Koni Omega - any tips ?

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There is only one design flaw I could find on these beasts:
there is no locking or "measure" of the advance by the camera, meaning that you can partially advance the film at any time. The advance bolt gets sometimes caught in things, pulled out and back in resulting in a partial advance, a very large interframe gap, and a 10th frame falling out of the film.
Other than that, they are too heavy, the focus is limited and the shutter release not really ergonomic.
The good thing is that they are a super deal for a 6x7 system camera with high quality glass. If I had the money for the very light use I put in MF, I would gladely have a Mamiya 7, but meanwhile....
One more thing: Some light leaks come from the foam around the contact area between the camera body and the back, and not from the back itself. Easy fix...
 
I also got a Rapid Omega 100 recently. The viewfinder was really murky and the parallax correction wasn't working, so I popped off the cover (three screws) and carefully cleaned all the surfaces and fixed the parallax issue. I highly recommend cleaning the viewfinder/rangefinder surfaces--it makes a huge difference. My viewfinder is crisp and clear now with a sharp RF spot.

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BarryS said:
I also got a Rapid Omega 100 recently. The viewfinder was really murky and the parallax correction wasn't working, so I popped off the cover (three screws) and carefully cleaned all the surfaces and fixed the parallax issue. I highly recommend cleaning the viewfinder/rangefinder surfaces--it makes a huge difference. My viewfinder is crisp and clear now with a sharp RF spot.
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very helpful tips...couldn't wait for mine, a M
 
My viewfinder has a lot of dust, but to get inside I'll probably have to drill out a knackered screw. Not looked for the third screw yet - where is it ?
 
The third screw is exposed by removing the film back. Unfortunately screws with mangled heads are an occupational hazard of buying great old cameras--but I don't let them stop me. Do what you have to do to get it out. Once you get the top cover off, there's a thin sheet metal housing over the front viewfinder assembly--it removes easily with one or two screws.

I took my Koni out today and it sort of surprises me by how easy it is to use. It's an ugly bird, but in no way is it a fussy camera. I love using my 60mm and its beautiful external viewfinder. It fits beautifully in my Domke F3-X canvas bag--the Koni doesn't need much padding around it.
 
IK13 said:
If there is one, then I don't know it.

Out of the 3 backs that I had, one came with a plastic cover.
I suppose you can take the magazine out, walk into a dark room, remove the slide, put the plastic cover and type the edges (with black electrical tape).
But that's not a trick, it's... inconvenience...
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I've never tried it, but it may be possible to make a dark slide from a 4x5 sheet film holder. I don't know if it would be too thick or not. Cutting it would probably have to be done by a machine shop to keep the edges straight.
 
Got my first negs back from this camera - no light leaks or frame-spacing issues :) The negs look sharp with decent contrast and shadow detail - I'll have to scan some and post the better results :)
 
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