Vintage film cameras

[johnnyrod]

Are you home yet? Looks like your baggage is going to weight a bit more!

I finally finished the test roll in my Contessamat and had it done at Asda today. It is all working fine, need to scan a couple to show you. Focus is almost exact, I seem to have set both this and my Contessa to about 1.45m instead of 1.50m when doing it, I think the focus screen I'm using must catch the light everso slightly behind the front surface. Unless you're shooting wide open (which is f/2.8 ) at very close range though you can't tell, and if you were you wouldn't expect much to be sharp because of the shallow DoF. Anyhoo am pretty pleased as fixing it was a bit of a job.

Anyway the other bit of info is that I'm really surprised how poor the pictures are from Asda compared to Peak imaging. You'll see when I post them, but the colours are much richer, and the prints are noticeably sharper, really surprising how good Poundland film looked. I've had another roll recently done at Asda and it was equally disappointing. Asda is a fiver for 24 exposures done in an hour (I think it's £4 for overnight) whereas Peak are nearly £7 plus £3.25 P&P (flat charge for all orders) so not good value to do them one at a time, but you certainly get what you pay for.

[Kenzie]

Yeah got back yesterday. Got a joblot of four cameras through. A sad looking Fed 4, Kodak Retinette 1b, Agfa and another. Light meter on the Fed is dead so I removed the needle gear after a wire broke, also had to glue the rangefinder mirror back in place as well as the outer meter cover and glass. The Kodak has a jammed shutter, the Agfa is missing the front panel and the other has a loose front. Not bad for £9. I haven't tried anywhere else due to cost. If it's black and white then I'll do it myself. Found a roll of film in the Agfa. Will process it as black and white when I do my next batch of film. Got more cameras than I can shoot at the moment. Be good to see your shots.

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[johnnyrod]

Pics from the Contessamat:
Kelpie - never mind the water, I see humans to eat! by John Rodriguez, on Flickr
The person is a bit dark so shodl have exposed by another stop, though the Asda processing is so bright it might have washed out the highlights.
Ana bike by John Rodriguez, on Flickr
Bit wonky and some motion blur but check out the bricks! Previous pics were "unsharp" as they seem to say in the photographic world - the focal distance was right, but it looked as though it wasn't, a sort of permanent bokeh:
http://www.johnnyrod.co.uk/ikon2.jpg

In terms of Asda processing, compare these to the last ones I posted, which used the same film and a camera with the same lens, but done by Peak Imaging instead.

Are you going to fix all those? I have an Ikonta 35 which is currently an ornament that is unusable due it its stickiness - the shutter blades barely close again - but it's so small I fancy giving it a try. I meant to get the one with the rangefinder (Contina II) and/or a folding Contessa 35 but got mixed up. Also a Contessa LBE which is a cross between the Contessa LKE (match needle metering) and the Contessamat SBE (in that it has the gubbins for automatic aperture setting for flash). It's almost unusable but very sticky, I bought it because I'd never seen one before. I need to give it a look though, I think the rangefinder patch is maybe too dim. I also have a Contessa LK which is a scale-focus one, bought it for spares, but now I have a bit more experience cleaning lenses it may be quite usable after all. I too have too many! I'm enjoying the fixing of them but there are more pressing things to do for a while yet.

[Kenzie]

The agfa won't be fixed,might clean it to use as is just for the hell of it. Going to dismantle to Kodak and free off the shutter.will need to unsolder the flash sync wire. Something to do over the crimbo break.

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[Kenzie]

Found the problem with the Kodak.will post up a shot in a bit.

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[Kenzie]

Spot the problem



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[johnnyrod]

Aha, detached escapement spring

[Kenzie]

Yeah, caused the shutter to jam and the camera to be written off. Sorted that issue but cant stop the front ring from spinning. Dont want to do it up too tight asbthe retaining ring is alloy. Will post a shot up later.

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[johnnyrod]

Not sure what you mean. If it's one of those flowery/castellated really thin screw rings then on my cameras these are done up unbelievably tight!

Anyway you've been bad again and made me look at ebay so I just bought something else. Konica S, apparently working except for the aperture blades, whatever that means. Selenium meter, which is said to work (match needle on the top plate) and 48mm f1.8 Hexanon lens which is said to be very good indeed. £8 plus postage. I am however thinking I should clean up a couple of the others and sell them to someone who'll use them instead.

[Kenzie]

The thing with the three arrows isnt supposed to move I think.

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