Certo Dollina 1

shadowfox

Darkroom printing lives
Local time
11:18 AM
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
8,770
Anyone know how to operate the film advance on this little gem?

3966544940_bee84d32c6.jpg


The film advance dial seem to be stuck and no matter what combination of buttons I pushed and hold, nothing will unlock it. I must have missed something probably quite obvious.

Everything else is working, shutter, aperture, glass clear, etc. Very annoying to say the least not being able to load a film and use it.

I'm half-prepared to accept that I may need to send it out for repair, any suggestions on who would be able to service this?

Thanks in advance!
 
Yes, the button on the front, pushed IN, releases the mechanism to wind on.

If your film spool is stuck try fiddling, extend the top knob, and move it with its knurled ring at the bottom, they can jam up being rather a crude mechanism.

Also it really helps to make more sense trying with an old film but remember to get the film UNDER the shiny metal flap just before the sprockets.
 
This is a really cool camera, but I have other cool cameras too and Im not sure I want to spend the money.

This is very wise. They are indeed cool but whether they are much fun to use is another matter. I have a box of them in varying states of distress and have told myself that one day I will try and get at least one or perhaps two to work...but really, life is too short!
 
Yup, it is a box of Dollinas. Which one is yours? Post a picture and I'll see what I have got but it seems as if the bodies suffer before the lens shutter assembly, particularly the hinges to the front door which seem weak.
 
Eckmanmj, The one I have like yours (Dollina II) is too good to break, s/n 8951. Its spool is stiff and it feels as if the gears are half engaging. I might try squirting some lighter fluid into it and see if anything frees up.

Most of the others have the shutter release on the body ( Dollina 0 & I) and a slightly different spool. I may dismantle one and investigate further. A couple of these are little better than junk

I also have Dollina III which is rather different and a couple of post war ones.

Michael
 
Some Certo Dollina Shots

Some Certo Dollina Shots

Although I already sent these over, I'm posting a new one and I've cleaned them all up. These are my from father's shooting his '37 Dollina with Kodachrome in 1947, he had already owned the camera eight years. The Dollina was on the edge in the day. To think that the old man devoted as much time to photography as he eventually did, and it all started here:

16038672259_d90ccf6eae_b.jpg



15604929103_fbc85d7cf2_b.jpg



15602379514_a6d3fa7f09_b.jpg
 
My Dollina II was said to have been owned by the fourth British airman to be taken POW in WWII. Mind you he didn't get it till he was freed after the war.
 
Back
Top Bottom