How smooth is your wind on? - Contax ll

[Kevcaster]

Hi All
With the help of you good folks, I have restored two Contax ll over the past months. One is fully operational - even 1/1250, yes! One caps at 1/1250 otherwise it works fine. Both have replacement lower curtain rollers supplied as (Kiev) parts from the Ukraine, new Aki Asahi ribbons and hopefully will be good for another 20 years.
I have two questions about the wind on which is lumpy below 1/125th on both cameras becoming progressively more lumpy until it reaches B. How smooth should it be and what might be the issue with these?

The second question is about setting the 1/50th. If I go down to 1/50th from 1/125th the escapement does not engage, if I go up from 1/25th up to 1/50th the escapement engages. When I go down from 1/125th and go beyond 1/50th and return to it - the escapement engages. What is, or is not, happening here?

The speeds all work at decent accuracy - not 1/4 stop but within 1/2 - 1/3rd stop.

Highway 61 - look away now



Zeiss Contax ll recovered in brown goatskin by knjy, on Flickr

The leathers were in poor condition so I re-covered in brown kidskin. I rather like the result. Highway 61 - if you looked this far then I kept the old leathers for possible restoration later.

All help very welcome
Kevin

 

[Highway 61]

I have two questions about the wind on which is lumpy below 1/125th on both cameras becoming progressively more lumpy until it reaches B. How smooth should it be and what might be the issue with these?

It cannot be smooth, because the more you decrease the shutter speed (from 1/125 to B), the more you will enroll the upper shutter curtain (and its drivetrain) when you wind.

The second question is about setting the 1/50th. If I go down to 1/50th from 1/125th the escapement does not engage, if I go up from 1/25th up to 1/50th the escapement engages. When I go down from 1/125th and go beyond 1/50th and return to it - the escapement engages. What is, or is not, happening here?

This : http://www3.telus.net/public/rpnchbck/changing shutter speeds.html

The remedy : cleaning thoroughly the escapement actuator (B) shaft (at the circlip point) so that the actuator is free and snappy under your fingers.

😉

 

[Kevcaster]

OK Highway 61, got it. Great guidance from you as always.

I did not pay specific attention to this area and so it will need more work.
I think will use these for a while before I strip them again. The great thing about these cameras is that the whole shutter crate comes out easily without too many hours of work and in the cold winter evenings is quite enjoyable. Thanks again, best to you
Kevin

 

[B-9]

Total eye candy, I've been wanting to restore a Contax II for a while now, but I always find something else to do. Great looking camera!

 

[Highway 61]

By the way Kevin, what threads size for that filter at the center of the Tessar ? 19mm ? 😉

 

[Kevcaster]

The thread size is 25.5mm, not the most common. I discovered on the web that the accessories for the Pentax 110 used this size and so the filter you see is a genuine Pentax item. I have not yet found a Pentax 110 lens hood and think that i will not bother as the filter ring is quite deep and provides some shade. I imagine that two filters in series, one with the glass removed would be perfect.

 

[Highway 61]

Thanks ! I have a bunch of old B+W filters in a box and there might be some 25.5mm filters in there...

As for the lens hood : the Tessar takes an A42 push-on type hood ; example : eBay 281498555701 or anything similar, albeit not made by Zeiss (the original Zeiss one made in the 1930s has become darn expensive now).

 

[Kevcaster]

Hi Highway 61 Thanks for that eBay info, I bought that item!

I had a quick look at the Contax this morning and found the escapements 'snappy' as you described. The problem appears to be that the cam disc (Item D on the Kiev Survival Site) that invokes the lever you mentioned has been adjusted incorrectly, or maybe slipped with use. It is clear when set to B that the cam follower rests at the wrong end of the high spot on the cam ridge according to Maizenberg's drawings.
The disc appears to be held on by the screw that sits above it, I tried to ease this but it is very tight - is this the correct route? I guess the other cam surface that sits below it gets carried along and may have to be reset additionally. The adventure continues ...

 

[Kevcaster]

Ok I figured out the basics, the cam is adjustable. I think there is just too much play in the system on this camera and I also suspect that the shutter synchronisation may be one tooth out - I'm not going there again.

