Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jerry, If you don't know by now, no one can help you. Cheers, Patrick - --- Jerry Lehrer <jerryleh@pacbell.net> wrote: > John und Patrick > > Dare I ask, what is a "vertical alignment tool"? > > Jerry > > Patrick Jelliffe wrote: > > > The dedicated cyclist knows how, or figures out > how, > > to fix any mechanical problem on the road. Well > done, > > John. You have more courage than I. > > > > Patrick > > > > --- John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca> wrote: > > > For the last few years I have taken to wearing a > > > vertical alignment > > > tool around my neck as a talisman against evil. > It > > > has been remarkable > > > successful with no misalignment during that > time. > > > You might say that I > > > got cocky. You might say that I forget from > whence I > > > came. The > > > resulting struggle in my somewhat dim evening of > the > > > soul has freed me > > > forever from the tyranny of rangefinder > coddling. I > > > sit before you, > > > clacking away. a changed man, a humbler man; but > > > more sure of myself > > > and my abilities. > > > > > > It all started innocently enough: a nice surfing > > > holiday in Tofino with > > > a good friend of mine. I packed light so as to > do > > > the all carry-on > > > thing. A small pack and a hip bag for the > camera. I > > > only brought the > > > 0.58x with a 24 and a 35. My new to driving > daughter > > > agreed to getting > > > up early -- hard to believe but true: a > seventeen > > > year old can get up > > > early -- to give me a ride to the airport. So > far so > > > good except that I > > > decided to leave my alignment tool behind as > another > > > sacrifice to the > > > weight gods. We jumped in the car, down the > drive > > > way and, > > > unfortunately, a curb leapt out and smacked the > back > > > wheel destroying > > > the tire. I frowned at my daughter and quickly > > > ordered a cab. > > > > > > In this somewhat agitated state, I threw my bags > > > into the taxi. The > > > sickening clunk that concluded the arrival of my > > > camera bag at the > > > boot's floor, had me inwardly cursing. I knew > that > > > clunk. That was the > > > clunk of a camera with a misaligned rangefinder; > and > > > me without my > > > alignment tool! Sure enough when I got to the > > > airport, the superimposed > > > image was almost fully halfway to completely > missing > > > its target. OH > > > POOP! My only comfort being that my wides could > be > > > moderately easily > > > scale focused. Sigh. > > > > > > While waiting for the ferry, I came to a > decision. > > > If a knock can put > > > it out of alignment, why the h*** couldn't > another > > > put it back in. So > > > there I sat by the ocean, beating the stuffing > out > > > of my 0.58x. I am > > > sure it was only the ferry's arrival that > allowed me > > > to narrowly miss > > > being arrested and locked up for this heinous > crime. > > > Parents herded > > > their small children back into their cars and > > > cranked up the > > > Teletubbies soundtrack to drown the screams and, > in > > > vain, pleadings of > > > my poor camera. However, no word of a lie, it > > > worked! I hit the camera > > > on the RW and the superimposed image dropped a > > > little low. A few more > > > biffs to the top plate and it was perfectly > aligned. > > > > > > So the next time you are out and about and your > > > finder is bent out of > > > shape, just whack it back in place. Remember > that > > > this only applies to > > > late M4-2 cameras and up. The earlier cameras > have a > > > simple vertical > > > alignment adjustment located behind the cover > screw > > > just above the lens > > > mount. > > > > > > NEVER NEVER hit a M2 or M3 camera. The finder is > > > held together with > > > Canadian Balsam and this deteriorates with time. > A > > > good knock could > > > cause the finder to separate and black out. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > John Collier > > > > > > -- > > > To unsubscribe, see > > > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > > http://sbc.yahoo.com > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html