Agfa Isolette Question

[rramig]

I have an Isolette III with an Apotar and an Isolette II with a Solinar. I would like to assemble one camera with the rangefinder from the III and the Solinar from the II. It appears I have two questions: (1) Can the Solinar (with shutter) from the II be removed and mounted on the III.? Or, if not, (2) can the rangefinder from the III be removed and mounted on the body of the II?

Thanks if you can give me any clues. Option (1) seems simpler on the surface.

--Frank

 

[sevo]

Provided that the focal length on both is identical (there was a switch from 85 to 75mm lenses during the Isolette history, with a corresponding change in flange distance) lens transplants can be done among Isolettes.

For best results, transplant the entire lens/shutter assembly, and collimate it on the new body by adding or removing paper shims between lens and front board, rather than by readjusting the front cell focus (where you might be tempted to twist the lens out of its sweet spot to make up for body tolerances).

I have also once grafted a III finder top onto a II body when I had a technically fine, but optically wasted II and a nice, but warped III at hand. It was quite easy to do, as the base bodies are almost identical (variations are date and not model specific). But riveted sheet metal is not really that easy to work on - you'll need a well-equipped workshop and reasonable skills or you may end up with a warped and misaligned camera.

Sevo

 

[Solinar]

Option 1 - a relatively simple lens/shutter swap is what I would do.

Hopefully, both cameras use the same units of measure on their focus rings, either feet or meters, because I don't think that the focus rings are interchangeable. For example: It would be a drag to have to use an uncoupled RF that is calibrated in meters with a lens focus ring whose scale is calibrated in feet.

Each camera will need to be collimated at infinity afterward. Rick Oleson has the following web page showing a preferred way to do this - http://members.tripod.com/rick_oleson/index-123.html. This is call the back-sighting method. There are other ways to properly set the lens to infinity, but this method works well if you have an SLR with a long focal length lens 105mm or longer which has an aperture of at least f/2.8.

 

[puderse]

Parts agfas

Parts agfas

I have re-constructed several Isolettes and have a 6X6 I would let you have for parts if you paid postage. It has no lens/shutter and a sorry bellows. I also have another w/Apotar that has been soaking in acetone since Christmas and I have about reached the end of my tolerence, it has a good shutter and bellows. I have a 24 inch pipe wrench and a very large pair of Channel-Locks that are the next step.

I re-set the infinity/focus adjustments using a ground glass at the film plane and shims behind the lens.

Good luck, they are pretty nifty cameras that date back to the era when my Dad returned from Germany.

 

[FallisPhoto]

I have re-constructed several Isolettes and have a 6X6 I would let you have for parts if you paid postage. It has no lens/shutter and a sorry bellows. I also have another w/Apotar that has been soaking in acetone since Christmas and I have about reached the end of my tolerence, it has a good shutter and bellows. I have a 24 inch pipe wrench and a very large pair of Channel-Locks that are the next step.

Acetone alone isn't going to do anything. The channel locks will ruin the lens threads. There are two ways of getting those lenses apart without damage. The first way is to put the two conjoined lens pieces into a black film cannister with a solvent and put it out in the sun on a hot day, all day, and let it "cook." Sometimes you will see the green gunk ha extruded from the threads when you do that and then you can force tem to unscrew. The other way is to just use heat. Heat is the only thing that will soften the gunk -- even then it is going to take some grunting to get the lens apart.

Edit: BTW, I soaked one in a mix of acetone and Liquid Wrench for a year once and it still wouldn't come apart without heat.

 

[puderse]

Isolette lens

Isolette lens

It's been in the oven for an hour @ 350deg., twice! There was green goo in the bottom of the film can also; and I have soaked it for a long period in other solvents, and put the hose clamps on. Etc., Etc., Etc.

Soaking in naptha and applying hose clamps has worked on others...not this one! Proper wrenches cost about 10 times what I paid for the camera.

I'll probably put it back together and make a shelf queen out of it. Nice looker but only focuses at infinity.

