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Vertical rangefinder alignment seems to be another one of those common issues among users of Voigtlander Bessa R2A, R2M, R3A, and R3M bodies. I haven’t seen any reports of vertical RF patch misalignment occurring with the original Bessa or the R2. I also haven’t seen any reports of this occurring with the latest generation Bessa R4A and R4M so I’m guessing that it was solved in their design stage. Perhaps the solution was “back designed” into the newly-restyled R2A/R2M/R3A/R3M that were released shortly prior to the R4 series? For the rest of us it may be something we have to face down the line. Apparently, the root cause of this is vibration-related and varies from camera to camera. I’ve used my R2a very heavily over the past couple of years, carry it daily in a non-padded messenger bag, and have experienced no vertical misalignment. Others have faced this problem right out of the box, the rangefinder patch being vertically misaligned simply from the bumps that occur during shipping. Fortunately, it’s not very difficult to fix if you are patient and know the difference between gently and forcefully. Here’s how to adjust your rangefinder patch if it is misaligned vertically.
DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only. If your Bessa has a vertical alignment problem I highly suggest you take it to someone specifically trained in repairing and tweaking Cosina-manufactured Voigtlander products. I AM NOT TRAINED IN THE REPAIR OF VOIGTLANDER-BRANDED GOODS. In addition, and this is important, Bessa bodies have evolved over time. The R2A I purchase a couple years ago, which is the model for this article, and your Bessa R2A may differ slightly in design and thus this article may not even be applicable to you and you may damage your camera by following the instructions herein. Even if our cameras are indentical you risk damaging it by trying this yourself. Take your Bessa to a professional. Don’t try this at home.
What You Need - A flathead precision screwdriver
- A phillips head precision screwdriver
- A piece of felt or microfiber cloth to work on and to keep screws from rolling away
- A tripod (recommended)
- Clear nail enamel (recommended)
- A PhD in Theoretical Quantum Physics so that you can theoretically fix any mistakes you make by transitioning into a universe in which you have not made the mistake yet. (just kidding)
Note: for the purposes of this article “front” refers to the side closest to the lens mount/nameplate side of the camera and “back” refers to the side closest to the eyepiece/film door side of the camera. 
Step 1: Remove the protective hotshoe cover.
Warning: 90% of those who follow this step will scratch their hotshoe cover (especially if you are heavy-handed like me)! After I scratched my plate a friend related a quick prevention tip: Scotch Tape. Lay some down over the plate as a “condom” between your scratchy screwdriver and the scratch-able black finish. Look at the forward part of the hotshoe. See the tab sticking up? Place your screwdriver in the space between the tab and the hotshoe and carefully lever it towards the tab until the protective plate “pops” loose a little (Figure 1). Now look at the back edge of the hotshoe. You should notice a pair of “claw” holders have popped up. With your screwdriver, lift them up further then pull the plate out (Figure 2). Place it somewhere so it won’t get lost. Step 2: Remove the hotshoe
Removing the protective cover will reveal 4 screws, 3 black (short) screws and one silver (long) screw. Remove all the screws and place them on your piece of cloth/felt so that they do not roll away. Lift the hotshoe and place it with the screws and protective cover.  Step 3: Adjust your rangefinder patch.
At this point you should see an oblong-shaped hole. Look carefully in the hole and you will see a large silver flathead screw. If you don’t see it right away, it is almost parallel to the +1 on the exposure adjustment dial (Figure 3). See it yet? Good. That is the vertical alignment adjustment. Place your camera on a stable platform. I highly suggest using a tripod. With your good hand and using a flathead screwdriver, gently turn the adjustment screw while viewing the movement of the RF patch through the viewfinder. When the rangefinder patch is vertically aligned, stop turning. To help ensure that vibrations don’t cause a misalignment again, place a small bit of clear nail enamel around the edges of the adjustment screw.
Step 4: Re-assemble
Place the hotshoe back on and screw it in. Slide the protective cover in and it should “pop” back into place. Grab a beer and collapse onto the sofa to calm your frazzled nerves. That’s it! If you run into any design variations please feel free to share them with the community. Discuss this article on the forums. (6 posts) |
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