DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Well done! would never ever dare attempt what you have so bravely achieved - in my case, there would be 17 bits and pieces left over on the table, and most of those put back into the Leica would be in the wrong places, anyway so I would be looking at a super expensive replacement and restoration job from a repair center. So not for me.
I have a different 'problem' from yours. Last week (as I wrote in another thread), I took delivery of a Leica iif, circa 1955, with a not quite up to par but very usable Elmar 50/3.5. A neighbor who saw me out and about with this new camera told me he too had been "into the Wetzlar thing" (as he put it) and still had a lens, which he kindly gave me. A super good bit of luck. Almost.
When I got the lens it had a filter stuck on the front, and I initially thought I had been gifted with a Summitar 50/2. As it turns out, I have a Summicron 50/2, the collapsible model, an eminently desirable piece of glass but for one unfortunate thing - haze. Apparently its original owner and his spouse are smokers and over the decades the lens has acquired a thick patina of haze. Sufficiently so that this beaut old lens cannot even be used for diffused portraits. Bummer...
The good news - I easily removed the filter (orange) with a bit of gentle effort. The not so good news - I will now have to have the 'cron taken apart and cleaned, if the haze has not engraved itself into the glass.
I am now wondering where in Australia to send this lens to have this work done, IF it can be salvaged.
I recall (from the the 1980s) there was an optical firm in Hobart, Tasmania, that did such work. They fixed a Leitz Universal finder for me (for A$50, even then a great bargain) at that time, a beautifully done job, but unfortunately for me I then sold this item. I now kick myself hard for this and wish I had kept it, but as they say hindsight is always 20:20...
If anyone has any advice for me on where to get this cleaning job done in Australia, I will be (almost) eternally grateful.
I have a different 'problem' from yours. Last week (as I wrote in another thread), I took delivery of a Leica iif, circa 1955, with a not quite up to par but very usable Elmar 50/3.5. A neighbor who saw me out and about with this new camera told me he too had been "into the Wetzlar thing" (as he put it) and still had a lens, which he kindly gave me. A super good bit of luck. Almost.
When I got the lens it had a filter stuck on the front, and I initially thought I had been gifted with a Summitar 50/2. As it turns out, I have a Summicron 50/2, the collapsible model, an eminently desirable piece of glass but for one unfortunate thing - haze. Apparently its original owner and his spouse are smokers and over the decades the lens has acquired a thick patina of haze. Sufficiently so that this beaut old lens cannot even be used for diffused portraits. Bummer...
The good news - I easily removed the filter (orange) with a bit of gentle effort. The not so good news - I will now have to have the 'cron taken apart and cleaned, if the haze has not engraved itself into the glass.
I am now wondering where in Australia to send this lens to have this work done, IF it can be salvaged.
I recall (from the the 1980s) there was an optical firm in Hobart, Tasmania, that did such work. They fixed a Leitz Universal finder for me (for A$50, even then a great bargain) at that time, a beautifully done job, but unfortunately for me I then sold this item. I now kick myself hard for this and wish I had kept it, but as they say hindsight is always 20:20...
If anyone has any advice for me on where to get this cleaning job done in Australia, I will be (almost) eternally grateful.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
What a great idea, adding a Leica to your Contaxes! It gives me an urge to add a Contax to my Leicas! I've always been curious and interested in the Contax rangefinders but never got around to it (So many cameras, so little time).
Thank you very much. It's taken me years to get around to doing a Leica. They're an interesting design. The shutter layout for instance is familiar, as well it should be, Leitz having provided the pattern so many other manufacturers adapted. On the other hand, the slow speed control, and linkage to the bottom-situated escapement is a layout I've never dealt with before. All very interesting but with a learning curve. My IIIf gave me no real challenges, at all.