 

[FallisPhoto]

It's been in the oven for an hour @ 350deg., twice! There was green goo in the bottom of the film can also; and I have soaked it for a long period in other solvents, and put the hose clamps on. Etc., Etc., Etc.

Soaking in naptha and applying hose clamps has worked on others...not this one! Proper wrenches cost about 10 times what I paid for the camera.

I'll probably put it back together and make a shelf queen out of it. Nice looker but only focuses at infinity.

Last resort: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-Pc...002QQitemZ120394691308QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
the straps are rubber and won't screw up the threads. I bought a set of these and they do work, but using them makes me nervous.

 

[puderse]

stuck Apotar

stuck Apotar

I'll look into some of these. I also have been thinking I might try putting this in my vise and having a go with a cold chisel or maybe a hacksaw! If only epoxy worked as good as the Agfa green goo!!!

 

[FallisPhoto]

I'll look into some of these. I also have been thinking I might try putting this in my vise and having a go with a cold chisel or maybe a hacksaw! If only epoxy worked as good as the Agfa green goo!!!

Yeah, if they would only market that stuff as a long term thread locker, they'd make a fortune. Maybe Permatex or Loc-Tite would be interested?

 

[ZeissFan]

It's unfortunate that Agfa chose that particular lubricant and then used it for decades. I've encountered several cameras that have stuck lenses.

Next up -- a blow torch!

 

[FallisPhoto]

It's unfortunate that Agfa chose that particular lubricant and then used it for decades. I've encountered several cameras that have stuck lenses.

Next up -- a blow torch!

Bad idea. If the lenses get too hot I'm told that they shatter. Better to use the strap wrenches.

 

[puderse]

The end

The end

Gave up and took the lens pair to a camera repair shop in Garland. I was on a trip and would be back through town in a day. The repair guy didn't work Monday. Left good instructions. Back to talk to the repair guy yesterday. Even older than me! What did he do! Brings out my crushed lens and says "I'm sorry!" Seems his first move was to put pliers to it.

Need a perfectly good Isolette II with no front element?

Just because the sign on the door reads "Cameras Repaired" does not mean it will be.

 

[puderse]

What now?

What now?

Sorry, this an otherwise nice 85mm II. However, I did leave there with a set of Nikkor (front and back) 75mm, a 75mm Tessar front, and a Yashica 75mm front. They all screw into the shutter but are of no use.

Perhaps Santa will bring me a nice set of those wrenches from Micro
Tools that are almost a complete circle for just this purpose. They are $10 each, it will have to be Santa.

Another thought, These 120 folders are getting in the way of my real cameras. A good garage sale this spring would end all this hassle and give my heirs less to quibble over!

 

[FallisPhoto]

Sorry, this an otherwise nice 85mm II. However, I did leave there with a set of Nikkor (front and back) 75mm, a 75mm Tessar front, and a Yashica 75mm front. They all screw into the shutter but are of no use.

Perhaps Santa will bring me a nice set of those wrenches from Micro
Tools that are almost a complete circle for just this purpose. They are $10 each, it will have to be Santa.

Another thought, These 120 folders are getting in the way of my real cameras. A good garage sale this spring would end all this hassle and give my heirs less to quibble over!

Actually, I think I may have a spare Apotar around here somewhere. I'll check and see if I can find it.

 

[chippy]

Sorry, this an otherwise nice 85mm II. However, I did leave there with a set of Nikkor (front and back) 75mm, a 75mm Tessar front, and a Yashica 75mm front. They all screw into the shutter but are of no use.

Perhaps Santa will bring me a nice set of those wrenches from Micro
Tools that are almost a complete circle for just this purpose. They are $10 each, it will have to be Santa.

Another thought, These 120 folders are getting in the way of my real cameras. A good garage sale this spring would end all this hassle and give my heirs less to quibble over!

well i am not surprised on the first count, this dam thing has been sitting her for ages waiting for me to come up with a replacement or suitable way to fix it...the 75mm bodies are harder to come by not that i have looked for a year or two

on the second count it sounds like you are done with folders 😱 thats a shame, they are everything they should be and great for quality pics, just disappointing you have duds