Andrew Howes
Established
Same old story, bought a "fully working" iskra from Ukraine on ebay only to find out that "" fully working"" is actually a soviet akronym for totally routed.
Anyways, stripped it down, obviously had been done before with a hammer and sickle on the kitchen table by someone else. This one has had the ruby window mod which I dont actually care about. Got the shutter working with about a litre of lighter fluid, but B still wont work, just snaps shut. The RF is sort of there with a bit of diagonal misalignment.
I took a roll of film with it, man it has a nice lens. I got sick of meddling with it but it really needs to be fixed. It would be such a good camera if it worked. I am looking at certo6 auctions now. SHould have paid top dollar in the first place, Bah.
I was going to off load it as is, but I am biting the bullet and removing those chewed out screws again.
Any tips?
Dont buy an iskra from Ukraine, yeah got that!
Anyways, stripped it down, obviously had been done before with a hammer and sickle on the kitchen table by someone else. This one has had the ruby window mod which I dont actually care about. Got the shutter working with about a litre of lighter fluid, but B still wont work, just snaps shut. The RF is sort of there with a bit of diagonal misalignment.
I took a roll of film with it, man it has a nice lens. I got sick of meddling with it but it really needs to be fixed. It would be such a good camera if it worked. I am looking at certo6 auctions now. SHould have paid top dollar in the first place, Bah.
I was going to off load it as is, but I am biting the bullet and removing those chewed out screws again.
Any tips?
Dont buy an iskra from Ukraine, yeah got that!
Thardy
Veteran
I got all hyped up over folders a little while back, and ordered one from Certo. I think I shot two - three rolls of film and set it aside.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Conversely, my Iskra from the Ukraine has been perfect ... the roll of the dice!
You're a brave man diving inside one of these ... if mine ever fails it will become a doorstop ... and you're so right about the lens.
You're a brave man diving inside one of these ... if mine ever fails it will become a doorstop ... and you're so right about the lens.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Not a good choice for a first folder IMO ... too complex with a spotty track record regarding the advance mechanism and not a particularly intuative camera to shoot with!
I wouldn't say I love mine but at times I am in awe of it's abilities in certain conditions.
steamer
Well-known
Not to make you feel bad but I got one from Ukraine that is perfect as well, I don't know if top dollar makes much difference, Like Keith says, it seems to be the luck of the draw.
dave61
Established
Monster from the Ukraine?
Monster from the Ukraine?
I'm awaiting the arrival of an Iskra right now. I was hoping for a working camera with a better lens then the Mamiya-Six-IV I'm carrying around (but the mechanics of it are great.). Sounds like I'm in for it.
Have only read good things about Iskra lenses. Also read (elswhere) that film advance was a weak spot. Shutter is said to be copy of Synchro-Compur.
Here's a thought: Iskra focuses by moving entire lens/shutter in/out on a helix. Can the shutter be exchanged for a more reliable Compur, which can be dropped into the chassis (like an engine swap on a car)?
Another thought: Mamiya-Six chassis is built like a tank. Focuses from film plane-great answer to folding RF camera problem. Take Iskra lens, mount in Compur shutter, put it on Mamiya-Six. Both lenses are 75mm/f-3.5, Tessar-type lenses. With some shims, it should be possible to get new lens to line up properly with RF. This is what I'll end up doing if my Iskra turns out to be a lemon-create a "MamIskra"!!
Monster from the Ukraine?
I'm awaiting the arrival of an Iskra right now. I was hoping for a working camera with a better lens then the Mamiya-Six-IV I'm carrying around (but the mechanics of it are great.). Sounds like I'm in for it.
Have only read good things about Iskra lenses. Also read (elswhere) that film advance was a weak spot. Shutter is said to be copy of Synchro-Compur.
Here's a thought: Iskra focuses by moving entire lens/shutter in/out on a helix. Can the shutter be exchanged for a more reliable Compur, which can be dropped into the chassis (like an engine swap on a car)?