But I've since done another IIIf for a friend (another red dial, but with self timer). That one was in really bad adjustment, and it took me much longer to get the shutter running well. But in the process, I also learned so much more about how the design works, so in hindsight, it was a blessing. I also learned that the screw mount self timer unit is a beautifully made, discrete, unit which seems a model of reliability. But...its connection to the external setting lever and release button is the most sadistic, Heath Robinson little piece of engineering I've seen since...I don't know when. It has twice as many parts as it needs and seems expressly designed, to be as difficult to re-assemble, as possible. I got there...eventually, and I'm sure the next time it would only take me a few minutes. But...ugh.
Congratulations on the Summicron. That's quite a score. In terms of who to send it to: I have never had any work done by him, but Jorg Heumuller at European Camera Service has credentials that are hard to beat. He was born in Wetzlar (seriously) so, perhaps it could be said he might have been destined to work for Leica: he is factory trained. He's in Melbourne, too.
Here is a link to his website.
You're right about Hobart and optical expertise. Actually, it is interesting you mention it, and quite a coincidence. During the war, Australia's war cabinet put out an urgent call to Australian universities seeking their assistance with domestic manufacture of military optics: roof prisms; pentaprisms; eyepieces; lenses; and numerous other precision optical parts for gunsights, targeting equipment and photoreconnaissance purposes.
Various universities undertook to provide technical expertise and practical input with tooling, processed and raw materials. But the star was undoubtedly the University of Tasmania (UTAS). Together with brothers Eric and Philip Waterworth they initially trialled making some early lens cells by super heating and merging optician's spectacle blanks, and these experiments were so successful that they went on to manufacture their own equipment for precision grinding optical glass blanks, inspecting and measuring glass profiles, centring lenses, aligning prisms, plus many more instruments needed for the various steps in producing optical composites.
At one point 20,000 roof prisms were dispatched to the USA to help with shortfall in their domestic production. On inspection, the Americans ruled these Hobart-made items superior in precision and quality to their own product. Eventually a wartime optical annexe was operated by UTAS under high security during the remainder of the war with a mostly female, unskilled workforce, who were trained on site and proved capable of outputting very high quality product.
Although early experiments used glass from Hobart optician Philip Waterworth's stock of spectacle blanks, investigations established that, (in Botany Bay, of all places) aeolian sand suitable for precision optics was available so this was quarried and taken to Sydney-based ACI. Previously a manufacturer of much more prosaic goods such as window glass and unaccustomed to outputting instrument grade glass, ACI was pressed into service turning Botany Bay beach sand and other materials into chunks of raw glass for grading, and subsequent forwarding to Hobart for processing into military optical components.
I'm abashed to admit I've lived in Hobart over fifteen years, but only last year became aware of this little-known chapter in Australian war time history. It is a fascinating story of how a team of UTAS boffins, together with talented, practical tradesmen, and unskilled girls and housewives, together, put out world class optics, using home made equipment and instruments, starting out in a dirt floor shed.
After the war, UTAS continued research into optics for some years but the annexe activities were privatised as a private company, EN Waterworth (later, Waterworth & Bessell). They continued for roughly two more decades as a maker of projector lenses and projection equipment, medical optics and a few other things. Thus providing a great service to Australian schools and universities in need of projection equipment for teaching purposes after the war.
Ian Longman was one of the staff working at the annexe during the war and he went on to establish Longman Optical in Hobart. Longman retired many years ago but his protege Ian Mansell is still trading as Longman Optical. Actually I need to speak with him about getting a front Xenotar glass from a Rolleiflex re-coated at some point. Longman Optical are the firm you're thinking of.
After the war, EN Waterworth's main civilian line of products was projection equipment and lenses for same. In fact, I have a Waterworth 35mm slide projector in its original box in excellent working condition still with its Waterworth lens. As well as another 12 inch Waterworth projector lens with stainless steel body that is a thing of beauty.
