Horizont...

[stephane]

I know... It's not a rangefinder camera...
But I don't where to ask my questions about it.
And I can't find any decent technical site about it...

If somebody knows a forum about it, an expert, or a site with technical photos, diagrams.... I will go to get info there... In the meantime I will explain my problem here.

I have to dismount the camera to fix a problem.
There is a slit which is "open" to take the photo and "closed when you cock the camera... (a little pannel comes into closing the slit...)

The camera has a problem on that... Sometimes (quite often), the pannel doesn't close the slit... So if I use it this way, it ruins the negativ... (gets light on it when I cock the camera...)

Has anybody any idea how to solve that ?

Thankssssssssss lotz & lotz...

Stéphane

 

[raid]

I just got a Horizon 202, and it does the same. There is always a small slit open at the side. Is this then a problem ?

 

[akalai]

Stéphane the only site I have found that shows any repairs of a Horizont is this one:

http://www.ncf.ca/~ac210/photography/horizont.html

...and this is for the earlier all metal Horizont, the one from 1967-1973, but it may still be of use if you have a Horizon 202. <actually I am not sure which one you have>

I recently got one of the older metal Horizont cameras and just now quickly opening the back and firing it a few times I can see the problem you are having. Luckily mine works properly 100% of the time, the slit is "closed" when advancing the film and cocking the shutter and only "opens" when the lens rotates to take an exposure.

If you are unable to find someone locally to fix your camera perhaps you can try Oleg at:

http://www.okvintagecamera.com/

...he is a pretty well respected Russian camera repair guy and can be contacted via email, just have a look at his webpage.

Good Luck and let us know what happens!

Akalai

 

[raid]

Stéphane the only site I have found that shows any repairs of a Horizont is this one:

http://www.ncf.ca/~ac210/photography/horizont.html

...and this is for the earlier all metal Horizont, the one from 1967-1973, but it may still be of use if you have a Horizon 202. <actually I am not sure which one you have>

I recently got one of the older metal Horizont cameras and just now quickly opening the back and firing it a few times I can see the problem you are having. Luckily mine works properly 100% of the time, the slit is "closed" when advancing the film and cocking the shutter and only "opens" when the lens rotates to take an exposure.

If you are unable to find someone locally to fix your camera perhaps you can try Oleg at:

http://www.okvintagecamera.com/

...he is a pretty well respected Russian camera repair guy and can be contacted via email, just have a look at his webpage.

Good Luck and let us know what happens!

Akalai

Akalai,
When looking at my Horizon 202 from the front, there is a small slit open to show the lens. Is this OK or should the lens be fully covered when no photo is being taken, to protect the lens?

 

[akalai]

Hi Raid...

While I don't have the 202 what you are describing sounds normal to me. My "Horizont" is the same and as far as I know the actual rotating barrel in both cameras is very similar if not the same.

The problem that Stéphane is describing is occuring between the lens and the film and you have to open the back of your camera to see this...actually it doesn't hurt I think to try it a few times to see how this camera actually operates.

The slit in the rear of the rotating barrel increases/decreases in size depending on the shutter speed you choose, and the barrel rotates at a uniform (hopefully) speed when you fire the shutter expsoing your film. If like Stéphane your camera doesn't close this slit after the exposure the film will be exposed to excess light as you go to wind on another frame as the lens barrel rotates back to it's starting position.

Hope that's right...and is of some help! 😀

Akalai

 

[raid]

Hi Raid...

While I don't have the 202 what you are describing sounds normal to me. My "Horizont" is the same and as far as I know the actual rotating barrel in both cameras is very similar if not the same.

The problem that Stéphane is describing is occuring between the lens and the film and you have to open the back of your camera to see this...actually it doesn't hurt I think to try it a few times to see how this camera actually operates.

The slit in the rear of the rotating barrel increases/decreases in size depending on the shutter speed you choose, and the barrel rotates at a uniform (hopefully) speed when you fire the shutter expsoing your film. If like Stéphane your camera doesn't close this slit after the exposure the film will be exposed to excess light as you go to wind on another frame as the lens barrel rotates back to it's starting position.

Hope that's right...and is of some help! 😀

Akalai

Hi Akalia,
Thanks for the decsription of the case. In my situation is is different and maybe normal. The lens is not fully covered at any time. The slit always shows from the front.

