How to fix a dim rangefinder patch

If you have an old rangefinder, the focus patch is likely to be weak and hard to focus properly. But there are some solutions to the problem.

There are some more expensive solutions, like changing the focus system from another equal camera, or cheaper solutions like the ones I will present here.

So here’s the tips.

On my particular camera, the patch is yellow, so to make more contrast with yellow patch and the patch pop up, my choice it was a blue gel filter.

You have several on the market, the one I used was the Rosco Strobist gels for the color correction speedlite flash.

On my camera I use the #3208 Quarter Blue, which for me was enough to see the patch better, and didn`t see everything very blue. But will depend on each camera.

The idea will be always to use the opposite color to the patch we have, and reduce some light on the viewfinder, so the dim patch stands out.

In the example below, I fully cover the viewfinder with the blue gel, but you can also covered only a small central part where the patch is.

Another trick, is to place a small black dot of an acetate pen, right in the center of the patch, our you can use both together. Like in the example below.

But in these cases it`s up to you, to decide what you prefer, and try a little bit.

In my case, I preferred the lighter blue filter with the black dot, the blue is not very strong and I still see the world more or less normal, and not as if I were inside the sea, the black dot, do not distract to much, and darkens the patch a bit.

And you continue to have two overlapping images.

The example below is from my camera.

I hope these tips help someone who has the same problem, and if you have any tips that might be useful to help the community, share with us.

Note: I made a new update with more information about this content at https://filmlovephotography.wordpress.com/2019/05/20/how-to-clean-the-beam-splitter-in-a-rangefinder/

 

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