Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/06/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Pat I am sorry to hear that you are unable to help me. Possibly some other LUGer can. Jerry Patrick Jelliffe wrote: > 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 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html