on the knob are in meters. Is that right?</p>

<p>Secondly, if anyone has a K2 Rolleiflex, can you tell me if, when you set the lens to infinity, does the lens board (not sure if that's what you call it) meet flush with the front of the camera? Mine leaves about a 1-2 mm gap.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17924633-md.jpg" alt="DSC_4178.JPG" width="680" height="453" border="0" /></p>

<p>I've attempted to verify the focus myself, using Scotch tape stretched across the film gate and a 50mm lens as a magnifier. With the focus set as close as I could get it to infinity (5m on the knob), distant trees did seem to be reasonably in focus with the lens set wide open (as well as I could tell with this set up anyway.)</p>

<p>I also focused on an object measured to be 6 ft (1.8m) away. Here's the position of the knob at that setting.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17924646-md.jpg" alt="6feet" width="680" height="434" border="0" /></p>

<p>What I find interesting is that the 1.8 mark on the knob is pretty close to the position of the infinity mark when focused to "infinity." (see below)</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17924647-md.jpg" alt="infinity" width="680" height="447" border="0" /></p>

<p>Lastly, with the lens fully extended to the close focus distance (and there's definitely a hard stop at this setting) the knob shows just less than 2.2 meters. Does this match up with anyone else's sample? I realize that the knob is not marked for the correct distance at close focus, I'm just trying to verify the position of the knob.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>P.S. I don't have the funds at the moment for a CLA but I might like to have this done at some point in the near future. Any recommendations for some one to do so, preferably in the US?</p>

<p>Mark Hama in Ga. comes highly recommended by my friends: http://www.markhama.com/</p>

<p>Infinity should have the front standard/ lens board against the body with no gap! The leather cover is missing on the focus knob leading me to believe work has been done and may be faulty. You might write to the seller for a refund if the focus issue was not mentioned.</p>

<p>I had similar problems with an Old Standard, as here:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YGWW</p>

<p>The four screws on the front screw into four spindles which are rotated by the focus knob the screw the lens board in and out to focus. I removed them and took of the lens board - big mistake! I managed to get them back on again after a lot of faffing around but the focus scale was way out so I made a new focus scale and stuck it to the inside of the knob.</p>

<p>You could start by checking if the four screws are tight. There probably shouldn't be such a big gap between the lens board and the body, but I sold mine so I can't check. Something seems to be binding somewhere. You might be able to get to lubricate it somehow by removing the viewing hood, when you should be able to see some of the mechanism.</p>

<p>It should be possible to adjust the knob by loosening the central part with the two holes, but I couldn't budge mine at all.</p>

<p>By the way the focus knob looks bent in one of your pictures. It might be just an odd angle ...</p>

<p>I like Mark Hansen. He fixed 3 of my Rolleiflexes. Very good guy, good communication and good prices. Mark Hama is more for Yashica TLR, I think.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses everyone. <strong>Paul,</strong> The leather from the knob was down in the case. I think it might have just fallen off. I think teh fact that the lens board has a gap indicates a more severe problem. <strong>John</strong>, thanks for the warning about taking the four screws out of the front. I had considered doing so. I think I'll let a professional handle that. I did check to see if they were tight and they are. <strong>Stephen and Kris</strong>, thanks for the recommendations. I also thought Mark Hama just did Yashicas. I tried to check his web site, but it set off my antivirus software. I may send the camera to Mark Hansen at some point. </p>

<p> I took the hood and screen off and cleaned the top two spindles as well as I could and managed to dribble a little naphtha down into the gears for the focusing mechanism. After a little exercise, I managed to get the focus knob to turn to the infinity mark. The lens board still does not retract all the way flush with the body though. I'm undecided if I'll try a test roll now, or wait until after I can have it CLA'd. Thanks again everyone.</p>