Iskra Picture Gallery

[WoodallP]

Hi,
I looked up some of your previous posts and saw his name and a link so I have already contacted Sandeha. He is not doing custom work now and said he tried a Super Isolette once and was not happy with the design. Too bad since he has reasonable prices. I imagine like some good craftsmen he is winding down his work as time goes on. Speaking of that your work on bellows is impressive from what I can see! I am going to take Brambling's advice and try repairing the bellows and work on the other light leaks in a systematic manner, then if necessary look at options like buying from China or making my own, since the instructions I found linked in your thread are pretty complete. It is really just a matter of time and energy allocation for me.

Ron

Hi, some of my old posts were a bit flippant 😊 and were written before I managed to make my own bellows. Replacement is always better but patching is good if the damage is clear. Most of my experience is with Isolettes which had a particular problem due to bad bellows material that leaked everwhere but with most other cameras it is simple wear in particular places. At the end of the day folding is a convenience but not essential. The Chinese bellows I tried were good but quite thin, though light tight; my own are too thick 🙁 I’m just sorry I don’t have any experience with bellows changes on this camera .

 

[oldhaven]

Well I will try not to take up any more off topic space in this Iskra photo gallery. I’ll do my best with a step by step approach and see what happens. After looking at the inaccessibility of the fasteners at the bottom of the inner bellows it is scaring me off from changing the bellows anyway. I’ll report results at some point to pay you all back for the help.

 

[oldhaven]

Just to close out the topic of light leaks I was experiencing in June, I seem to have solved the problem. Using a systematic approach I did the following:
1. Fixed a loose latching mechanism that was not allowing the rear door to completely seal. The catch mount in the body was bent and some discreet tapping straightened it out
2. Applied more black velvet sealing tape in the film cavities where the metal seams are.
3. Fixed a pinhole in the bellows. I used Tulip fabric paint and it did a great job.
4. applied black wool yarn in the recesses of the back cover.
5. Taped outside front seams temporarily
6. Taped outside rear seams temporarily

I shot a roll of cheap film taking a couple of shots between each step. The result indicated that the bellows pinhole and the internal velvet tape in the film cavities did the most good. The outside taping was not necessary. The leaks disappeared except for a haze on the right side of the developed pictures.

I bought a box of 25 small led battery lights and put 4 of them in the camera and closed it up. In a dark room I could see a glow deep in the front of the opened camera alongside where the bellows attached at one side. This was the leak causing the remaining haze. I applied Tulip fabric paint in this seam all around the edge of the bellows io body joint on the inside. Another roll of film and I am very happy with the result. This Iskra came from Pennsylvania had been given the ruby window mod, and the film advance mechanism is removed by a previous owner. I now feel I can confidently shoot more expensive film. Thanks again to those who suggested repairs.


This is before the repairs

This is after the repairs

 

[oldhaven]

I also just got another Iskra from Kazakhstan. This one was being sold for parts and was very inexpensive. The leatherette covering was coming off and the door latch for the lens and bellows was not working. It has a red P lens and the mechanism was smooth and functioned fully, but it looks kind of sad. It has been nicely modified for 6 x 4.5 pictures and the film auto advance mechanism modified to manual with a ruby window modification. After fixing the door latch and cleaning it up a bit I shot a roll of Gold 200 in it for a test. I am very pleasantly surprised. This camera takes great photos. The rangefinder is right on, the focus is great, and it gives a nice effect to the to the photos that I would not call soft, but just makes them pleasant to look at. Someone obviously spent a lot of time getting this one set up just right, then it must have gone to someone else who knocked it around a bit. When you get a good Iskra, even if it looks rough, it can be pretty special.

