Kodak Ektra accessory finders

[Dez]

I recently took a big chance and bought a Kodak Ektra on ebay. For once I got lucky, as everything is working well (including the notorious shutter), and cosmetically, it is the best Ektra I have ever seen. I did need to lubricate the sticky gear train for the front focusing wheel, and clean out ancient congealed grease that was making the aperture ring bind, but now that this minor work is done everything is smooth as silk. The camera body showed no signs of ever being serviced, and I suspect it has spent 70 years in a drawer somewhere.

A few days ago I found an ebay listing for the very scarce close focus finder for the 50mm lens, and like an idiot, I did not click on the reasonable $149 "Buy it Now" link, but submitted an offer. Within an hour someone else had bought it. 🙁

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Dez]

I guess I was really an idiot for not jumping on the ebay one for $149.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[farlymac]

Dez, anytime you get a camera like an Ektra and start looking for accessories, it's usually best to jump at what you come across first because of the rarity of them. Of course, after a little searching just in case someone has another at a lower price. But I don't think you'll find a lot of Ektra accessories floating around. I rarely even see an Ektra for sale, and when I do, they are always too rich for my blood. Saw one zoom up in price tenfold in the last two minutes of bidding. At least you got a good working unit.

PF

 

[Dez]

Yes, the accessories have a scarcity on a par with honest politicians.

I did get lucky a few days ago though. There was a cosmetically near mint 135 lens on ebay that I managed to buy for ~$280 as the focusing mount would not move, jammed at infinity, and there were internal spots on the rear element group. The spots just wiped off and the glass is now perfect, but the focus mount was an absolute swine to take apart. It took me five hours of struggling to get everything right. These lenses are made to tighter tolerances than anything I have ever seen before, pieces had to be offered up absolutely precisely before they would go together, and the focus helix has eight starts. A horrible job, but now I have a late Ektar 135 from 1947, and therefore coated on all surfaces, that I could almost convince myself is new old stock.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[farlymac]

You're on your way to a full outfit now. Congrats!

PF

 

[Luddite Frank]

Please share some pictures of and from your Ektra...

I came close to acquiring one a year or so ago, but the price put me off...

Luddite Frank

 

[furcafe]

Welcome to the Ektra club! I've been using 1 for 3 years now after lucking out like you by finding a fully operational body on eBay (last serviced in 1968). The 2 slowest shutter speeds have started to get a little erratic lately, but it's been a good run. The only lens I don't have is the elusive 153, but that would only end up as a shelf queen since I hardly ever shoot longer than 90.

Photos taken w/the camera + various Ektars here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/eastmankodakektrac194041/

As far as the close-focus adapter, I have a couple that I picked up over the years (came w/various other kits, lenses, odds & ends). The problem w/them is that plastic (?) VF windows have yellowed over time & would need to be replaced to make them usable.

I recently took a big chance and bought a Kodak Ektra on ebay. For once I got lucky, as everything is working well (including the notorious shutter), and cosmetically, it is the best Ektra I have ever seen. I did need to lubricate the sticky gear train for the front focusing wheel, and clean out ancient congealed grease that was making the aperture ring bind, but now that this minor work is done everything is smooth as silk. The camera body showed no signs of ever being serviced, and I suspect it has spent 70 years in a drawer somewhere.

A few days ago I found an ebay listing for the very scarce close focus finder for the 50mm lens, and like an idiot, I did not click on the reasonable $149 "Buy it Now" link, but submitted an offer. Within an hour someone else had bought it. 🙁

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Dez]

You have some very nice shots there. You obviously have the knack for capturing the instant.

If you have a number of close focus rangefinders, would you be interested in selling one of them? I suspect it would be a fairly simple repair to replace the windows with something like a slide glass.

Cheers,
Dez