Hello - new here

[murrayatuptown]

Hello:

I just activated my membership. I posted first to MF other because my Moskva V is what really needs the most attention.

My other RF's are three Argus C3 variants (wrong forum).

Anyway, this is pretty much just a test to make sure I'm now interactive here.

I read about 'good and bad' FSU cameras. It seems the 35mm ones and the 645/6x6 SLR's have the most variation. The discussion about Moskva quality seems to be more focussed on whether they are operator-damaged or not.

So, I am trying to assess whether a CLA will accomplish anything. I have run some film thru it but as you all know there are a lot of variables and I can't tell good from bad yet due to inconsistent results. Using transparent tape over the film plane, it seems like infinity focus is horribly off (8-15 meters focusses best), yet the rangefinder seems to track correctly with a separate Blik rangefinder (close anyway, 1-1.5 meter). I think I will retry focal plane testing with a piece of ground glass so I know it's flat.

Unfortunately my first two rolls were a self-induced failure; I insisted on trying 220 film with the red window taped over and hand counting exposures. I also masked the 6x6 mask down further to about 6x4.5. I got 27 exposures hand counting (of course the spacing was erratic). I gave up fighting light leaks. I tried a 'real' roll of 120 film and the lab said 'looks like Holga'. I laughed, although I guess that's not funny. I had forgotten where I put the 3/8-1/4" tripod adapter (cmaera was ou tof it's case to use a tripod), so I shot the roll simply leaning against the tripod but exposures up to 2 seconds...so with 'Holga' results accordingly.

Is there an issue with 'good' or 'bad' lenses on this camera? It would be a waste of $ to have it CLA'ed if it was problematic from the beginning.

I'm aware of Tessar-corner syndrome, bellows opening before winding, etc, but I still find ways to screw up a roll!

These don't look any sharper than my pinhole work!

Murray

 

[JoeFriday]

hi Murray.. I don't have any answers for you, but I just wanted to say welcome to the crowd.

maybe if you just told people you were using a Holga, they'd be really impressed 😉

 

[laptoprob]

Welcome Murray, you've chosen quite a challenge here. I am not familiar with the Moskva cameras but I am sure tripod use would help. Saying that, the unsharpness does not look like movement. Check lightleaks, the second photo has a grey vail over it. Is that a scanning error? The black frame is grey as well.
Check the focussing anyway. If those are correct, it must be the lens.
Try another camera!

Rob.

 

[FrankS]

Welcome, Murray.

When checking the focus at infinity at the film gate, make sure the tape or whatever you use is at the same level the actual film emulsion would be. I know with 35mm cameras there are film rails that are a bit higher than the sides of the film gate. With a roll film camera there may be rollers with thicker (and higher) ends that the film edges ride on.

Just a suggestion, wish you luck!

 

[peter_n]

Welcome Murray! I don't know anything about FSU cams (although I have a couple of FSU 35mm lenses - awesome!). I just wanted to say hello! 🙂

 

[back alley]

uptown?

what part of uptown?

welcome
joe

 

[murrayatuptown]

multi-reply:

The greyishness might have been me tampering with brightness in Photoshop, I forget.

I forget whether I mentioned it, but I got to the beach at dawn (note the half moon above the lighthouse, but I overexposed a wee bit, so it's brighter than expected), and I couldn't find the tripod adapter (3/8-16 thread on this camera). I dejectedly figured I had put it on another old camera and simply leaned the camera on the tripod. I found the adapter after finishing the roll. That's the kind of luck I have with the Moskva...Murray's Law.

Tape at the film plane is too wavy...I'll do ground glass on the flat part. I take the 6x6 mask out for this.

This lens must have problems, I looked at everything I took with it, and it's all crap. The reality check was simply looking at a few other photos from an Argus C3 and even a Minolta SLR. Grrr..

"Uptown", well, RFF.com has a shorter username field than the other places I logged into. I usually use murrayatuptowngallery, but it cut me off at the 'g'.

Holland MI, not even Uptown, really downtown, but we were always on the edge of downtown, so we decided we were 'uptown', and it 'stuck'.

Thanks for the welcome & advice.

Murray