Re: RE: LX Focussing probem
Hi, Here is my take on the LX problem: 1. It cannot be the lens because the peoplem occurs with various lenses. 2. It may be that the screen does not sit properly. Take it out, inspect it for damage, check the screen "bed" for dirt or other obstacles, then put the screen back in. 3. The rubber rest(s) underneath the mirror are not properly aligned or are beginning to desintegrate (is there only one rest or two? I forget). Lock the mirror up, inspect them. Apply slight pressure. How do they react? If they are beginning to get sticky, "sticky mirror" is around the corner. If they are not sticky, then they are not properly aligned. Bernd's procedure for testing the mirror alignment is a very good one, but one minor adjustment needs to be made --- do not set the lens to infinity (infinity is not always exactly there where it is marked). Instead, focus very well on a close object, then check if the image on the film plane is sharp. > - put the camera onto a tripod. > - glue a transparent tape ( TESA ) over the shutter window > - turn the lens to infinity. > - set the camera to "B", release and let the shutter stay open. > If the picture on this "screen" is OK, then the mirror is misaligned. Cheers, Boz - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: LX Focussing probem
Hi Peter, - put the camera onto a tripot. - glue a transparent tape ( TESA ) over the shutter window or remove the screen and put it with as much care as possible to the film plane ( with the correct side ). - turn the lens to infinity. - set the camera to "B", release and let the shutter stay open. If the picture on this "screen" is OK, then the mirror is misaligned. Before buying, ask at Pentax about the costs. Maybe the momentary owner is not willing to reduce the price accordingly. regards Bernd - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
I presumed this fact to be intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. Nevertheless, if the scale on the lens is correct, misalignment of the mirror will not affect film focus using the scale and a tape measurement. Regards, Bob... From: "Fred" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > 4. Poorly positioned mirror (the usual problem) will have no > > effect on film focus, but will affect focus screen focus. > > Actually, Bob, mirror misalignment ~will~ affect film focus, albeit > indirectly. (However, directly or indirectly, the effect is going > to be that the image cast onto the film will not be sharp.) Since > the user will be focusing the lens so as to make the focus screen > image as sharp as possible, if the mirror is out of alignment, > he/she will always be setting the lens so as to cause the image > landing on the film plane to be out of focus. (A pentaprism SLR > always makes the assumption that the mirror focus is aligned with > the film plane focus - if they don't match, then out-of-focus images > will be captured at the film plane.) Therefore, a poorly positioned > mirror ~will~ have an effect on film focus. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
> 4. Poorly positioned mirror (the usual problem) will have no > effect on film focus, but will affect focus screen focus. Actually, Bob, mirror misalignment ~will~ affect film focus, albeit indirectly. (However, directly or indirectly, the effect is going to be that the image cast onto the film will not be sharp.) Since the user will be focusing the lens so as to make the focus screen image as sharp as possible, if the mirror is out of alignment, he/she will always be setting the lens so as to cause the image landing on the film plane to be out of focus. (A pentaprism SLR always makes the assumption that the mirror focus is aligned with the film plane focus - if they don't match, then out-of-focus images will be captured at the film plane.) Therefore, a poorly positioned mirror ~will~ have an effect on film focus. Fred - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
1. Prism setting(s) have no effect on either film focus or focus screen focus. 2. Diopter setting have no effect on either film focus or focus screen focus. 3. Improper focus screen latching will have no effect on film focus, but will affect focus screen focus. 4. Poorly positioned mirror (the usual problem) will have no effect on film focus, but will affect focus screen focus. 5. Poorly positioned lens mount will effect both film focus and focus screen focus, but they will "track" together. 6. Poorly aligned lens may effect both film focus and focus screen focus but they will "track" together. 7. Poorly aligned back plane has no effect as it is the reference and therefore always correct (unless warped or otherwise damaged). Regards, Bob... From: "MPozzi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the > prism and the diopter settings? > Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free > http://sbc.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
>>> At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the prism and >>> the diopter settings? >> >> Are the labels for the LED's at the right side of the finder >> clear, or are they out of focus, too? >> >> Fred > Hi Fred, > > No. LED's are clear! Then it's most likely due to mirror alignment, which is likely due to incipient sticky mirror syndrome. Therefore, a CLA is due in the near future, since all of your critical focusing is going to be off a bit until then (unless you were to compensate by just the right amount in the he right direction), resulting in blurry photos whenever the DOF is shallow. Fred - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
Peter Smekal wrote: > Who is Mr Murphy? Did that apply also to new LX's? Mr. Murphy of "Murphy's Law" fame: "If something can go wrong, it will." The root of countless corollaries, such as: "The likelihood of bread falling jelly-side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet." My own favorite: "Murphy was an optimist." Cheers, Stephen _ Programmer who creates truth table writes Boole sheet - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
