Aaton XTR Prod viewfinder/eyepiece assembly problem

[Ivan A Chertov]

Hi Folks,

I've got my hands on an Aaton XTR Prod and I'm trying to assemble it's precious viewfinder. Gafftape solution is killing me...

There seems to be something missing... It consists of three parts.. 1 The rubber for the eye. 2. The rotating ring, which has the heating element in it. 3 . The blades, that shade the hole.

I can't seem to figure out how are they fitted together and into the base of the eyepiece. It has only two holes for screws..

Will try to add pictures of this struggle

Cheers

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Ivan A Chertov

[Tyler Purcell]

Yea send me pix! I know the camera like the back of my hand. 

Do the blades open and close fine? 

The metal ring has 3 crews on it and a little lip for the rubber eye cup. If that 3 screw ring is not installed, there will be nothing to put the rubber eye piece. 

[Ivan A Chertov]

Hi Tyler,

Will post pictures somehow.. ?

Blades don't quite feel good. One of them isn't attached to the ring that rotates them. It's missing its little thing that I have no clue whats it called in English, but it holds it (one of the blades) tight on the small pin, lets imagine it's resembling a crabs claw :). By what I see, I can place the ring with the blades below the ring that rotates them ( the one that has the plug for the heating) and then mechanically it works if I rotate it, but the holes for the screws don't quite match. By that I mean... I can manage to screw the element with the plug directly to the viewfinders base, without the blades, because when I assemble the blades element the holes don't align. So It's really a matter of how its actually assembled or if I'm missing some parts. Which I am for sure. 

For instance the rubber eyepiece element, which goes on top of the rotating element with the plug for heating, for sure is missing it's thing that holds it there. I was hoping its on some sort of thread, but no... I will have to use gaff tape for that for sure ?

[Tyler Purcell]

That blade assembly is not easy to re-assemble. I've had them apart many times. The pins the blades ride on are not removable, so I don't know why you'd be missing it. It took me a while to figure out and honestly I don't have very many tips besides try a few different configurations of alignment of the metal squeezing part. 

So yea, you're missing a ring with 3 screws that holds the rubber piece. I can get probably get you one, if you can send me some pix of the assembly so I can make sure I get the right one.