Need Medalist CLA recommendation

wwfloyd

wwfloyd

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Hi All,

I've landed on this forum several times in the past few years, as I've bought some 1950-70s Japanese, fixed lens rangefinders for my collection. I've shot with some of them. So far, the Canon QL17 GIII, Konica Auto S3, and Olympus 35RC have produced the best results. Heh, can only shoot the Auto S3 wide open, since the electronics don't work, but, it's very pleasing, when the light can be managed.

More recently, I have added a Rapid Omega 100, Mamiya Super 23, and Kodak Medalist II, all, as yet, untested. I do plan to shoot with them, at some point.

I am in need of a recommendation for someone to CLA the Medalist. There are lots of old references to Ken Ruth at Bald Mountain. Since he's retired, I would like to know who is now highly recommended for Medalist work.

I started with BW 35mm film in the 80s, doing college and small town news/sports photography. Shifted into teaching, and did not pick up a camera for 16 or so years. I missed the control and low cost of darkroom work. Eventually started up again, advising high school yearbook classes, and shot more sports and events with Canon D2000, and original Canon 1D.

I'm now retired. My primary camera is a 1D Mk IV, and I usually have a couple of Panasonic Lumix digicams, as well. This past year, I got back into shooting BW film, since it's nice to take the collectibles out for some exposure.

Thanks,

-- wwfloyd

Here's one from the S3 Auto, f1.8 on T-Max 100. Should be 1024 wide -- not sure what the forum or your browser may do to it.
45982654172_9d15a0432a_b.jpg
 
Finding someone to service the Medalist II will be a challenge I would think. Tried the same thing a couple of years ago and came up empty, after Ken Ruth retired. Finally found the service manuals online (I think I may have had to pay for them) and serviced my Medalist II myself.

Best,
-Tim
 
wwfloyd said:
Hi All,

I've landed on this forum several times in the past few years, as I've bought some 1950-70s Japanese, fixed lens rangefinders for my collection. I've shot with some of them. So far, the Canon QL17 GIII, Konica Auto S3, and Olympus 35RC have produced the best results. Heh, can only shoot the Auto S3 wide open, since the electronics don't work, but, it's very pleasing, when the light can be managed.

More recently, I have added a Rapid Omega 100, Mamiya Super 23, and Kodak Medalist II, all, as yet, untested. I do plan to shoot with them, at some point.

I am in need of a recommendation for someone to CLA the Medalist. There are lots of old references to Ken Ruth at Bald Mountain. Since he's retired, I would like to know who is now highly recommended for Medalist work.

I started with BW 35mm film in the 80s, doing college and small town news/sports photography. Shifted into teaching, and did not pick up a camera for 16 or so years. I missed the control and low cost of darkroom work. Eventually started up again, advising high school yearbook classes, and shot more sports and events with Canon D2000, and original Canon 1D.

I'm now retired. My primary camera is a 1D Mk IV, and I usually have a couple of Panasonic Lumix digicams, as well. This past year, I got back into shooting BW film, since it's nice to take the collectibles out for some exposure.

Thanks,

-- wwfloyd

Here's one from the S3 Auto, f1.8 on T-Max 100. Should be 1024 wide -- not sure what the forum or your browser may do to it.
45982654172_9d15a0432a_b.jpg
Click to expand...

Welcome wwfloyd! I hope you enjoy your time here.

For the CLA I would check out Ross Yerkes in Los Angeles, California. He was an official Kodak Repairman for many years, and is a specialist in Retinas. He is still also a Kowa dealer, so knows medium format. He has CLA'd a Contax IIA, repaired a Retina Reflex IV, and CLA'd an M42 Zeiss Ultron lens for me, all successfully and at reasonable cost.
 
Beemermark said:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KODAK-MEDA...678351?hash=item23b478e98f:g:WR8AAOSw8R9ai17A

Did my Medalist II and I was very happy. He's been offering this service on eBay for quite awhile and I don't think he does anything else.
Click to expand...

Thank you Beemermark! I not only got the recent recommendation I was hoping for, but, 10 in all, as there are that many satisfied Medalist owners reporting in the Ebay feedback.

I have sent the guy an inquiry, for the one unusual problem that would complicate CLA on my Medalist: one of the rivets holding on the pressure plate is gone.

I appreciate all of the welcome notes. Ross Yerkes looks like a good reference to have, as well. I had looked at Blue Moon's web page recently. While they did invite inquiry for specific cameras, the list of cameras they presented for service was all 35mm SLR... did not give me a good feeling for the Medalist.


EDIT: I am a member of another forum that use this same software. I have to come back and remove double or triple line spaces on both sites. Not sure if it's just my Firefox on Linux, or, if everyone gets the same.
 
First pics from Medalist II

First pics from Medalist II

I got the Medalist back, after CLA. Below are my first 3 shots. As I was working on the leaky dam shot, I added a filter, and was going to do some longer bulb exposures. Oops... found that B was not working properly, and blew the last few frames messing with it. Bennfoto is going to take another run at the camera.

Editing big scans is bringing my computer to knees! HP5+ scanned at 3200 setting on Epson v550.

