Vintage film cameras

[johnnyrod]

Blimey some gear there! Are Five Goats better than one? Welcome home mate.

Started work on my Contessa 35. It's not in bad shape, I have the shutter free of the body and gubbins. I'll check the speeds again tomorrow, the slow ones seem fine, I think it's the fast ones that are the problem. Also the aperture doesn't open all the way - it goes up to f2.8 which should be 16mm diameter, but measures closer to 13mm which is 3.5. Glass isn't bad but needs a clean. It's pretty fiddly - be warned Kenzie. How does yours look wide open BTW? On mine you can still see the aperture blades, they don't retract from sight.

Not actually shot much, but slowing down for Christmas now so should get back to it. Didn't take my camera to Scotland as it was a 3-day dash with work, but took more pics on my phone than I'd expected - better than nothing I guess!

[Kenzie]

If I knew out of the four crates it was in I would have a look for you Johnny. Will take a look tonight. I can't remember if it opens fully. Finish on Thursday so will have some time to shoot. I may even take out that two wheeled thing I own that hasn't seen the light of day for at least three months!

[johnnyrod]

Actually I think it's okay, someone on RFF pointed out it may not need to be winder at that point in the lens, and I think they're right.

[Kenzie]

No worries. Just let me know. Would love to get the rf on mine fixed.

Sent from my Xperia

[Kenzie]

Checked mine Johnny, it opens up fully with no blades showing at f2. 8.

Sent from my Xperia

[johnnyrod]

Yeah the rear lens has a fairly wide ring, and when it's installed it covers the blades when the aperture is fully open so you can't see them. Did a bit more tonight, split the shutter and picked loads of bits out, following the instructions on the Retina Rescue site. This is just about as fiddly as putting the escapement back together on your Certo Kenzie! The escapement is said to be a PITA to get on and off, so hopefully it won't need much adjustment when it's clean; I left it attached to the shutter plate and soaked it. Tons of grot came out so am soaking it again, and some of the levers. Swabbed various bits and got loads of black grease off, and not just off the main lever. This is the third or fourth Compur I've worked on, and they are always filthy!
Untitled by John Rodriguez, on Flickr

[Kenzie]

Wow, seriously brave. I wouldn't have the guts to do that as I would have no idea how to put it all back! Shame I can't find any photos of the under side of the top plate showing the prisms in place so I can rebuild mine.

[johnnyrod]

It doesn't have a self-timer but basically the same bits work the M-sync for flash bulbs (magnesium). It doesn't come out in one unit so you have to carefully dismantle it hence all the levers. I dried it out again this morning, but oiled the escapement before the last of the solvent had gone, to help it penetrate the tiny journals. Seems to run nicely. Loads more cleaning to do!

The prisms sit in the monocle thing on the front of the shutter. The mechanism is off the top left of the photo above, it's a large gear linked to the focus ring, and it drives gears that rotate the prisms in opposite directions to move the image back and forth. Getting it back together is one thing, tediously adjusting it all up is another - get it wrong and the image moves vertically too I believe. Have you got all the parts? I don't want to disassemble that part of mine, but I think it isn't so complex in there. Under the top plate will just be a couple of mirrors, I'm not sure there is even an adjuster. I don't know to be honest, the finder glass could do with cleaning so I'll have to look into it.

[johnnyrod]

Found this
http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/meter-repair/
Shows how to take off the top plate

[Kenzie]

Well if you do take it apart, pop up some shots. Had another look tonight but I think its messed up inside. I can see through the small dot which is supposed to be the RF dot but otherwise the RF as well as the meter are dead. Its a fancy looking P&S at the mo.