UTAS maintain a small collection of Waterworth items dating back to the wartime annexe activities and also post war. In March I was granted special access to the collection to examine it and take some photographs of certain objects and spent a couple of hours discussing various items from the collection with UTAS's curator. Much of the collection was bequeathed to UTAS by the late Peter Smith, a former chair of Chemistry at UTAS, I believe. I actually have a few items once owned by him here myself such as several 35mm and 120 projectors, a lovely junior Linhof tripod which I adore (and use often) and a genuine Linhof Technika copy stand and matching set of copy lights that are a perfect match with my 1956 Super Technika.
Most tantalisingly, though optics for still cameras were not a major product line...Waterworth did make a few 2 inch lenses in Leitz screw mount. Most, for enlarger use. But, a tiny number, in rangefinder coupled form for Leica or Leica copy rangefinders.
In the following photo you can see my own Leica IIIf (mounted on a Linhof tripod once owned by Peter Smith, who also owned many of the items in the UTAS collection). The IIIf is wearing Waterworth 2 inch Centaur f/3.5 lens number 171. Some brief tests established that the lens coupled perfectly to the IIIf rangefinder.
On the basis it's sometimes better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I used my initiative and took a short series of photographs with the Centaur lens and the IIIf (on Ilford FP4 Plus EI 125, in ID-11).
The above is a precursor to a rather more lengthy article I need to find time to write for a friend's photography blog. One aspect is going to be a projector shoot off, using a decently sharp slide of Velvia or Provia to compare the quality of a Waterworth projector against other worthy competitors such as an early Leitz Pradovit, original Kodak Carousel, and a Rollei P series. Should be interesting.
To its credit UTAS has an excellent web portal for the annexe and Waterworth objects in their collection, and their story, and the stories of the Tasmanians who made them. It's certainly worth a look and you may find it here. On this page you can view some photos of the actual lens I made a few images with.
You should! My preferred Contax remains the II/III with a strong preference for the II. Its rangefinder system is magnificent, and its accuracy unsurpassed by any other 35mm camera in history. The reasons for this are not well understood but it's a demonstrably provable fact. The pre-war cameras have a complex, but exquisitely made hard plated mechanism that can be frustrating and delightful in equal measure if you have to persuade one into life. Exceedingly complex, it was arguably a vanity exercise for Zeiss and one of the most over-engineered shutter designs in history. The trick is you have to learn to repair them yourself or find one that's been tended to by someone sympathetic to their peculiarities. It is absolutely worth it, though.
largedrink
Down Under
This is a fantastic thread, thanks for posting all the detailed technical and background information Brett! It's particularly relevant for me as I recently added a beautiful IIIf to my Leica [insert word for a collection of 3 or more]. I rapidly went from 1 and 3/4 Leicas (an M2 and IIIg that I was restoring) to 4 Leicas: the final parts to reassemble the IIIg self timer arrived after a 12 month search; then the IIIf was offered to me, with 3.5 Elmar, for around AUD500, then I was lucky to find, in the same week as the IIIf, the cheap M4 I posted on another thread.
My IIIf has an issue that the second shutter curtain follows the first slowly, it takes a second or 2 to close the shutter, so perhaps the tension is wrong. In your opinion is that something fixable without needing the measurement equipment you have used? I'm interested to know whether this is something that can be fixed through simple adjustments (by me), or would require a proper overhaul (by someone experienced, perhaps someone in Tasmania...!).
Also, the Elmar helicoid grease was completely dry. I have removed most of it without disassembling the helicoid - it's much better now but in need of some new grease. Is there a particular helicoid grease recommended for Leica lenses?
My IIIf has an issue that the second shutter curtain follows the first slowly, it takes a second or 2 to close the shutter, so perhaps the tension is wrong. In your opinion is that something fixable without needing the measurement equipment you have used? I'm interested to know whether this is something that can be fixed through simple adjustments (by me), or would require a proper overhaul (by someone experienced, perhaps someone in Tasmania...!).
