Lens Assembly - RicoFlex VII

[JTG1]

<p>Picked one up at my local camera swap, in physically good condition over the weekend! Today just playing with it moving the lens focus back and forth because it was really stiff due to lack of use or the grease broke down...in doing so, the bottom lens unscrewed and fell off.</p>

<p>I tore it apart to clean it up, which I did, (not sure if I used the proper lube but it seems to work, can you suggest proper lube?) Putting the 2 lenses back on, I found out real quick that I should have paid more attention to the top lens, now I'm unsure of how to properly align it for proper focus (unable to get the lens markings (feet) set proper), also, once aligned the bottom lens should not fall off again, correct? I think someone else may have dorked with it as well.</p>

<p>Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>TIA,<br />Jack</p>

[rick_schuster]

<p>I'm guessing that the very tiny screws on the outside edge of the front barrel of the lens may have been loose (or did the whole front element with the gear screw all the way off?). When I took my Super Ricohflex apart, I carefully marked where the lenses were aligned with each other so that I could re-assemble correctly. Since yours are already off, you'll have to reset the focus. I don't think it's terribly hard on this camera -- someone else might give a better description or a better method, but I'd use a piece of ground glass on the film plane to set the bottom lens to infinity by looking at a very distant object, using a magnifying loupe on the ground glass; and set the top lens using the camera's ground glass and magnifier. I'd have to look more closely at mine again to remember exactly how they adjust, but I think they're pretty simple once you look at how the front element focuses. I believe you'd set both lenses with the gears removed, then slip the top gear on with the two infinity marks aligned, and tighten the tiny screws holding that gear on; then slip on the bottom gear so that it's meshed with the top gear (being careful not to spin the lenses), and tighten that one. <br /> If you're in the US, a good resource to have someone else repair it would probably be Mark Hansen in Portland, OR. I know he likes the Ricohflexes.</p>

[John Seaman]

<p >Rick beat me too it, really, but I recently described a similar battle I had with a Super Ricohflex here:</p>

<p > </p>

<p ><a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00cQi4?start=0">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00cQi4?start=0</a></p>

<p > </p>

<p >Half the battle is done, now you have re lubed the focus helixes (I used ordinary auto grease, it seems to work well enough).</p>

<p > </p>

<p >To set the focus of the top (viewing) lens and the bottom (taking) lens. Have you loosened the three tiny screws around the perimeter of the geared rings? Once you do this, the rings come loose from the actual lenses, and you can set the focus, then retighten the screws. Be careful, I found the screws soft and all too easy to mess up. Make sure you have a well fitting screwdriver.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >The top lens should be easy. Just set up a focus target at a known distance, and turn the lens until it is sharp on the ground glass. Then rotate the geared ring until the distance on the scale corresponds with the actual distance, and tighten the screws. The infinity stops in the geared ring limit the range of rotation.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >The bottom lens is similar except you have to put a piece of ground glass or something like it in the film plane, open the shutter and aperture fully and turn the lens until the focus is sharp on the ground glass. Then when you tighten the three screws, the gear teeth should engage and the bottom lens shouldn't screw off.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Hope this helps.</p>

[JTG1]

<p>Yes, the lens unscrewed itself and fell off...after reading your earlier post John, I think it would be best just to take mine in and have it done right and might as well have it completely serviced while its there! <br /><br />Will try to post photo's when its fixed and I have ran a test roll through it. BTW, mine has the 120 insert, I thought I'd want the 35mm insert, but after reading about yours, I notice the no rewind thing, so I dont think Ill go that route!! :)</p>

<p>Rick, can you tell me how to get in touch with Mark?</p>

<p>Thanks Guys!!</p>

<p>~Jack</p>

[John Seaman]

<p>Jack I hope I didn't put you off from fixing it. The hardest part is freeing up and relubing the focus helices, which you have already done. Yes the Color Back is a bit of a fiddle in terms of having to rewind the film external to the camera, but its really not that difficult.</p>