I got a Crown off eBay that's in incredibly good cosmetic condition, but the right-hand (see through) mirror of the rangefinder is really, really loose. I gently pressed it into place, replaced the top rangefinder cover, and then checked alignment through the viewfinder. It was way off, so I adjusted the alignment with the alignment screw. After replacing the cover I checked again, and everything was fine. I then turned the camera upside down and GENTLY tapped on the cover with my knuckle. I tried focusing again, and the split images seemed separated by about three feet vertically.

Please tell me that fixing this is both easy and cheap. Because of its condition and the really nice Rodenstock lens, I'm going to keep the camera, but I'd like to be able to shoot it offhand, not as a view camera.

Leland, I'm not an expert here by any means, merely a novice who has been tinkering a lot with mine lately. If I get your post correctly, it sounds as though the mirror is not tight enough in its slot. One thing you might look at is the two small little tabs on the back side of the mirror holder (one on each side). If you remove the mirror and gently (and I mean gently) tighten the two tabs down a little, it might hold the mirror tighter. I wouldn't try this with the mirror in place as you would probably break it. A small needle nose pliers would allow you to "squeez" the tabs down a little, making for a tighter hold on the mirror after you push it back in place. Hope this helps.