Also, the Elmar helicoid grease was completely dry. I have removed most of it without disassembling the helicoid - it's much better now but in need of some new grease. Is there a particular helicoid grease recommended for Leica lenses?
Hi
I'm glad you're getting something out of the words and images, thank you for the feedback.
Just to clarify, with your IIIf, what you're saying is that the second curtain isn't just pausing before it caps off the film gate—it's basically creeping across the gate, slowly? Is that correct?
If the curtain was running normally, but not immediately, my first thoughts would be to investigate the second curtain latch in the event it's sticking. But the latch holds the curtain back until it's tripped. Once it's tripped the curtain will (all other things being equal) just run at its proper speed.
If the curtain is crawling across the gate at a snails pace, at face value two things come to mind.
A:
perhaps somebody has fiddled with the curtain tensions?
I have come across certain cameras with curtain springs that kark it with age. The Zeiss Icarex SLRs are a great example. But this is a IIIf, a much better quality design. So, unless some total numpty has over tensioned its spring to the point of permanently deforming (or even, perhaps, breaking) it—the only way it could have slowed so badly (if it's running free) must be, if it's badly adjusted?
B:
I mentioned "running free" above. Something that might, conceivably, slow a curtain down is a foreign object in the works. Film chips are the obvious suspect. I've pulled a few out of screw mount bodies. (Incidentally, this seems, to me to be a good reason to not be too ambitious about sneaking that 37th or 38th frame from a roll—the residue I've extracted was from a film gate was stripped perforations, no doubt due to forcing the wind knob for that extra frame).
There are, of course, other unpleasant scenarios that might make a curtain hang up. A detached ribbon fouling the works is an obvious one. But you'd have a curtain misaligned and moving unevenly top/bottom were this to be the case.
Similarly, if a curtain has aged really badly (storage conditions may be germane) and its lightproof coating has become very stiff, it could retard the speed (being less willing to unspool, and possibly, so inflexible as to foul the inside of the gate, for instance). I've got a pre-war Kine Exakta here with a bit of that going on. To its credit, its shutter gamely tries to do its thing. But the fabric is more akin to thin cardboard than flexible fabric, now (Exaktas in general, as charming as they are unusual, aren't exactly known for being fitted with curtains which age gracefully, so this is not news).
But we can safely discount both these reasons. If a curtain wasn't securely attached at both ends, you'd see misalignment where the laths of each curtain meet. And I've never seen anything to the effect that Leica curtains are worse quality than most—except, perhaps, some wartime red fabric examples, of course. The curtains being that badly deteriorated is extremely unlikely, and if they were—you'd be able to tell.
So, there is quite a laundry list above, of different types of ailments which might virtually stop a curtain in its tracks. But as discussed, for various reasons, we can probably discount most of them. Tampering with the adjustment, or foreign object interference, would seem to me the most likely scenarios, yes?
In terms of making things right: the mechanism will be coming out of its casing (or housing, if you prefer). I'd suggest you'd have to be very lucky, but it's just possible, I suppose, that removing a jam might see it happy again.
Realistically, though, these are not young cameras any more. If, for instance, a previous owner upset the curtain adjustment, this will have been because the shutter wasn't 100% in the first place. So even if you were able to get the curtain closer to proper speed, it's odds on the shutter won't, then, be running at its best anyway. Cleaning and lubrication is very likely needed, and, because of age, the curtains may manifest some pinholes. But, my friend's IIIf passed a pinhole check with flying colours and its curtains are still supple. So, whereas curtain replacement isn't a fait accompli, it is, however a distinct possibility after 50+ years.
To accurately set focal plane shutter times correctly, a test device sophisticated enough to accurately read effective exposure in at least the opening and closing portions of the film gate is a huge assist. My Kyoritsu sensor can read the times at the start, centre and end of the curtain run. (Getting it years ago was a major score since it had been lightly used prior to coming into my hands, and with little interest in film equipment before the renaissance we're experiencing now, I was gifted it at no cost.)
