Agfa Isolette flare/glare problem...

[chubasco]

I had to do considerable amount of cleaning, and straightening a
bent plate on the inside of this camera, and finally shot a roll of
Fomapan 400. Got some mixed results:

This one not bad, but not great:

this one very bad for glare and bringing on the grain:

Here's a glamor photo of the cam after cleaning and fixing the Watameter II:

Just wondering if anyone knows a place to get filters/hood for this type of lens, (this is the Apotar). Didn't have much luck on ebay.

Thanks in advance for any help given.

Bill

 

[VictorM.]

Here's a hood: http://cgi.ebay.ca/30mm-Aluminiu-li...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247 The seller has lots of good old stuff.

That flare looks really bad: is the lens hazy inside?

 

[chubasco]

Thanks for the link, Victor! It looks like I will need to clean the
inside lens, some grunge, perhaps haze. I have very small
screwdrivers to remove the front element and will see how it
goes. Do you know of another link that has info on removing and
cleaning the front element?

Thanks again for your help!

Bill

 

[VictorM.]

A good start: http://www.davidrichert.com/cleaned_agfa.htm Then follow the other links.

 

[charjohncarter]

Haze you check by shining a flashlight through the lens while looking at the other side/end of the lens. You will see the haze, but this could also be the famous Agfa Isolette pinholes in the bellows. This is checked by putting a small flashlight while in a dark room inside the bellows and run the light along the corners. If you find holes in the bellows PM me, I have remedies.

 

[chubasco]

Thanks, much, for the link, the back element is spotless, just the
front one needs cleaning. I bought that hood from the vendor
you posted, too!



Bill

 

[chubasco]

Haze you check by shining a flashlight through the lens while looking at the other side/end of the lens. You will see the haze, but this could also be the famous Agfa Isolette pinholes in the bellows. This is checked by putting a small flashlight while in a dark room inside the bellows and run the light along the corners. If you find holes in the bellows PM me, I have remedies.

Thanks, CJC, bellows are fine, already checked with a flexible leak
lite in each corner, each crease, but this was done last year, so
maybe I need to look again! The back element looks fine under
full sun, but the front element does show some grunge of some
sort. Thanks for your reply,

Bill

 

[chubasco]

Victor, want to thank you for the heads-up on the hood. Bellows were fine, but had haze on all three elements of the lens after close inspection, and has now been removed. Currently running a roll of Fomapan 100 through it. Here's a shot with hood in place:

Thanks again,

Bill

 

[literiter]

Here's a hood: http://cgi.ebay.ca/30mm-Aluminiu-li...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247 The seller has lots of good old stuff.

Yes, he goes by the name of "Old-Cam", and his name is Andrew Crump. I've found quite a few bits and pieces from him. Shipping is fast from the UK.

A lens hood is imperative for a old camera however I've found what I think is another issue in these things. Light will hit the bellows and reflect onto the film, the hood will correct for this in many cases but I've had to carefully apply a light coat of flat black paint to the inside of the bellows, usually at the bottom.

 

[jesito]

Victor, want to thank you for the heads-up on the hood. Bellows were fine, but had haze on all three elements of the lens after close inspection, and has now been removed. Currently running a roll of Fomapan 100 through it. Here's a shot with hood in place:



Thanks again,

Bill

Hi Bill!
Nice to see how did you solve the flare problem!. I'm trying my Isolette II and I'll go for one of such nice hoods!. The lens in my isolette is not the same as the one in yours, but I've measured the diameter and it's also 30mm...
Thanks for the picture, is very illustrative!.

Jes.
(BTW, I've seen that avatar somewhere else... ;O)

 

[charjohncarter]

Squall, nice hood. But can you close the camera? Mine goes to the CLA guy on the 10th.

 

[chippy]

Squall, nice hood. But can you close the camera? Mine goes to the CLA guy on the 10th.

nah you can't close it with the hood on...but they just slide on or off.

i have seen on occassion rubber collaspsible hoods not specifacally made for folders but fit easy enough, at least i dont think they were made for folders just cant remember where i have seen them! with them it is sometimes possible to leave them on and close the camera.