Some examples from this one:


Here is the way the 645 mod was done:

 

[Brambling]

Just to close out the topic of light leaks I was experiencing in June, I seem to have solved the problem. Using a systematic approach I did the following:
1. Fixed a loose latching mechanism that was not allowing the rear door to completely seal. The catch mount in the body was bent and some discreet tapping straightened it out
2. Applied more black velvet sealing tape in the film cavities where the metal seams are.
3. Fixed a pinhole in the bellows. I used Tulip fabric paint and it did a great job.
4. applied black wool yarn in the recesses of the back cover.
5. Taped outside front seams temporarily
6. Taped outside rear seams temporarily

I shot a roll of cheap film taking a couple of shots between each step. The result indicated that the bellows pinhole and the internal velvet tape in the film cavities did the most good. The outside taping was not necessary. The leaks disappeared except for a haze on the right side of the developed pictures.

I bought a box of 25 small led battery lights and put 4 of them in the camera and closed it up. In a dark room I could see a glow deep in the front of the opened camera alongside where the bellows attached at one side. This was the leak causing the remaining haze. I applied Tulip fabric paint in this seam all around the edge of the bellows io body joint on the inside. Another roll of film and I am very happy with the result. This Iskra came from Pennsylvania had been given the ruby window mod, and the film advance mechanism is removed by a previous owner. I now feel I can confidently shoot more expensive film. Thanks again to those who suggested repairs.


This is before the repairs
View attachment 4843109
This is after the repairs
View attachment 4843110

I thank you for your persistence on the way to the goal, you have made all the readers of this topic happy!

 

[oldhaven]

I am pleased to have put one more of these back in service, and I am quite happy myself. Chasing these things can be very frustrating. I am afraid I went a bit overboard with Iskras. I have six now and with these repairs, 4 of them work well. The other two are good for parts. I notice the price of Iskras on the auction site has gone up and I hope I did not cause a one man inflation craze, but all but two of mine were under 90 US dollars, plus a bit of shipping. I really like the photos they take. Cheap thrills by my account.

 

[Joao]

Iskra, Fomapan 100, Rodinal

 

[Joao]

Iskra, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+50

Boats

white boat by João Avelar, on Flickr



Wall

wall by João Avelar, on Flickr

 

[Joao]

Iskra, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal

River port by João Avelar, on Flickr



Low tide by João Avelar, on Flickr

 

[Brambling]

Iskra, aviphot 400 as 200, 2019

 

[Brambling]

Iskra, film tasma type 42 almost fresh), 2022

 

[Mark240590]

Shot on Bones Experimental film. Rated 400 developed in Rodinal

 

[Mark240590]

IKSRA 2 - Ektar 100

 

[Retro-Grouch]

View attachment 4850035

IKSRA 2 - Ektar 100

This looks frighteningly like my math teacher in tenth grade.

 

[Brambling]

Iskra, aviphot 400 as 50, 2025

 

[BernardL]

Iskra, aviphot 400 as 50, 2025

Nice picture ; Congratulations !
Slightly puzzled by the 50 rating of aviphot. The "vibrant" look of the image looks like expansion. I mean, fairly high contrast negative, either just the aviphot or extended development. Can you please elaborate?

 

[Brambling]

Nice picture ; Congratulations !
Slightly puzzled by the 50 rating of aviphot. The "vibrant" look of the image looks like expansion. I mean, fairly high contrast negative, either just the aviphot or extended development. Can you please elaborate?

This is already too old film, from 2018, but the light is very contrasty.
and not a very successful manifestation - too much contrast.

 

[Joao]

Iskra, Fomapan 100 in HC-110

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Iskra, Fomapan 100 in HC-110

View attachment 4858330


View attachment 4858331

You're getting wonderful tonalities with this combination, and not just the film/developer, but the Iskra itself. I see strong similarities to the look you get, even when I shoot color. There is some kind of magic to that Industar, even if it's "just" a Tessar formula, and others have remarked upon it as well. I do wonder what the secret sauce was in this lens!

 

[Brambling]

You're getting wonderful tonalities with this combination, and not just the film/developer, but the Iskra itself. I see strong similarities to the look you get, even when I shoot color. There is some kind of magic to that Industar, even if it's "just" a Tessar formula, and others have remarked upon it as well. I do wonder what the secret sauce was in this lens!

simple mysticism and a little bit of magic and also good hands and good intentions! 🙂