MrRanger
Rangefinder Jockey
Gentlemen and Ladies
After lurking for a few days and finding an absolute WEALTH of RF information - I have decided to join this marvelous fraternity! It is you people that have whetted my appetite for all thing RF.
I have had cameras off and on for years. The last one I bought new was a Minolta SRT-201 - an absolutely beautiful camera that I still have today. I have played with it off and on but most of the time, it sat on my shelf. It has been resurrected lately when I found a Auto Sears MC 300 tele and a Makinon MC 80-200 tele for next to nothing on you-know-where. While looking at the auctions, I was struck by how so much film orientated equipment seems to have been abandoned for digital. I tried to resist, but I knew I couldn't!
The next acquisition was a Sankyo XL-620 Supertronic Super 8 movie camera. Ahhh, the joys of Kodachrome 40! How can it get any better? How about a Polaroid 360 Land Camera (see my icon) with electronic flash? My first RF and still one of best of the classic Polariod Land Cameras (IMOHO!) That was also my first foray into camera repair - I took apart the flash unit because it wasn't working - cleaned and repowered the unit with Radio Shack recharable batts - and VIOLA! a working rechargeable flash!
Then, it crept up on me! Slowly, silently, pulling me into the dark depths - RANGEFINDERS! OMG! People are USING them! Look at all the neat RFs! Next thing I know, I wake up and I've got a Yashica Electro 35 GN, a Canonet 28, two QL-17's and a Canolite D flash. The 28 was easy - a general cleaning, new battery and twist the apeture ring a few times back and forth to auto - and it works. The Yashica required a little more time, some dis-assembly and a new batt (with a spacer spring) - she's also up and running!
The two QL's were another story, with stuck shutters and diaphrams, gritty apeture rings, I didn't think they were worth saving. But you guys! Ha! You convinced me that I could do it! Armed with info from this site (and others!) I opened the QLs, dis-assembled the lenses, cleaned shutters and RF glass and made some adjustments AND - well, I was able to save one of them! I'm currently runining test shots on all of them and can't wait to see the results!
I just want you all to know that you've got a GREAT site with GREAT people that share information and are so darned nice and knowledgeable! Anyway, sorry to be so long winded, but you have me all pumped up on RFs! I've got another Yashica coming, this time a black GT with accessories and GASP! I'm looking at Russian Rangefinders! Will it never end?
Mike 😀
After lurking for a few days and finding an absolute WEALTH of RF information - I have decided to join this marvelous fraternity! It is you people that have whetted my appetite for all thing RF.
I have had cameras off and on for years. The last one I bought new was a Minolta SRT-201 - an absolutely beautiful camera that I still have today. I have played with it off and on but most of the time, it sat on my shelf. It has been resurrected lately when I found a Auto Sears MC 300 tele and a Makinon MC 80-200 tele for next to nothing on you-know-where. While looking at the auctions, I was struck by how so much film orientated equipment seems to have been abandoned for digital. I tried to resist, but I knew I couldn't!
The next acquisition was a Sankyo XL-620 Supertronic Super 8 movie camera. Ahhh, the joys of Kodachrome 40! How can it get any better? How about a Polaroid 360 Land Camera (see my icon) with electronic flash? My first RF and still one of best of the classic Polariod Land Cameras (IMOHO!) That was also my first foray into camera repair - I took apart the flash unit because it wasn't working - cleaned and repowered the unit with Radio Shack recharable batts - and VIOLA! a working rechargeable flash!
Then, it crept up on me! Slowly, silently, pulling me into the dark depths - RANGEFINDERS! OMG! People are USING them! Look at all the neat RFs! Next thing I know, I wake up and I've got a Yashica Electro 35 GN, a Canonet 28, two QL-17's and a Canolite D flash. The 28 was easy - a general cleaning, new battery and twist the apeture ring a few times back and forth to auto - and it works. The Yashica required a little more time, some dis-assembly and a new batt (with a spacer spring) - she's also up and running!
The two QL's were another story, with stuck shutters and diaphrams, gritty apeture rings, I didn't think they were worth saving. But you guys! Ha! You convinced me that I could do it! Armed with info from this site (and others!) I opened the QLs, dis-assembled the lenses, cleaned shutters and RF glass and made some adjustments AND - well, I was able to save one of them! I'm currently runining test shots on all of them and can't wait to see the results!
I just want you all to know that you've got a GREAT site with GREAT people that share information and are so darned nice and knowledgeable! Anyway, sorry to be so long winded, but you have me all pumped up on RFs! I've got another Yashica coming, this time a black GT with accessories and GASP! I'm looking at Russian Rangefinders! Will it never end?
Mike 😀
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