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Crooked horizons on my Bessa R2


aricmayer

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I have a Bessa R2 that I keep for a backup body. It gets carried around a lot, so it sees its

fair share of bumps but doesn't get used too often. My M7 was in for a CLA and so I used

it for the first time in a while. I was shooting in a harbor and the horizon lines came out

crooked, all at the same angle. I didn't have much to drink, so I'm pretty sure that wasn't

it. Is there an adjustment that I don't know about? Can I fix this myself, or do I need to

send it in?

 

Thanks,

 

Aric

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You can put it on a tripod, use a spirit level to level the camera, and view a horizon that is straight, or a row of bricks or windows. If the viewfinder image shows that the line is straight and level when the camera is level, then knock off the booze. And you might just take a couple of frames to see what goes on the film.
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Aric, I have seen a few posts about Bessa Rs with crooked viewfinders. Most seem to have

been early Rs. I don't recall anyone having this problem with an R2, but it is possible that

the viewfinder was installed slightly tilted.

 

Do you have an external viewfinder that you could slip in the hot shoe and check against

it?

 

Or, you could open the back of the camera, shutter on bulb, and put a piece of wax paper

on the film rails and check the horizon.

 

You might check with Stephen Gandy at Cameraquest or Rich Pinto at Photo Village if you

determine that the problem is real and not just "the sauce."

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Thanks, Larry.

 

I figure it has to be the viewfinder. I've never had a problem leveling my

horizons. Plus, it is consistent in one direction. It can't be the lens since rotation there

shouldn't be a problem. I should do some more scientific testing with it to be sure. The

bright lines in the viewfinder pretty much line up with the edges of the edges of the frame

on the body. That's what has me stumped.

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