The shift in how I fix rangefinders compared to 15 years ago

I was working on a Leica M3 from 1957 yesterday and it hit me how much the repair game has changed since I started back in 2009. Back then I'd spend hours adjusting the RF cam with a tiny screwdriver and guesswork, now I just use a collimator I got off eBay for $30 and a digital alignment guide. The old way had a feel to it though, like you could sense the focus was off by how the patch moved. Anyone else find the new tools faster but less satisfying for that personal touch?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_margaret25d ago

The collimator saves time but you lose that sense of touch for sure.

mila_perry1311d ago

Is it really losing touch though, or is that just nostalgia talking? If the collimator gets the job done faster and more accurately, isn't the result what actually matters?

olivia_bailey25d ago

Feel you on that. I remember when we used to do everything by hand with just a T-square and a drafting triangle. You really got to know the paper and the pencil that way. Now it's all clicks and menus, and while it's faster, something about the process just feels different.