 

[stephane]

ok ok, I see the subject of the HorizonT is finally appreciated around here 🙄

The site you found Akalai is really great... I had second thoughts about putting the turret out because of the main spring, and now I feel confident about.

Well, the HorizonT is quite a machinery ! Russian style !

Unfortunately, I bought my camera from Oleg, he told me it was fully functionnal. I don't think he even checked it. The camera was sold "AS IS" because of a crack in the viewfinder (if anyone knows where I can find a clean one, I'm ready to buy it as soon as I hear about it). But I did ask Oleg if the camera had any other problem and he told me that it was working, so... When I opened the camera, it was evident that it had never been CLA'd. The one thing is that the camera was very cheap compared to the market price... (90$+25$ shipping)

The problem is of a serie of little knobs that either block or release the "shutter" (well it has the function of a shutter...). Mine doesn't release the shutter correctly. Gets sticky and just stays stuck. I'm going to find a way to solve it... A bit of brainstorming should do it...

:bang: 😉

 

[Steve George]

Hi there.

Mine always shows a slit open at the front...it has a different problem though (and one I have no idea how to fix) it's stuck with only 1 fast speed and 1 slow speed, whatever it is set to.

When the light / film is right for those speeds though I love the slides I get back!

Hmm!

 

[stephane]

Steve, There is a mecanism which controls the "speed"... Indeed, it is not the speed taht is controled, the speed of the rotation is always the same.

So that this confusion cease : THE FRONT SLIT IS ALWAYS OPENED (it's NORMAL)

We are talking about the slit IN the camera, negative side of the camera.

Steve, this is this slit that controls the "speed".

Go to this site : http://www.ncf.ca/~ac210/photography/horizont.html

There is a small apparatus seen in the seventh photo : there is a pack of three apparatus on the large cogwheel. The up and left one is the one that concerns us. It has four notches. Each one defines an apperture of the back slit and consequently, the differents "speeds" of the camera...
I don't know what the fourth position on the speed dial is (B or T?).

These notches are combined to a locking system composed of a flexible metallic shank that just snaps from one to another while you turn the speed dial...

To know what happens in your HorizonT you have to go into mechanism...
Hope you like to discover the inside truth of ypur camera... 😉

good luck !

 

[akalai]

There is a small apparatus seen in the seventh photo : there is a pack of three apparatus on the large cogwheel. The up and left one is the one that concerns us. It has four notches. Each one defines an apperture of the back slit and consequently, the differents "speeds" of the camera...
I don't know what the fourth position on the speed dial is (B or T?).

...the fourth "speed" position is for 1/250sec, some cameras have this "250" marked on the shutter speed dial, others just have a "dot" which represents 1/250sec. So the four speeds are 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250.

 

[raid]

My Horizon model has more speeds than mentioned below.

"...the fourth "speed" position is for 1/250sec, some cameras have this "250" marked on the shutter speed dial, others just have a "dot" which represents 1/250sec. So the four speeds are 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250."

 

[akalai]

Yes Raid, that is because you have a "Horizon 202" while Stéphane and I have the earlier "Horizont!"

 

[raid]

That's true. I paid $190 (includes shipping) for a new one in the box. Someone bought it, and did not use it and sold it. Since the swing lens is spring loaded, I decided to get a new camera. The Horizont should sell for less than that.

 

[stephane]

That's true. I paid $190 (includes shipping) for a new one in the box. Someone bought it, and did not use it and sold it. Since the swing lens is spring loaded, I decided to get a new camera. The Horizont should sell for less than that.

What do you mean ? You think that the spring can deteriorate with time ? Or you are selling your Horizon 202 because it was owned by someone before ?

The horizonT is completely made out of metallic part, so the price might be different. In addition, it is vintage, which gives it a "touch"...
It is clear that the functions seem a bit more limited than on the 202... But sometime I get sentimental with old mechanism...

I would dream about a widelux !! it is a piece of art in itself...

 

[raid]

stephane: The Horizon 202 is on the outsdie plastic but has an aluminum shell inside, so it is also very well built. I do not want to sell the Horizon; I just bought it. I was referring to the sping loaded mechanism that is not as accurate as the one based on an electric motor, such as in the Widelux. It seems logical to expect the spring to age and the winding to lose its precision after years of use. That's why a new camera may be better in this situation.