rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
That much we know!
You may want to be careful with those cameras. Leave em alone unattended for awhile and you might get little Ermies running around
Vince Lupo
Whatever
That much we know!
You may want to be careful with those cameras. Leave em alone unattended for awhile and you might get little Ermies running around
I’ll ask Frank to have this new Ermanox’s tubes tied
carbo73
Well-known
Well, I've been following this topic and journey with increasing GAS in the last few months, that finally this new year, just today, I got my hands into an Ermanox, an f1.8 / 85mm model. I intend to use it, mainly with Jason Lane dry plates (as I have experience with his plates in several other formats).
This one was listed as working, but less that I had hoped. Also came completely alone, even without lens cap. Fortunately I managed to get 3 Ermanox holders from a separate sale, and several other 4,5x6 holders (Goerz, for example, that may not work). But even as the shutter fires, I can't get into the fastest position of the shutter and worse, the tension lever is stuck at position 12 and doest not move, not even in Z or O modes (where it should return to 1 on it's own), that fire as normal speeds, so no ground glass focusing is possible. The release is a bit hard, as it is the focus helical. Oh, and on the curtain there's a tiny string of pinholes close to the metal part.
Even another problem is that the finder has no diopter so composition should be more a guess. In fact I think that the whole finder was taken from another Ernemann, as it has a speeds table completely different and in English (even as the lens is in meters, not feet). There's a correct (and German) table inside the cover of the ground glass, the original one, I presume.
So now I must take this camera for a CLA... or return it in these next two weeks.
Any ideas for a recomended repair, specially if this could be inside the EU? Okvintagecamera in Russia? Or 3rcamera in the US, maybe?
This one was listed as working, but less that I had hoped. Also came completely alone, even without lens cap. Fortunately I managed to get 3 Ermanox holders from a separate sale, and several other 4,5x6 holders (Goerz, for example, that may not work). But even as the shutter fires, I can't get into the fastest position of the shutter and worse, the tension lever is stuck at position 12 and doest not move, not even in Z or O modes (where it should return to 1 on it's own), that fire as normal speeds, so no ground glass focusing is possible. The release is a bit hard, as it is the focus helical. Oh, and on the curtain there's a tiny string of pinholes close to the metal part.
Even another problem is that the finder has no diopter so composition should be more a guess. In fact I think that the whole finder was taken from another Ernemann, as it has a speeds table completely different and in English (even as the lens is in meters, not feet). There's a correct (and German) table inside the cover of the ground glass, the original one, I presume.
So now I must take this camera for a CLA... or return it in these next two weeks.
Any ideas for a recomended repair, specially if this could be inside the EU? Okvintagecamera in Russia? Or 3rcamera in the US, maybe?
Attachments
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Hmm that’s curious about that missing rear sight for the finder. It would definitely help with the framing — incidentally, you hold the camera away from your face about 8-10”. If you look at the view through the ground glass and then compare the view through the Newton finder, that should give you an idea as to how far you should have your face from the back of the camera.
I’d be pretty confident in saying that 99.9% of all the Ermanoxes out there that are available for sale need complete overhauls — new curtains, straps, complete cleanup etc. There is one on eBay now that says it was recently serviced, but may or may not be in your price range.
As far as holders go, the only Goerz ones that I found that fit are those double-sided ones. There is an eBay auction online now for five 4.5x6cm Goerz holders (you’ll know the auction, as one of the holders has two curiously-drilled holes through the back). Those holders do not fit — they are for the Vest Pocket Tenax and are too small. You even have to be careful with 4.5x6cm Ernemann holders — the black ones don’t fit, silver ones do. It seems that things are very specific to certain cameras, and the Ermanox is no exception.
I’m in New Mexico with the Ermanox (um, Ermanox #1) for the month of January — hopefully I’ll make some worthwhile photos!
Loopie in NM by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
carbo73
Well-known
Thanks for the advice, Vince. I see that your Ermanox nr.1 is back again fit for work! Congratulations.
As you say, these are old and complex cameras so I agree most need at least a CLA. I have older cameras, but mostly are much simpler in operation (Folding Kodaks, even Graflex Autos) and I've used them without problem nor CLA.
The few Ermanox offered with a full set of holders or even backs cost much more that I'm willing to pay, at least now, so I will have to try with what I have (3 Ermanox holders, and just maybe a bunch of similar ones).
Still pondering were to send it for an overhaul, all seem so far away from home (near Barcelona)....
As you say, these are old and complex cameras so I agree most need at least a CLA. I have older cameras, but mostly are much simpler in operation (Folding Kodaks, even Graflex Autos) and I've used them without problem nor CLA.
The few Ermanox offered with a full set of holders or even backs cost much more that I'm willing to pay, at least now, so I will have to try with what I have (3 Ermanox holders, and just maybe a bunch of similar ones).
Still pondering were to send it for an overhaul, all seem so far away from home (near Barcelona)....
carbo73
Well-known
Now I've contact both Oleg at Okvintagecamera (Rusia) and Radu at 3rcamera (Florida, US) and I have positive answers from them about repairing my Ermanox. Anyone has references? Both seems to know quite well the Ermanox. I don't know what to do...