Bill,
i couldnt help but notice how much grain is in the fomapan! i havnt used it. it just stood out first thing or is that the apotar contributing.

the second pic even with the (large) flare is kinda interesting tho. i can imagine taking a bucket of dry ice and getting them to turn the lamps on the side of the building for a seeminly eery foggy back ally type picture 🙂

 

[FallisPhoto]

i have seen on occassion rubber collaspsible hoods not specifacally made for folders but fit easy enough, at least i dont think they were made for folders just cant remember where i have seen them! with them it is sometimes possible to leave them on and close the camera.

Another possibility: http://webphotoresource.blogspot.com/2007/05/free-lens-hoods.html#links Really nice thing about these is: if you misplace your hood, who cares?

 

[chippy]

FallisPhoto ; the king of finding budget solutions and repairs🙂

just happend to be browsing a 1938 Voigtlanda catalogue tho and found they sell Indian Rubber colapsible hoods for 9 bob (9 shillings) which is just under half a pound! doesnt sound to expensive to me🙄. i wouldn't mind having a couple haha...they come in their own flat bakelite box as well

 

[Windscale]

FallisPhoto ; the king of finding budget solutions and repairs🙂

just happend to be browsing a 1938 Voigtlanda catalogue tho and found they sell Indian Rubber colapsible hoods for 9 bob (9 shillings) which is just under half a pound! doesnt sound to expensive to me🙄. i wouldn't mind having a couple haha...they come in their own flat bakelite box as well

In 1938, 9 Shillings was quite a bit of money!

 

[chippy]

i was just being tounge in cheek, i would take all you give me now for 9 bob... but yeah ! i had to look twice at the price, not exactly cheap in those days, about the same price for filters too---and as a comparison to the bessa RF w/helomar 18 7/6d and with Heliar 23 7/6d

 

[FallisPhoto]

FallisPhoto ; the king of finding budget solutions and repairs🙂

I spent 4 years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a Machinery Technician (combined rating of Machinist's Mate, Engineman and Boilerman). I had to be able to figure out how to keep outdated equipment running, sometimes without spare parts, so I had to make them. I guess that's stuck with me and I admire other people's ability to make something like that plastic bottle lens hood and have it come out looking like a professional product.

I mean, it looks good, doesn't cost anything, and will work as well as a lens hood you'd buy for $50.

 

[Ben Blacket]

My Isolette has the same flare problem, especially if there's sun just popping over a building, or the sun is about 45 degrees or less in front of me.
I've also got a Ventura 66 deluxe with 85 solinar & compur - shooting my first roll with it now. It seems to be better built than the Isolette - stronger, stiffer, aluminium struts & better bellows (not the shiny bellows that crackles when you open the camera). The rest is the same.

 

[FallisPhoto]

My Isolette has the same flare problem, especially if there's sun just popping over a building, or the sun is about 45 degrees or less in front of me.
I've also got a Ventura 66 deluxe with 85 solinar & compur - shooting my first roll with it now. It seems to be better built than the Isolette - stronger, stiffer, aluminium struts & better bellows (not the shiny bellows that crackles when you open the camera). The rest is the same.

When it's that bad, like in his second photo, it usually means you need to clean out the inside of the lens.

 

[chippy]

My Isolette has the same flare problem, especially if there's sun just popping over a building, or the sun is about 45 degrees or less in front of me.
I've also got a Ventura 66 deluxe with 85 solinar & compur - shooting my first roll with it now. It seems to be better built than the Isolette - stronger, stiffer, aluminium struts & better bellows (not the shiny bellows that crackles when you open the camera). The rest is the same.

i far as i know they are one and the same camera! perhaps you could post a pic of yours?

the isolette for europe...the speedex in US and the poms get the ventura 66 deluxe....of course anyone can end up with either of them, but the point is that the ventura models are just export versions of the isolette's