Thanks always, for the help
Kevin

 

[Highway 61]

(...) the shutter synchronisation may be one tooth out (...)

My first thoughts about it actually.

 

[Kevcaster]

Phew!
I re-synced the shutter and now have it correct according to all the various sources. I ended up using Maizenberg's personal method setting the speed to 1/1250. It has given me hours of fun and i hope I never do this again.
It required a little after-adjustment by releasing drum shaft and pulling it out about half way, moving the drum out of engagement and slipping the main gear forward a notch - not quite there - the same again for another notch. This is possible and can be used whatever method you choose to re-sync a Contaxll/lll shutter. The drum can be dis-engaged and adjustments made without releasing the the whole caboodle and starting from scratch. I post this for information.

The irony is that I still do not have the correct engagement of all the escapements and the 1/1250 caps. So I am considering this camera as good as I can get it. All the other speeds are good enough and all other functions are to spec.

 

[Kevcaster]

Lens Hood Tessar

Lens Hood Tessar

As for the lens hood : the Tessar takes an A42 push-on type hood ; example : eBay 281498555701 or anything similar, albeit not made by Zeiss (

Thanks Highway 61 for this info. I bought this and fitted it today - Wow it makes the Tessar a joy to use!
Kevin

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Congratulations. I rate the Contax II and Voigtlander Prominent as the two most beautiful rangefinders ever made and hope to own an example of each one day. The Contax must be one of the most challenging RF mechanisms ever made to successfully repair so you've done well. It gives me hope that should I acquire one myself one day I may be able to get it running as well.
Cheers
Brett

 

[Kevcaster]

More on this. I am becoming quite good at syncing a Contax shutter, something I thought I might never say. I use Maizenberg's method of syncing at 1/1250th to install the roller and then check against Rick Oleson's picture of the main gear position at 1/10th and adjust tooth by tooth, by withdrawing the roller shaft to half way and clicking the gears around while they are just unmeshed.

The problem with this shutter crate was twofold: The original roller was worn and introduced too much play into the system, the escapements would not trigger correctly. The cam that moves the escapement lever was slightly out of adjustment.

I replaced the top curtain with a Kiev unit and adjusted the cam - as I had to snip the tapes I put new ones in and put a Kiev bottom curtain in. I did this as the leathers were worn and the shutter blinds drifted from side to side. This is a problem when taking vertical pictures, the blinds could drop sideways and foul the mechanisms. All the escapements now work when they should.

Final tweaking of clutches and catches to be done, they are very worn and not quite right - yet.

 

[Highway 61]

More on this. I am becoming quite good at syncing a Contax shutter, something I thought I might never say. I use Maizenberg's method of syncing at 1/1250th to install the roller and then check against Rick Oleson's picture of the main gear position at 1/10th and adjust tooth by tooth, by withdrawing the roller shaft to half way and clicking the gears around while they are just unmeshed.

The problem with this shutter crate was twofold: The original roller was worn and introduced too much play into the system, the escapements would not trigger correctly. The cam that moves the escapement lever was slightly out of adjustment.

I replaced the top curtain with a Kiev unit and adjusted the cam - as I had to snip the tapes I put new ones in and put a Kiev bottom curtain in. I did this as the leathers were worn and the shutter blinds drifted from side to side. This is a problem when taking vertical pictures, the blinds could drop sideways and foul the mechanisms. All the escapements now work when they should.

Final tweaking of clutches and catches to be done, they are very worn and not quite right - yet.

This is why, some years ago, when I completed the total overhaul of my sparkling Contax II made in 1938 (which required the same amount of teardown and re-build work as yours, albeit without the sync. issues you had to bravely face up), I shot one roll with it to make sure it was working as it should (and yes it was 100%) then carefully stored it in a dry box, then went ahead using my Nikon RF bodies for my daily shooting (and I shoot quite a lot of Tri-X rolls a month, so, as much as I love my Contax II for its historical and sentimental value, I'd rather not use a cantankerous camera prone to drive me nuts once and again).

 

[Kevcaster]

a cantankerous camera prone to drive me nuts once and again

Yes I fully understand this! You kindly sent me the pictures of your work some time ago, it was beautifully done.

Kevin