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Now I've contact both Oleg at Okvintagecamera (Rusia) and Radu at 3rcamera (Florida, US) and I have positive answers from them about repairing my Ermanox. Anyone has references? Both seems to know quite well the Ermanox. I don't know what to do...
I’ve read favourable reviews of both, but I haven’t used either.
Did either one give you a rough idea of cost (assuming it needed everything done) and turnaround time? I mean if it’s going to be $800 USD and will take nine months, are you willing to go further down that rabbit hole? Or do you send the camera back to the seller and look for another camera that has been serviced? Or do you learn Ermanox camera repair?
carbo73
Well-known
I have a general cost by Oleg and was less than 300 €, including new curtains if needed; time in his site is in some 2-3 weeks, but as a general repair time. That's quite reasonable for me. Radu only stated that he was used to repair Ermanox and how I could send it.Maybe I will try Oleg. Although my only problem then with the camera is the lack of the full viewfinder, but I guess it's maybe not so critical. Other Ermanox out there now are way more expensive or have other issues (focusing scale in meters is important for me, for example, my mind works in meters while guessing focus)
Ambro51
Collector/Photographer
Reading a pre war Leica Manual, several pages are devoted to increasing sensitivity of film (and dry plate I suppose) by mercury vapors in a closed box for a few days. The examples shown exhibit much improved tonality and “look”. Given these techniques, plate speed would double, with better results. This sounds like something that would go hand in hand with this big lens available light camera.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Ambro51
Collector/Photographer
I’m wondering if this is what Saloman done. The mercury isn’t heated, so it should pose no problems.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
No idea how Salomon may have done it. My best solution at the moment for low light shooting is 127 film.
carbo73
Well-known
Well, I did yesterday some first primitive trials with my Ermanox, and, quoting Dr. Frederick Frankenstein jr.... "It's Alive!!!"
The images, in fact are extremely crude, but reasure me that the camera indeed can be used. I have now only a couple of Ernemann black 4,5x6 holders. Not the metallic ones specific for Ermanox. They do not fit completely, but at least work. I used some larger Jason Lane 25ASA plates I have, but I have not much experience cutting glass so the size was quite a guess. They were more or less the correct lenght but not wide enough to fill the space. Also I can't focus with the ground glass, as the T and B modes does not work. So focusing was also a guess. Plates developed with Rodinal.
The images, in fact are extremely crude, but reasure me that the camera indeed can be used. I have now only a couple of Ernemann black 4,5x6 holders. Not the metallic ones specific for Ermanox. They do not fit completely, but at least work. I used some larger Jason Lane 25ASA plates I have, but I have not much experience cutting glass so the size was quite a guess. They were more or less the correct lenght but not wide enough to fill the space. Also I can't focus with the ground glass, as the T and B modes does not work. So focusing was also a guess. Plates developed with Rodinal.
Attachments
ranger9
Well-known
Just don't spill it! From reading old photo magazines, I know that another popular (or at least widely-discussed) technique in the '30s was pre-exposure -- subjecting unexposed film to a weak light source shortly before exposure. The idea was to excite the emulsion to just short of the fogging level, so that it took less light during exposure to push individual grains "over the threshold" to developability. If I remember correctly, the excitation wore off after a few hours, so you had to do it just before you headed off to the concert or international diplomatic conference or whatever.
This was different from "latensification," the technique of subjecting the film to dim light after exposure. Going by faded memories again, latensification was supposedly effective at building up highlight density, which might make underexposed negatives easier to print... but pre-exposure actually increased the film's effective speed and increased the amount of shadow detail.
Old articles described various methods of making a pre-exposure rig and testing the film to find out how much pre-exposure to use (basically you'd turn it up more and more until you saw fog) but I don't recall any of the details. It always sounded like an interesting technique, but I was more interested in practical photography, so if I needed more sensitivity it was easier to just open a can of Acufine or (later) put a roll of T-Max P3200 in the camera... still, back in the '30s and with a camera that used individual film sheets or glass plates, it would have been easy to experiment with...
Vince Lupo
Whatever
chipgreenberg
Well-known
Good to see the fruits of last night's labor!
Vince Lupo
Whatever
I might possibly try running the chemicals through a coffee filter and use spring water next time just to see if there are any changes.
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Fort Craig, San Antonio, New Mexico. J. Lane speed plate.
NM Ermanox2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
In Socorro, New Mexico.
NM Ermanox3 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
NM Ermanox2 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
In Socorro, New Mexico.
NM Ermanox3 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Good to see you shooting with the Ermanox again, Vince! Some nice results.
I've got three-four rolls of film to process, mostly photos from my walks, but I'm feeling too lazy today. I think I'll go for another walk and carry either the Fuji GS645S or the Voigtländer Perkeo II.
G
I've got three-four rolls of film to process, mostly photos from my walks, but I'm feeling too lazy today. I think I'll go for another walk and carry either the Fuji GS645S or the Voigtländer Perkeo II.
G