Prior to acquiring it however I had adjusted many focal plane shutters using nothing more than an old cathode ray tube television receiver. If this seems a low tech approach, revisit some of the detail in my first post—specifically, the page from the Leitz IIIf service manual and my associated comments—and then consider that Leitz themselves originally calibrated these cameras using equipment not very much more sophisticated.
One of the better summaries of how a CRT set can be used to check speeds can be found at Rick Oleson's site:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-135.html
The biggest drawback with this idea, is that the degree of accuracy possible depends largely on the experience of the person checking a shutter. Speaking from my own experience. Sure—if you have never tried this before, after five minutes, you'll certainly have a broad brush idea of how well a shutter works. But getting the best results hinges on a trained eye—more correctly—a trained brain. You can get a good indication of the relationship between the curtains by the overall shape of the slit, its acceleration by the change of slit angle across the gate, and consistency of exposure by the relative width of a slit across the whole gate. But the slit is only visible very briefly, hence, considerable concentration is needed to observe the slits, remember their width, and interpret what a particular speed is doing, overall. In short: the more experience you have with it, the more precise—within limits—you'll be. Can it ever be as precise as a three digit digital tester set up? No, of course not. It's not as quick to use, either. That said: I've got very satisfactory exposures on Fujichrome, using shutters I've corrected with a CRT. So (with a bit of practice and experience) it can be quite a viable way to get reasonable results, and it's a darned sight better than photographing spinning turntables IMHO. I keep a small CRT set on the shelf next to my Kyoritsu. It's rarely used these days but occasionally, when setting a shutter up from zero tensions, it can actually be quicker and easier, initially, to get it in the ballpark visually before switching on the tester to optimise the times. But my Kyoritsu, whilst in excellent repair, is a 1970s model that doesn't provide curtain travel times. If it did, I'd only use the CRT very rarely, indeed.
I used Helimax XP optical grease ex-eBay for my Summarit. Eg:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/271211561097
Whether it's the ideal lubricant for Leitz threads, I don't know. I found it OK though, the lens is smooth to adjust without being too stiff. Most German manufacturers would have used (still use) special optical grease from German specialist Losimol, who have been in the trade many decades. When new, a particular Losoid formulation would have been applied by Leitz. Losimol are still in business, but definitely not geared to supporting small scale or hobbyist users. They'll sell you all manner of wonderful, tailor made formulations for optical/photographic applications on request: if Eg you can afford $1000 for a one kilogram container. Yes—I've spoken with them, and that was the quote!
For quantities of special purpose lubricants that are more sane for occasional users, Japan Hobby Tool do list several different viscosities of optical grease. See here:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ss...ksid=p2046732.m570.l1313&_nkw=grease&_sacat=0
And Micro-Tools list (used to list?) certain types as well.
https://www.micro-tools.com
I've got yet another IIIf and a IIIc coming to me in next couple of weeks, so it seems I will be getting a bit more practice in getting screw mount Leicas working again. If you think getting the IIIf going may be problematic for you, you can message me and we can see what we can work out.
Cheers,
Brett
largedrink
Down Under
Thanks for the detailed response Brett! I finally got around to looking at my IIIf more closely. The curtains appear to be clean (no foreign objects) and in good condition. I tried again using the "B" setting and realise it actually seems to be the first curtain that is the problem. When the shutter is released in "B" the first curtain seems to snap about half way (or less) along the opening, then crawl for the rest of the way. Or not at all. The second curtain will snap over to meet it, or right across the opening if the first curtain has traversed the opening fully. When I try at other speeds, the second curtain will meet the first, then the two of them will crawl along the opening (this originally led me to believe it was the second curtain at fault, due to my lack of understanding of the mechanism).
The seller warned me that there was a problem with the curtains, so I anticipated that a fix is needed.
