Maxxum 9000 Focusing Deep

[QUOTE=SamBurton] So I invested in a roll and shot and developed it. I am stumped. Ive got no idea why nothing that I focused on is in focus. I got one pic in focus but the rest are pretty far out. I tried 2 different lenses. This was at like 5pm so it was a little dark but you can tell what the camera was focused on. I can promise that all of the shots were sharp in the viewfinder by alot.

Album:https://imgur.com/a/oYByjFe

Focused on subject, Focus ended up on car behind him
[/QUOTE]

You say these were sharp in the viewfinder , but you don't state if they were taken with autofocus or manual focus ?

You also haven't said if the viewfinders dioptre is set correctly ?

If you've adjusted it did you set it with the lens off or on ?

So I invested in a roll and shot and developed it. I am stumped. Ive got no idea why nothing that I focused on is in focus. I got one pic in focus but the rest are pretty far out. I tried 2 different lenses. This was at like 5pm so it was a little dark but you can tell what the camera was focused on. I can promise that all of the shots were sharp in the viewfinder by alot.

Album:https://imgur.com/a/oYByjFe

Focused on subject, Focus ended up on car behind him

Focused on him in this pic. Came out super blurry

was focused on the back quarter of the car

was focused o the nov

the reason I love this minolta and want it to work

was focused on the subject

The only photo that came out OK. Was the second frame in the roll. The first roll I shot also the second frame was perfect as well. I think it was just up to chance that it happened.


Let me know if this gets anybody a better idea of what is wrong with the camera.

Edited by pegelli - 04 December 2021 at 08:31

The flange distance of A-mount is supposed to be 44.5mm - it seems both cameras are within spec.

Dioptre is a good point. And maybe now with the changed focus screen, the 9000 might be fine. I guess you have to invest in a roll of film.

I am exclusively using the MF on the camera. Not really a fan of old Minolta autofocus and 99.9%% of the time I'm faster and more accurate.

Update, I got out my digital caliper and measured my known working 7000 from the flange to the pressure plate on the back. It came out as 44.45mm. After, I did the 9000 and it was 44.52mm. So it is not as far out at I thought it was. I then took a know working lens and focused on a tripod with the 7000 at my computer screen. Taped the focus so it couldn't move. Switched the camera out and put the lens on it and it seems like the focus was the same, at most maybe a tiny tiny bit out. The photos I took from it though are so far out.

I also have a junk 9000 sitting around so I took the focusing screen out of it and swapped it in the better camera.

I also switched the back from the junk cam because it seemed to have a little more pressure but the old one was fine tbh.

If there any ideas on why the end photos would be so far out of focus, Send suggestions. Im stumped and all of my knowledge of cameras I feel is pretty used up. I might end up having to shoot a roll of film and do a true camera test to figure out how far out and what is wrong.

Thanks for the advice and ideas so far,
Sam

If you are manually focusing and the pictures are off then the AF sensor accuracy is irrelevent. It must be a misalignment of the film (dodgy back/pressure plate etc) or the viewfinder/screen - screen inverted (ie you are focusing on the wrong face) is worth checking. I would be hoping that it is the screen - an easy fix.

Even with shims between the body and mount , there isn't enough used for it to be 1mm out .
Just a few thou .
Is the pressure plate on the back missing ?
That would account for that difference .

What Phil said

If you use a prime, the lens will have a distance scale to check the distance.
When they do not differ between the two cameras (and the other camera is correct) it seems it focusses fine. That and your experience with the viewfinder rules out the AF-sensor and the flange distance.

BTW if the flange distance is off, the camera still has to focus correctly, just the close focus will be longer or it will not reach infinity focus.

So, I agree with Phil it most likely is the film. How is the pressure plate of the camera?

Checking issues is always a pain, not just with film cameras

And welcome to Dyxum, Sam