Another thought: Mamiya-Six chassis is built like a tank. Focuses from film plane-great answer to folding RF camera problem. Take Iskra lens, mount in Compur shutter, put it on Mamiya-Six. Both lenses are 75mm/f-3.5, Tessar-type lenses. With some shims, it should be possible to get new lens to line up properly with RF. This is what I'll end up doing if my Iskra turns out to be a lemon-create a "MamIskra"!!
Bill58
Native Texan
Funny prose indeed, but not funny situation. If the lens is that good, I'd send it off to Yuri/ Fedka, NYC for rehab (too much Vodka).
Andrew Howes
Established
I hope you get a good one Dave. It would be a great user.
I have had the shutter open about 5 times, it does not look like a compur. I have even put a few bits in upside down as they seemed to be put in wrong. It did not work much at all when I got it but the shutter seems all ok except for B now, even a few months after I went sick with the lighter fluid on it. I got the helical lined up right now.
I may have a user yet. I wont try getting B working again without some expert help though.
Keith I hope yours lasts but let me know if it dies. We could probably get one worker between us, or throw them off the Storey Bridge ritualistically.
I have had the shutter open about 5 times, it does not look like a compur. I have even put a few bits in upside down as they seemed to be put in wrong. It did not work much at all when I got it but the shutter seems all ok except for B now, even a few months after I went sick with the lighter fluid on it. I got the helical lined up right now.
I may have a user yet. I wont try getting B working again without some expert help though.
Keith I hope yours lasts but let me know if it dies. We could probably get one worker between us, or throw them off the Storey Bridge ritualistically.
wupdigoj
Established
Iskras are very fragile cameras, mainly for poor manufacturing and materials. I have been using a (nearly) perfectly working Iskra, actually made from two cameras, an Iskra and and Iskra 2, for some years. Last week, after nearly a year without using it, I found the counter mechanism totally erratic, skipping frames, and so on. I have tried to repair it (I do have pieces from two cameras) and found the task a proper nightmare. I sort of repaired it, but I was not able to mount a tiny retaining spring, which left the shutter button loose and prevents to use a cable release. Finally I made a nice hole in the back :-(.
The shutter is indeed an exact copy of the (I think) last version of the syncro compur (the one with the modern speed series and a delayed action), but I don't think it is possible to exchange as the diameter of the lens groups are slightly different from the compurs. A real pity
Javier
The shutter is indeed an exact copy of the (I think) last version of the syncro compur (the one with the modern speed series and a delayed action), but I don't think it is possible to exchange as the diameter of the lens groups are slightly different from the compurs. A real pity
Javier
FallisPhoto
Veteran
Often, right after cleaning, B won't work. It will start working again after it completely dries out, in about 8 hours.
Yeah, don't get one from C6. Get it from Fedka, or better yet, instead of getting a half-assed Super Isolette copy, get a real Super Isolette.
P C Headland
Well-known
I'm not sure I'd go along with that. Neither of mine seem to be poorly made or made from poor quality materials. In fact, mine seem every bit as well made as any of the other "better" folders of that era.
Sure, the film winding part is a known weak spot, but you should remember that most Iskras have had full, hard working lives. They're good cameras, that's why those with failed winders have been modded - so that they can continue to be used.
steamer
Well-known
I read somewhere that Iskras were used to take ID photos and the like, and saw some pretty heavy work. As far as I remember my Isolette was a much simpler camera and seemed more cheaply made.
