RICHTER - Richter R2 AutoCollimator Instructions

Complete instruction manual for the Richter Cine Equipment Reflex Autocollimator Model R-2, a precision optical testing instrument designed for evaluating photographic lenses with exacting accuracy. This workshop manual provides comprehensive operational guidance, allowing technicians and lens specialists to observe directly on camera film—under high magnification—the image quality and optical performance delivered by camera lenses. The manual explains the optical principles underlying the autocollimator, technology derived from the ophthalmoscope and proven over 80 years in clinical ocular examination. Testing procedures covered include focal plane determination, camera lens quality assessment, visual and photographic resolution measurement, and precise identification of optical aberrations such as astigmatism, chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, field flatness, and coma. The document features detailed schematic diagrams illustrating the instrument's internal structure and complete optical path, supplemented by illustrations of the test pattern employed for optical evaluation. Practical instructions address mechanical and optical lens adjustment, defective lens identification, calibration procedures that achieve focal plane measurement accuracy to 1/5000 of the lens focal length, lens misalignment detection, spacing errors in lens element assemblies, and determination of optimal lens apertures for specific photographic applications. An essential reference for precision optical workshop environments.