The seller warned me that there was a problem with the curtains, so I anticipated that a fix is needed.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Just returned after a break. Many thanks for your detailed response to my query.
Your images of Hobart are most - memorable. We lived out of Launceston for a too-brief time when my partner had a local appointment there, but are now back in Victoria to sit out this Covid mad time. A great lot of nostalgia for me in Tasmania - such an enviable if low-key lifestyle even if we did get the feeling at times of being a little behind the gods' backs - sadly, I didn't get out enough around Launceston and the Northern region to shoot B&W with my film cameras, which I now regret.
Yes, it was Longman Optical. Way, way back in the '80s (where did the time fly off to, heh?) they repaired my Leitz Universal Finder and also polished the front element of a Rolleiflex E (Xenotar) I had picked up cheaply at a deceased estate sale. Both excellent jobs, but I unwisely sold both items, the 'flex to a friend who still has it but no longer shoots film. I'm tempted to contact him and ask to buy it back, but no - too much time passed, too many films in the darkroom. So life goes.
Next week I will contact Jorg in Melbourne to discuss several repairs I've had a mind to get done. Didn't realise he was in business again, that is really good news in these dismal C-19 times.
My new-old iif has a few minor flaws, mostly related to sitting in its case for too many years. Slow shutter speeds etc. On the whole, it seems to work well. I will be putting it and my two 50s to the test this weekend - the house cats have been put on warning that a portrait session is in the offing - as the local weather here in rural Victoria looks to be mild, for a welcome change.
I am so far (unsuccessfully) trying to resist Leica-madness but new offers are coming in. Those from fantasy queens who are convinced their old NOOKY units are worth A$500 price tags (who on earth would cough up five green bills for a Nooky, hah!) will be ignored, BUT a friend has an old Elmar 90 on offer at a realistic price and I may visit him tomorrow to inspect it and "talk shop". I can see my already depleted bank balance fast heading south with all this...
It impresses me how well old Leicas continue to function even with the usual neglect of time spent in seclusion in their cases, camera boxes or display cabinets or just forgotten in cupboards for decades.
Update to follow.
Your images of Hobart are most - memorable. We lived out of Launceston for a too-brief time when my partner had a local appointment there, but are now back in Victoria to sit out this Covid mad time. A great lot of nostalgia for me in Tasmania - such an enviable if low-key lifestyle even if we did get the feeling at times of being a little behind the gods' backs - sadly, I didn't get out enough around Launceston and the Northern region to shoot B&W with my film cameras, which I now regret.
Yes, it was Longman Optical. Way, way back in the '80s (where did the time fly off to, heh?) they repaired my Leitz Universal Finder and also polished the front element of a Rolleiflex E (Xenotar) I had picked up cheaply at a deceased estate sale. Both excellent jobs, but I unwisely sold both items, the 'flex to a friend who still has it but no longer shoots film. I'm tempted to contact him and ask to buy it back, but no - too much time passed, too many films in the darkroom. So life goes.
Next week I will contact Jorg in Melbourne to discuss several repairs I've had a mind to get done. Didn't realise he was in business again, that is really good news in these dismal C-19 times.
My new-old iif has a few minor flaws, mostly related to sitting in its case for too many years. Slow shutter speeds etc. On the whole, it seems to work well. I will be putting it and my two 50s to the test this weekend - the house cats have been put on warning that a portrait session is in the offing - as the local weather here in rural Victoria looks to be mild, for a welcome change.
I am so far (unsuccessfully) trying to resist Leica-madness but new offers are coming in. Those from fantasy queens who are convinced their old NOOKY units are worth A$500 price tags (who on earth would cough up five green bills for a Nooky, hah!) will be ignored, BUT a friend has an old Elmar 90 on offer at a realistic price and I may visit him tomorrow to inspect it and "talk shop". I can see my already depleted bank balance fast heading south with all this...
It impresses me how well old Leicas continue to function even with the usual neglect of time spent in seclusion in their cases, camera boxes or display cabinets or just forgotten in cupboards for decades.