>My guesses: > >0. The finder's diopter adjustment is set to something weird. >1. The mirror can be out of alignment. This can be related to the well-known >sticky mirror bug. >2. The lens mount can be out of alignment. I don't think an LX should have >such problems, but I've seen several (much cheaper) cameras with it. >3. The screen may be out of it's place. Try to remove and re-insert it >properly. > > >Gabor 0. Checked. Is ok. 3."" 2. Hopefully not, sounds like something expensive to fix. 1. Seems plausible. Others had the same idea. Thanks Gabor Peter Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
Hi Antti-Pekka, Easy to fix? Is it a job for Pentax, or could you do it yourself? Who is Mr Murphy? Did that apply also to new LX's? Peter >This problem is related with the sticky mirror problem. >The rubber mirror rest bumpers have too much wear or they are mis-aligned, >making >the mirror rest in the wrong position. Easy to fix, but I recommend a complete >CLA while the LX is in the service. The CLA will take care of the possibly >lurking sticky mirror problem as well (according the Mr Murphy, the LX will >start showing the sticky mirror problem a month after the purchase). > >Antti-Pekka Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
Danke Heiko! Your explanations seem plausible! Even if these things are difficult to see. Peter >Hi Heiko, > >on 02 Jul 02 you wrote: > > >>Don't ask me for a source, > >Now you can ask;-) Here it is: > >http://members.ozemail.com.au/~distudio/lxproblems.html > >--Start >... >Side Effects > >A small rest can be seen screwed to, and protruding from the wall of the >LX mirror box when the mirror is locked up. The surface of this rest is >covered with a pad of elastic material and generally if the shutter is >sticky this pad will also show signs of deterioration and have become >slightly compressed causing focus inaccuracies. > >When the mirror rest becomes compressed the mirror is effectively >supported at a lower position which alters the plane of focus at the >finder screen relative to the film plane. The effect can be seen when >photographs captured at wide apertures show a plane of focus in front of >the subject which was selected as the plane of focus through the finder >or if infinity focus cannot be obtained through the finder. >... >End > > >And further down: > >--Start >... > >Excerpts from correspondence with other LX users >... >Thought you might like to know of another variant.. > >I have had what I call type1 - the mirror doesn't move from rest >immediately, accompanied by lack of infinity focus. Fixed very cheaply, >locally. >... >End > >So it seems to be a side effect or variant of the sticky mirror problem. > >Regards, > >Heiko >- >This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, >go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to >visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
>> At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the prism and >> the diopter settings? > >Are the labels for the LED's at the right side of the finder clear, >or are they out of focus, too? > >Fred Hi Fred, No. LED's are clear! Peter Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
>At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the >prism and the diopter settings? It helps a little to change the diopter settings, but spit image line still do not align. Thanks Peter Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
>So, please have a check on the alignment of the lens elements. It could be >one reason for out of focus images at infinity. Could be of course, but we have the same problem with different lenses. Peter Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
Thanks for the answer Mishka! A different screen be a solution of course. It's mostly split image that shows straight line being "non-alligned" But also on the matte screen we can see the lack of sharpness. (Let's say you focus on some letters on a wall some hundred meters away.) I checked the screen, It seems to sit alright. Probably it's the mirror alignment, although the mirror does not seem to stick. Peter Peter Smekal Uppsala, Sweden [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
When I had a split image screen on my LX, *every* single lens that i have showed (ever so slightly) different inf. focusing (some were focusing beyond inf. mark, some before). After i put the frid screen, all my worries disappeared :) However if the focusing is bad to the point that you can actually see it being out of focus on the matte field, that's probably a different story. I don't think you can insert the screen wrong way up in there (it has an assymetric tab), can be a number of things, like mirror alignment. I'd check with KEH automated estimate service how much that would cost. Mishka > From: Peter Smekal > Subject: LX Focussing probem > Date: Tue, 02 Jul 2002 05:37:04 -0700 > > > My son is considering to buy an LX. He has even found one and has the > chance to try it for a couple of days. Cosmetically it is really > minty and there is no sticky mirror AFAICS. There is one problem > though: when focussing to (infinite) the image in the viewfinder is > not really sharp, neither on the matte screen, the microprism nor in > the split image. I don't think it depends on the lense. We have tried > with different lenses. > > We exposed one role of film today and I don't think it shows on the > images. > But it still is anoying. > > What could the problem be? Is it a common LX problem? Is it difficult > or expensivee to fix? Could it depend on the way the screen is > inserted? > > Thanks for any advice or help. Peter Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
> At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the prism and > the diopter settings? Are the labels for the LED's at the right side of the finder clear, or are they out of focus, too? Fred - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: LX Focussing probem
At the risk of sounding simplistic could it be the prism and the diopter settings? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