Leaky dam by wwfloyd, on Flickr


Tube shack by wwfloyd, on Flickr


Pond reflection by wwfloyd, on Flickr
 
Welcome, and thanks for posting the pictures!
- would be nice to see a picture of your Medalist, when you get the time 🙂
 
My review of Ebay bennfoto Medalist II service

My review of Ebay bennfoto Medalist II service

Service sold by bennfoto account on Ebay. Camera sent for service to:

Cameraworks
166 Sparrowbush Road
Latham, NY 12110

Price for service: $120 + 15 for return shipping. From listing: "Service includes, Shutter cleaning and adjustments, Rangefinder Cleaning and Focus adjustments, Plus total camera cleaning and adjustment to good working order."

My experience: In addition to general service, my camera needed repair to the pressure plate, as one rivet was missing. And, I could see some white residue on the rear lens elements. I had inquired about whether the pressure plate could be handled, before purchase of the service.

Upon the camera's return, I noted that the pressure plate was good. I could not detect repair, so assume the pressure plate assembly was replaced with a donor piece. Looking at the rear lens element, I noted no white residue. Good.

Then, I noted a few things that gave me pause. There was a large piece of lint inside the front lens element. So, I unscrewed the front element, and blew it out.

I had sent the camera without the filter holder ring in place. Now returned, the threads needed cleaning, so, I cleaned them.

The aperture control ring seems too loose. There's no damping or friction. While this is the first Medalist I've had my hands on, I have 95 other cameras, so, I do have some basis for comparison. I had recently purchased the Medalist, and don't recall how the aperture ring felt before service.

I noted that the film type reminder ring still could not be turned. I'll admit that I never intend to use it, and I could easily loosen and clean it myself. But, it seemed odd not to have been tended to. On the other hand, I suppose an argument could be made that the ring contributes nothing to "good working order," so, falls outside the service provided.

Soon, I went out to shoot a roll of film. On my 3rd subject, I wanted to do a long exposure. That was when I discovered that the Bulb setting did not work. The shutter would open on pressing the release, but, the shutter did not close on release of the release. I had to turn the shutter speed ring to get the shutter to close. To further investigate, I moved to the shutter cocking lever, and found that it frequently would not fully cock the shutter, especially at the higher speed settings. I ruined half of the film roll messing around with these things.

Developed the film, and found the negs looked good (see the images, above). Exposures were consistent over several shutter speeds.

I contacted bennfoto about the Bulb and shutter cock failings. He said to return the camera so that he could make it right, and said he would reimburse me for the second shipping. OK, camera sent.

Upon the second return, I checked the Bulb setting and shutter cocking lever, and found that they worked properly.

But, what's this? The inside of the camera was pretty dusty. The dust was kind of odd, bordering on industrial grit. So, I blew it out. Same with the focusing helicoids on the outside.

Also, testing Bulb, this was the first time I had actually looked through the lens. There are a couple of black specks visible inside -- the type thing that should have been easily removable.

And, finally, something bad happened to the focus distance display, on that second service visit. There's a small crescent crack at one edge of the cover glass. One corner of the cover glass frame moves about 1/3 mm, when touched. And, MOST obviously, the distance disc is now either warped, or installed askew; as the disc is highly reflective, this defect causes a strobing effect as I view the spinning disc.

True to his word, bennfoto repaid my second shipping fee -- by way of cash in the package. I think this may avoid a defect to his seller rating (Ebay's internal system), that might come with a partial refund through Paypal / Ebay. Not sure.
 
Last edited:
Check your expectations. You paid chicken feed prices to the only known person left in the world that works on an archaic, 70 year old camera design? You complain about a piece of lint and some specks of dust inside? Sheeze, it's not like it's hospital MRI equipment, that you paid $400/hr to have looked it (there are things out there like that). They spent 4-5 hours trying to get an ancient, known unreliable camera working perfectly for you, for 15 -20 dollars an hour. Now you are ready to publicly berate the service.

Any time an antique is worked on there is a chance of introducing other problems. It's the name of the game. The days of factory trained camera technicians working on 3 or 5 year old cameras are decades ago. Remind me to never sell you a camera or lens.
 
goamules said:
Check your expectations. You paid chicken feed prices to the only known person left in the world that works on an archaic, 70 year old camera design? You complain about a piece of lint and some specks of dust inside? Sheeze, it's not like it's hospital MRI equipment, that you paid $400/hr to have looked it (there are things out there like that). They spent 4-5 hours trying to get an ancient, known unreliable camera working perfectly for you, for 15 -20 dollars an hour. Now you are ready to publicly berate the service.

Any time an antique is worked on there is a chance of introducing other problems. It's the name of the game. The days of factory trained camera technicians working on 3 or 5 year old cameras are decades ago. Remind me to never sell you a camera or lens.
Click to expand...


I thought the idea of a forum was to share information that others may find useful. I don't know if your thoughts on this matter are representative of the community, but, I do recognize that these words will be up here indefinitely, and that it's possible that others might appreciate just the facts, without my subjective statements. I have edited my entry accordingly -- though that makes it more of an 'experience' than a 'review.' I apparently can not edit the title.
 
wwfloyd said:
I thought the idea of a forum was to share information that others may find useful. I don't know if your thoughts on this matter are representative of the community, but, I do recognize that these words will be up here indefinitely, and that it's possible that others might appreciate just the facts, without my subjective statements. I have edited my entry accordingly -- though that makes it more of an 'experience' than a 'review.' I apparently can not edit the title.
Click to expand...


I'm reassembling a Medalist that I've converted to take 120 film. Along with a full overhaul. Should go up for sale soon. I've been doing work on Medalists for a while now, along with other cameras. If you want to drop me a note, we can talk about what can be done to get your camera right.
 
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