Update to follow.
That's interesting information, Hugh. On the one hand if the first curtain snaps smartly across a part of the gate it suggests the spring adjustment has been given enough tension to make it run all the way. But something is stalling it. And if it's happening across the speed range, it is not just a sticky escapement (which would impact the second curtain anyway). Perhaps some film chips are jamming the bottom gears?
This is one of those situations where you just have to open it up, and see what you find. If the curtains are sort of working I doubt there's a mechanism failure (breakage). A good disassembly, cleaning and a bit of adjustment (and perhaps new curtains, depending on their condition) and I'm sure it would be good again.
It's impossible to deny the outstanding quality of the M series viewfinders. For me, it was their real leap forwards over earlier 35mm rangefinders. But the simplicity of the screw mount mechanism appeals to me. There's a bit less to go wrong, and on the whole, they seem to age very gracefully. This can make a tidy example in need of some basic service good value, if one is prepared to invest the time required to learn to repair them well. I don't know if you are up to doing that yourself, you'll have to weigh it up. If you do, though, there seem to be a few members of this forum who have had some success and experience fixing the screw mounts. I'll certainly offer what support I can and I'm sure others would, too.
Cheers
Brett
farlymac
PF McFarland
Revisiting this subject because I have a question about Nobbysparrow (Nobu). I finally got around to ordering some items from him a little more than a month ago, and found there was only one item for sale (a 19mm round spanner). Then about three weeks later there were two items (the spanner, and a top cover for an Olympus Pen-F). Everything else was gone, and I have no idea if he is just doing an inventory and has the two items still for sale as a place-keeper, or if he is getting out of the business. Anyone else have an idea what is going on?
PF
PF
Hi Phil,
I can clear this up. Nobu is still alive and well and as far as I know, has no plans to cease trading. But there have been problems getting items sent out of Japan via Japan Post. Not enough planes in the air he's said. Some sellers will dispatch by other more expensive carriers—he's just waiting until it's easier to mail items internationally.
I have been in touch with him over the last couple of months. He is holding a used replacement part for a screw mount for me. I don't need it urgently, but it's something a little hard to find. He's kindly put it aside for me until it can be forwarded at a reasonable cost. He was well, and philosophical about the present logistical difficulties.
Cheers,
Brett
Erik van Straten
Veteran
Nobu is a great man to deal with. He supplied me with stuff for many years. Unfortunately there is now a hitch.
Erik.
Out to Lunch
Ventor
I recently booked tickets from SE Asia to North America and it took me days to find seats. Prices have doubled or even tripled and I suppose it's not much different with air cargo. Cheers, OtL
Dralowid
Michael
There is another thread asking when 'things would get back to normal'. At the risk of depressing everyone I fear that we are living in the 'new normal'.
farlymac
PF McFarland
Thank you, Brett, I got a message reply from him this morning explaining the issues with shipping, so I'll be checking in on his listings weekly until he can start selling again. He's not the first Japanese dealer I've known with the same problem. I had a whole list of things I wanted so I could practice replacing LTM shutters. That will have to wait now.
PF
largedrink
Down Under
I ended up sending that IIIf to Youxin Ye for a CLA and recently put my first film through it, works beautifully now. But ironically I just picked up a very cheap IIf also with a shutter challenge. This time the second curtain seems to follow the first across without ever opening a slit, at any speed including B. Seeing this camera is definitely a "user" I'm more tempted to take the shutter out and see what's going on.
largedrink
Down Under
Pleased to report good progress already. I removed the body shell, blew away the sand (seemed like a great way to start), and after tweaking the tensioner screws and the brass screw shown in the photo, the one I'm not sure what is for, the shutter curtains began to operate properly.
Comparing the speeds to my good IIIf they seem similar, but i have no way to test them accurately. I tried a a shutter speed app but it seems to measure based on sound rather than light.
