Repairs

I worked some more on the digital camera [1] I have. The problem is one of focus. Or rather, the lack thereof.

The camera is a fixed-focus camera and you have to take the unit practically apart to refocus it. The lens assembly consists of two cylinders, one that slides inside another, with a screw/spring assembly on one side to adjust the position of the inner cylinder, which houses the lens, against the outer cylinder, which attaches to the mount on which the CCD rests.

When last I left it, I thought that since the screw/spring assembly was on one side, when tightened, one side was pulled in closer than the other side, thus leading to pictures that were half focused. My thought was to remove the screw/spring assembly, file down the end of the outter cylinder, allowing the inner one to adjust closer, and use some glue to hold it in place.

No avail.

During the machinations, I removed the blue filter that sits above the CCD. Interesting results. Two exceedingly blurry pictures that I find rather amusing:

Rhspdody in Red [2] [3] Rhapsody in Peace [4] [5]

Okay, so I'm not getting anywhere. I dig up the screw/spring assembly (I took the thing off back last November). The glue thing wasn't working (and I didn't have the right glue anyway, so it wasn't holding very well) so I reattached the screw/spring assembly minus one small wire piece that seemed to work against the spring (go figure).

So, with CCD filter, and newly reassembled cylinder assembly back in place, a few tweaks and finally success! [6] (I'm holding a small Phillips screw driver in my mouth, and I'm hold up my hand to distinquish this photo from the 21 other ones I took)

[1] http://www.conman.org/people/spc/about/1998/focus.html

[2] /boston/2000/01/31/rhapsody-red-thumb.jpg

[3] /boston/2000/01/31/rhapsody-red.jpg

[4] /boston/2000/01/31/rhapsody-peace-thumb.jpg

[5] /boston/2000/01/31/rhapsody-peace.jpg

[6] /boston/2000/01/31/success.jpg

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