u/Feuilledelaitue4

What's happening here? Is it an issue and if so, is it fixable?

I stumbled upon some heated debates about the quality of the different 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko lenses. People say that the "Made in Japan" version is the sharpest, provides better contrast, and handles light better (flare, ghosting, etc.).

Can you spot the difference here? Which picture do you think was taken with the “Made in Japan” lens?

I bought a Rolleiflex Old Standard 621 with a completely stuck focusing mechanism (photo 1). The front plate did not move at all and was stuck at infinity. I shot with it anyway, only landscapes, and got pretty sharp results.

Recently, I decided to fix it, and struggled to put the four gears in a correct alignment with the front plate (photo 2). I managed to get the front plate moving again, and now I get a normal focusing movement on my focusing screen. However, the focus on my viewing screen does NOT match the distance engraved on my focusing knob. In photo 3, we can see that the focus is on an object at 1.7 meters, while the knob indicates a distance of 3.3 meters.

I did a quick test using a sheet of tracing paper placed at the film plane to check whether the focusing point on the viewing screen matches the image projected onto the film. It does (see photos 4 and 5).

So, I was wondering: can I ignore the misalignment between the numbers on the focusing knob and the actual focusing distance on the viewing screen? Or am I going to get blurry pictures?

I keep getting completely different opinions about this, so I'd really like to hear yours.

My Rolleiflex Old Standard 621 has a focusing issue. The focusing knob turns fine (it's a bit stiff, but nothing too bad), yet the focus doesn't change at all. The front plate doesn't move, and on the focusing screen everything stays focused only at long distances.

That said, I was still able to shoot a roll of film with it and got great results—as long as I kept shooting subjects that were effectively at infinity.

I don't have the money to get it serviced (It would cost about six times what I paid for it).

Some people have told me that I could do the repair myself, even with no prior experience, and they even sent me a step-by-step guide. Others have told me the exact opposite: that it's far too complicated for a beginner and that I probably wouldn't be able to reassemble it correctly.

I've also been "scolded" for even considering it, because it would be risking a collectible item whose stock is becoming increasingly limited. Those people have advised me to sell it to someone who can either service it professionally or repair it themselves.

So I'm a bit lost. I don't know what to do with this beautiful camera that I'd really love to use.