perkeo 1 areas of concern?

[it'sawhat?]

Just won a bid on a perkeo ! last night $54 with shipping. Won't be surprised if the shutter is sticky at this price and I'll check the bellows for leaks. What else should I take a close look at? With a 7 day return policy figured it was worth a shot for a mf folder even with the low end lens it comes with.

 

[Ken Smith]

Besides the obvious you mentioned, I'd put the shutter on bulb, open the diaphram all the way, open the back and hold the shutter release down. You're looking for fungus on the elements - front, middle, and rear. Sometimes it's easily evident, and sometimes it's just bearly visible around the edges of the lens.

The viewfinder can be cruddy which requires popping the top and cleaning the viewfinder elements with a Q-tip and some denatured alcohol.

I'd also make sure that when the camera opens up, that the front standard locks firmly into place. There are two black tabs on the bottom of the front standard that you press to release the standard for closing. There should be two - I've heard tell that they are easy to break off with too much pressure, but mine seem sturdy.

With the bellows, besides light leakage, sometimes the adhesive for the interior liner fails and the fabric liner pulls away from the bellows and bunches up when the bellows collapses upon closure. This is an easy fix without having to strip the camera apart.

That's about it - nice simple well made camera. I take it it has the Vaskar lens and a Prontor S or SV/SVS shutter?

 

[kuzano]

Very simple camera....

Very simple camera....

Keep the shutter alive with exercise. The Vaskar is a very commendable lens for a triplett. Of all the folders I've owned, the bellows on Voigtlanders have been the best. Pliable and no light leaks. Doesn't mean it can't happen, but I bet you wouldn't buy a second Perkeo and have a bad bellows.

Don't be seduced into the Perkeo II. I've had three, hoping to get one with the film count reliable... never happened. I really bought them to get the Color Skopar lens.

The only way I ever got them to be good user cameras was to strip out the film count gears and use them like a Perkeo I.

Then I found out that some Perkeo I cameras came with the Color Skopar lens, shutter and front standard. (the Color Skopar is 80mm focal length, while the Vaskar is 75mm). The Color Skopar lens is usually mounted in a Synchro Compur shutter.

NOTE: One of my personal Golden Rules... NEVER try to use the self timer on any old shutter... particularly a Prontor - any variation. Great way to assure having to send it for full CLA. I have not seen many old folder shutters that did not respond to a "ronsonol flush", except for the self timer function.

That's what I have now. a Perkeo I with an originally installed Color Skopar lens, Synchro Compur shutter , and the front standard that eventually was put on the Perkeo II.

 

[Brian Legge]

Hah. I picked up a Perkeo II with Color Skopar and Syncro Compur. I've spent the last week tearing it down and trying to figure out how to make the counter reliable.

I'm sure there is a way to do it but it totally alludes me. I got it for $50 so I can't really complain - the shutter and lens are enough to make it worth while - but I had hoped for a working counter too. Oh well. 🙂

To the OP, there isn't much there to go wrong if the bellows don't leak, the shutter works and the glass is in good shape.

Edit: Oh, and one of the springs on the struts is missing. 🙁 I have to hold the strut in place. I wish I had the gear on hand to make a new spring but I'm not very well equipped for that. Rather annoying. Definitely check that both struts lock into place.

 

[jnoir]

I have noticed, repairing Perkeos I, that the double exposure prevention mechanism is not as reliable as it should be. Not a big issue, and taking into account its small size, it is one of my favorite 6x6 viewfinder cameras.

 

[it'sawhat?]

Thanks guys, and special thanks on the best way to check for fungus and such Ken. Yep it's the vaskar and if samples from flikr are a good judge of whats possible from it I'll enjoy it.

 

[Vagabond]

I also have a Perkeo I and love it. It's a great little folder to carry around and takes excellent photos. I paid about the same price and it arrived with no light leaks or lens issues. As said above, do not try the self timer. Good luck with it, and have fun.

 

[it'sawhat?]

yeah it arrived wed. afternoon, the only issue with it is the shutter . It works perfect in B , however in the timed settings no matter what speed is selected it fires at what seems like about 1/50 - 1/60 guessing here on true speed.:bang: Would a flushing with ronsonal likely fix it or is it likely more serious?

 

[sevo]

Would a flushing with ronsonal likely fix it or is it likely more serious?

I would recommend at least partial disassembly, so that you can clean it more thoroughly. Flushing might work for a while, assuming that merely one of the tabs is stuck in old grease. But if there is that much oxidized grease inside, you will not succeed in flushing it out, but will merely move it deeper into the mechanism, so that the same or even worse issues will come back on you as soon as the softening properties of the Ronsonol have worn off and the bearings stiffen again.