Toni Nikkanen
Well-known
The professional camera repair guy I showed my Iskra today to was of the opinion that the Agfa Super Isolette had the same design flaw with the film winding and when the Soviets copied the mechanism into the Iskra as it was they sure didn't IMPROVE on it's reliability
But he was also of the opinion that it's pretty nice in the way it usually fails, which is it just kind of steps out of the way and lets you wind the film as you like, so all you need to do in that situation is add that little window in the back. No need to remove/disable the broken mechanism (usually.)
steamer
Well-known
As always Chippy you are right, I had one of the lower end models and was shocked that it was so cheaply made, though I believe many models share those sharply folded (plastic covered?) bellows which are so prone to holes.
chippy
foo was here
Steamer yeah,
mostly they do all have those shockingly bad bellows, (probably their worst feature) the S/Isolettes are a bit better, still no where near the quality of, say voigtlander but many of them are still holding up ok. they did put some nice leather bellows on a few Isolette II & III but they are so scarce, you may as well say they arnt available (you know how rumours escalate--before you know it everyone says theirs has original leather bellows). the pre-war black Isolettes (its called something other than bakelite but i forget at the moment-you know what i mean though) have better bellows, i have a few that are still good to go. btw i dont know about always being right but it sounds good now if i can just make the women believe that i'd be in like Flynn (based on Errol Flynn: its an old Australian saying)
mostly they do all have those shockingly bad bellows, (probably their worst feature) the S/Isolettes are a bit better, still no where near the quality of, say voigtlander but many of them are still holding up ok. they did put some nice leather bellows on a few Isolette II & III but they are so scarce, you may as well say they arnt available (you know how rumours escalate--before you know it everyone says theirs has original leather bellows). the pre-war black Isolettes (its called something other than bakelite but i forget at the moment-you know what i mean though) have better bellows, i have a few that are still good to go. btw i dont know about always being right but it sounds good
now if i can just make the women believe that i'd be in like Flynn (based on Errol Flynn: its an old Australian saying)
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Andrew Howes
Established
What, and miss out on all the excitement of russian camera roulette?
actually i will look for something smaller next time, it is a bit of a tank, certainly does not appear fragile or poorly built at all, though the quality of some of its guts does not look quite German. I like the look of the super baldax, is that a coupled RF, anyone?
chippy
foo was here
the Super Baldax is coupled (RF), but is often confused by some people with the Mess Baldix that has an un-coupled RF, the Super Baldax has 'Balda' pressed into the front of the metal top the Mess Baldix doesnt, they look identical otherwise...sometimes some people have been known to swap parts between the two though (guess who), making it harder to tell which is which
FallisPhoto
Veteran
Hey! I bet I know who it is!
Windscale
Well-known
I also have a pretty good idea. He has done it at least 6 times!
dave61
Established
T-37 Tank arrived in the mail yesterday...
T-37 Tank arrived in the mail yesterday...
Well, I got my Iskra I yesterday. As promised, it's minty, everything is 100%, RF/VF is clear & bright, shutter is spot-on, winder/counter work fine. Seems hardly used. Previous owner said it was from Fedka, spoke highly of him. I'd go there for repairs if I needed to.
I see what people mean about the lack of smoothness/refinement. Doesn't have 'classic camera' feel. Focusing IS stiff. Small knurled bump on focus ring gives no leverage. :bang:
OTOH, it feels solid, well made and reliable. Shutter snaps open and shut with authority. Winding is also solid, not flimsy at all. In fact, nothing on this thing is flimsy. It's a friggin' T-37, for cryin' out loud.
T-37 Tank arrived in the mail yesterday...
Well, I got my Iskra I yesterday. As promised, it's minty, everything is 100%, RF/VF is clear & bright, shutter is spot-on, winder/counter work fine. Seems hardly used. Previous owner said it was from Fedka, spoke highly of him. I'd go there for repairs if I needed to.
I see what people mean about the lack of smoothness/refinement. Doesn't have 'classic camera' feel. Focusing IS stiff. Small knurled bump on focus ring gives no leverage. :bang:
OTOH, it feels solid, well made and reliable. Shutter snaps open and shut with authority. Winding is also solid, not flimsy at all. In fact, nothing on this thing is flimsy. It's a friggin' T-37, for cryin' out loud.