A few more things to fix: the IIIf leatherette is on its way from Aki-asahi, hoping it will fit as he doesn't provide IIf leatherette because he said the bodies were too variable.
Also will get an eyepiece screw trim ring to replace the missing one.
Wondering whether to replace the brassed non-original black film wind dial, it doesn't look too bad.
Comparing the speeds to my good IIIf they seem similar, but i have no way to test them accurately. I tried a a shutter speed app but it seems to measure based on sound rather than light.
A few more things to fix: the IIIf leatherette is on its way from Aki-asahi, hoping it will fit as he doesn't provide IIf leatherette because he said the bodies were too variable.
Also will get an eyepiece screw trim ring to replace the missing one.
Wondering whether to replace the brassed non-original black film wind dial, it doesn't look too bad.
Coldkennels
Barnack-toting Brit.
Is it a trick of the light/camera, or is the bottom of that pressure plate really scratched and mangled up? I've never seen one look like that.
Looks like the shutter curtain's been patched with liquid electrical tape, too. I only realised this year this is why my IIIf has a weird resistance to winding on if it's been sat for a while - the added thickness of the LET. No bueno. Only just paid for a pair of replacement curtains on my IIIg; not sure I can stomach doing the same with the IIIf at the mo.
Hi Hugh,
I would remove the top cover, personally, to be able to clean and lubricate the timing shaft and latch, and also the front plate and light baffles, so that the curtain shaft bearings may be cleaned and lubricated. A soldering iron is needed to separate the wire to the flash terminal.
It's usually impossible to know who has worked on a 1950s camera over the years and when it was last touched. So I suppose it's possible the curtains have not been tensioned sufficiently, however in my experience, people nearly always tend to over tension curtain springs, rather than under tension them. Hence, if you have had to boost the spring tension, the odds favour that they might now have too much. In which case the question would be: why is this needed?
Usually, this will be because the mechanism is not clean and adequately lubricated, and increased friction and/or sticking components prevent optimum transit times. Alternatively, original curtains may have aged and stiffened, which will impact their speed and acceleration. Unless the curtains are supple and still sound, it is usually a combination of the two.
Therefore, if a shutter is not running very well (or at all), the best course of action is usually assessing the curtains, and, if they pass muster, cleaning and lubricating the mechanism. It should then run reasonably well and evenly when the curtain tensions are adjusted to the default number of turns (after which it may be fine tuned for even exposure across the gate and, if needed, slit width).
After servicing my IIIf it now winds silky smooth with minimal effort. I can take multiple images in quick succession just as quickly as a lever wind camera, by running my right index finger along the outside of the wind knob (an old "Leicaman" trick of yore). This winds rapidly enough to easily permit shooting a frame a second, and it is only possible because the mechanism has been thoroughly cleaned and lubricated, and the curtain tension is not excessive. Otherwise, you'll risk rubbing your finger raw if your camera is dry and/or over tensioned.
If it's the one I think you're referring to, that screw head under the lens opening is merely one of the retaining screws for the front plate. It is different to all the other screws for the plate and must go back in the same position, but it simply fastens the plate, it doesn't adjust anything.
Earlier in this thread (post # 9) I shared some links to helpful documents about servicing the screw mount IIIc, IIIf and IIIg series and their derivatives. The National Camera Repair manual is very detailed and helps with the disassembly process by covering it step by step. I will be in touch privately.
Cheers,
Brett
largedrink
Down Under
Well spotted, yes the pressure plate is quite scratched on the edge. And yes perhaps the shutter curtain was fixed at one point, it seems to be light tight now.
And from behind:
Here's a photo of the camera before I cleaned the body. I was aiming to save the original vulcanite but it simply started falling off. It was very dirty (along with the Contax IIIA that came with it). The chrome is all brassed. The dark stuff on the rewind knob knurling was hard baked in dirt that took forever to clean out.
